Tom T. Hall - Before Jessie Died lyrics

She sat on the bar stool
She smoked and she drank
Till the past became clear and
The future went blank
In the path she regains all
Her beauty and pride
But that was before Jessie died

Jessie, her husband was small, he was lean
Drove a big yellow earth moving machine
They had a new pick-up
The joy of their lives
But that was before Jessie died

She used to go shopping
For pretty young clothes
And her hair done Thursdays and
Her nails and her toes
And on weekends they danced till
The first morning light
But that was before Jessie died



On weekends they'd cook out and
Watch all the games
Jessie knew all of the best players names
The sunshine so bright it put
Tears in your eyes
But that was before Jessie died

When Jessie got sick he was thirty years old
They said
"It ain't nothing but a little light cold"
And he worked till the pain
Wouldn't ease or subside
And that was before Jessie died

Now she sit's on the stool with
A glass in her hand
She smiles and she talks to a travelin' man
And there was time she would turn down a ride
But that was before Jessie died
She sat on the bar stool
She smoked and she drank
'Till the past became clear and
The future went blank
In the path she regains all
Her beauty and pride
But that was before Jessie died