The Aberdeen Foundation

WILLIE'S SONG
[ country; co-written by Daniel Muhammad ]

You may park in a mansion grand; a castle built on sand

Have more than enough while your poor neighbors lack

Check out in a silk-lined box 'neath a hand-carved granite rock

But you can't keep the shirt that’s on your back

No you can’t, no you can’t

No you can’t take it with you when you go

No matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you play

All you get to keep is what you gave away

You may shack with a drop-dead fox in a borrowed krib that rocks

Run it up on plastic and never intend to pay

Drive a great big fancy car, party hard on caviar

But the grim reaper will come collect some day

No you can’t, no you can’t

No you can’t take it with you when you go

No matter how you complain and no matter how much you pray

All you get to keep is what you gave away

Oh, When it’s time (when it’s time), when it’s time (when it’s time)

When it’s time to leave this world someday

No matter what we do, believe or think or say

All we get to keep is what we gave away

Yeah, you may bitch and moan, ask for an extended loan

But all we get to keep is what we gave away *

Imagination Library The Teammates For Kids Foundation

Tennessee Children's Charities Directory

*Inspired by record executive Fred Foster’s tribute to Willie Nelson in the video documentary "My Life", quoting an apparently anonymous somewhat famous quotation: “When comes the time to leave this world someday, what you get to keep is what you gave away.”

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