[ Featuring Joanna Field ]
(God put a song in the heart of an angel)
(And softly she sang it to me)
I get to thinking
Lots of times about
Back when I was a lad
Of the old home-place where I grew up
And of the days both good and bad
My overalls were hand-me-downs
My shoes were all full of holes
I used to walk for four miles to school every day
Through the rain, the heat and the cold
I've seen the nights when my daddy would cry
For the things that his family would need
But all he ever got
Was a bad-land farm and seven hungry mouths to feed
And yet, our home fire never flickered once
'Cause when all these things went wrong
Mama took the hymn book down and mama sang a song
(What a friend we have in Jesus)
I've been rocked to sleep many a-night
To the tune of What A Friend
Then it would come morning and
Rock of Ages would wake me gently once again
And then daddy would reach up and he'd take the bible down
And he'd read it loud and long
And I always felt that maybe our home was blessed
When daddy would say, mama sing us a song
Sister left home I guess
Then Bob, then Tommy, then Dan
By then daddy's hair was turning white
And I had to be mama's little man
But as sure as my daddy's back grew weak
My mama's faith grew strong
And those were the greatest days of all
When mama sang a song
(Rock of ages, cleft for me)
(Let me hide myself in thee)
I guess the house is still standing there
But I don't get to go back much anymore
No voices left to fill those halls
No footsteps to grace the floor
For you see, my mama sings in heaven now
Around God's golden throne
But I'll always believe that this world is a better place to live
Because my mama sang a song
(Precious memories flood my soul)