| A hello oh hello Jim
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| Yeah I just walked in the house myself
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| Oh it’s a fact alright they’re gonna tear the ol' courthouse down
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| I heard about it in town just before I left
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| Municipal buildin' some of 'em said they’re gonna call it
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| Bigger and better all around
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| Naw they ain’t gonna have no votin' on it
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| They just decided to tear the ol' courthouse down
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| Oh I’m like you Jim I reckon I hate to see it go
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| Why when I’s just a boy in my teens
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| Pa brought me to town for the first time
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| That was the first big buildin' I’d ever seen
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| Later bought the license to marry the woman there
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| Paid taxes on my first piece of land
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| Voted the first time right there in them ol' wooden halls
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| I reckon that ol' buildin' watched a lot of us grow into men
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| Got the children’s birth certificates there
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| All of 'em still livin' 'cept one
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| It was the big war Jim you remember
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| You remember doncha that’s where we lost him
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| The rest of 'ems all married up now and
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| They got little time for us ol' folks
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| I reckon that new buildin’s for them
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| Yeah it’s gonna be a big one cover the square
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| Won’t have a yard yeah right out to the street
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| Course that ain’t gonna leave no room to argue religion and politics
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| Or the champion checker players to meet
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| You know now that they’re tearin' that ol' courthouse down
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| It seems like I’m losin' a friend
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| Dad burn it Jim that buildin' ain’t no older than I am
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| Guess a feller oughta prepare I reckon for the end
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| What’s that you say Jim
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| Oh yeah I’ll meet you there in town Saturday like I always have
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| Why I guess out in the street I guess Jim
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| Yeah but then the courthouse and the wooden benches’ll all be gone
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| There won’t be no where to sit down and rest
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| Hey Jim 'fore you ring off you know I’s thinkin'
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| If there’s ever day place in the Promise Land you know
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| An off duty congregation ground
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| I believe I’d be happy with that ol' courthouse yard
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| Where our Lord’ll walk up and say welcome
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| Here’s your place come on feller
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| Sit down sit down
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| When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there |