☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a man who observes the funeral of a friend.
- The man decides not to be at the funeral site and stays in his truck.
- He admires the shiny limousine of the deceased and reflects on his life.
- There are rumors about the deceased's debts and the man points out that he still owes him 40 dollars.
- The lyrics reflect melancholy, curiosity, and indifference towards death.
Interpretation
The song "Ballad of Forty Dollars" by
Tom T. Hall is about a man who attends a friend's funeral. The lyrics describe how the man observes the funeral and shares his thoughts and feelings.
The song begins with the man describing how the preacher says it was a simple way to die. The deceased lay down to rest and never opened his eyes again. The man and his friends were hired to dig the grave and carry chairs. It took them seven hours and they drank a lot of beer.
The man decides not to be at the burial site when they bury the deceased because he doesn't have appropriate clothing and gets scared when they talk about hell. Instead, he sits in his truck and pretends not to know the deceased. He has to go to work anyway and mow the lawn.
While sitting in the truck, he sees a big, shiny limousine that probably belongs to the deceased. He admires the car and thinks about how it could have belonged to his great uncle. Then he notices the widow in a pretty black dress.
The song lyrics continue and describe how the rumor circulates that the deceased had debts and his truck is for sale. The widow seems to be having a hard time, but not much can be seen behind her facade. The song ends with the man pointing out that the deceased still owes him 40 dollars.
Overall, the song lyrics are about the observations and thoughts of a man during a funeral. He reflects on the life of the deceased, the reactions of the people around him, and his own feelings. The text conveys a mixture of melancholy, curiosity, and a certain indifference towards death.