My Grandfather's Clock -

Johnny Cash

My grandfather's clock
Was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half
Than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn
Of the day that he was born,
It was always his treasure and pride;

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum
Swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy;
And in childhood and manhood
The clock seemed to know,
And share both his grief and his joy.
And it struck twenty-four
When he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride;

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

My grandfather said
That of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found;
For it wasted no time,
And had but one desire,
At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place,
Not a frown upon its face,
And its hand never hung by its side.

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

It rang an alarm
In the dead of the night,
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that his spirit
Was pluming his flight,
That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time,
With a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

My Grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor.
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought on the morn of the day he was born,
And twas always his treasure and pride,
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent as a boy.
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know,
And it shared both his sorrow and joy.

For it struck twenty-four when he entered the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride,
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tock,
It's life seconds numbering, tick tock, tick, tock,
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

My Grandfather said that of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found.
It wasted no time and it had one desire,
At the end of the week to be wound.

And it stayed in its place, not a frown upon its face,
And it's hands never hung by it's side,
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Now it rang an alarm in the still of the night,
An alarm that for years had been dumb.
We all knew that his spirit was pluming in flight,
That his hour of departure had come.

Still the clock kept its time with a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side,
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tock,
It's life seconds numbering, tick tock, tick, tock,
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.