Intro :
Grey-haired and flint-eyed his s unbu rned fa ce lined
G randpa was a m an of few w ords
H e had a way of no t wanti ng to say
Any m ore than he t hought would be h eard
The long years o f livi ng day to day giving
Had c arved out a m ap on his f ace
With l ittle to l ose he'd l earned how to c hoose
And his c hoices were e asy to t race
He had the e yes of a painter
Heart of a maker of s ongs
His w ords fell like rain on the d ry desert plain
Precious and so quickly g one
From a long line of teachers white B aptist preachers
He was b orn with an I ndian w ill
His quiet dark e yes read ing the light
As he r ode in the l ow Osage h ills
His school was the pra irie the Sage the wild berry
The Q uail the w ide open s ky
The C ottonwood t hicket by the s low rolling r iver
The R edbud and the h ot cattle d rive
He had the e yes of a painter
Heart of a maker of s ongs
His w ords fell like rain on the d ry desert plain
Precious and so quickly g one
There were days filled with thinkin g nights with the drinking
For a l ost love that r aged like a s torm
Ah but how his eyes smiled when he talked to a child
The rough hands so g entle and w arm
His strong arms were brown where t he long sleeves rolled down
On his f aded b lue cotton s hirt
When t imes got h ard he'd go o ut in the y ard
And he'd c uss away some of his h urt
He had the e yes of a painter
Heart of a maker of s ongs
His w ords fell like rain on the d ry desert plain
Precious and so quickly g one
Now the garden's grown dusty th e hand-ax e lies rusty
The d oor's banging h ard in the w ind
Gr andpa's store is c losed d own lik e mos t of the town
And it won't be o pen ag ain
And a big white car sits o ut in the yard
Of the h ouse he built s olid and t rue
Ah but I see his e yes burning ton ight
Like the s tars in the s ky he once k new
He had the e yes of a painter
Heart of a maker of s ongs
His w ords fell like rain on the d ry desert plain
Precious and so quickly g one
His w ords fell like rain on the d ry desert plain
Precious and so quickly g one
