Outs ide the Nashville city limits a f riend and I did drive
O n a day in early winter I was g lad to be alive
We w ent to see some f riends of his who l ived upon a f arm
S trange and gentle c ountry folk who w ished nobody h arm
F resh-cut sixty a cres e ight cows in the b arn
But the t hing that I rem ember on that c old day in Dec ember
Was that my e yes they did brim o ver as we t alked.
In t he slowest drawl I had ever hea rd the man said "Come with me
I f y'all wanna see the prettie st place in all of Tennessee."
He p oured us each a glass of wine and a-walk ing we did go
A long fallen leav es and cracklin g ice wher e a tiny brook did flow
H e knew every inch of the land a nd Lord he loved it so
But the t hing that I remember on that cold d ay in December
Was that my e yes were brimmin g over a s we walked.
He s et me down upon a stone beside a running spring
H e talked in a voice so soft a nd clear like the waters I heard sing
He s aid "We search ed quite a time for a plac e to call our own
T here was just me and Mary John and now I guess we're home."
I looked at th e gr ound and wonde red how many years they each had roamed
And Lord I do rememb er on that da y in late D ecember
How my eyes k ept brimming ov er as we talked
As we w alked.
And s tanding there with outstretched arms he s aid to me "You know
I can't wait till the heavy storms c over the ground with snow
And t here on the pond the w atercress is a ll that don't turn w hite
When the s un is high you s quint your eyes and l ook at the hills so b right."
And no dding his head m y friend said "It s eems like overn ight
That the l eaves come out so t ender at the t urning of the w inter"
I thought the s kies they would brim o ver as we ta lked.
