On the "In Harmony's Way" Facebook page, somebody posted a link to a YouTube recording by a duet called Four Shillings Short:
The name of the songwriter was cut off the beginning of the performance, but the songwriter wrote a lot of songs that were recorded by the Austin Lounge Lizards. That led me to near certainty that the song was written by Mark Graham. Am I right? Please correct me gently if I'm wrong. Mark's Website is http://www.mongrelfolk.com/ - I don't find any mention of the song there.
I found lyrics posted here:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x4823911
Please post corrections if you have any, and I'll incorporate them into this post.
LAST WORDS
(Mark Graham)
The curtain of darkness is falling
and my friends are all here at my side
Are those the sweet voices of angels
as I rise on that heavenly tide?
All hearts overflowin' with sadness
and those words left so often unsaid
Then I heard a voice whispering softly
"Can I have all your stuff when you're dead?"
"Could I have your TV and your pickup?
And I've always admired those shoes
Could I have that old dinin' room table?
And there's a couple of chairs I could use
Well, I know that you're headed to glory
And like a star up to heaven you'll shoot
When they write the last page of your story
can I try on that seersucker suit?"
It was the voice of my dear brother, Thomas
He was kneelin' down close by my side
His breath had just come from a funeral
for a mouthful of teeth that had died
Well, I prayed my last prayer for salvation
I was feelin' the touch of God's hand
But I could still hear the voice of my brother
as they struck up that old angel band
"Could I have your old ski boots and surfboard
and maybe that four-poster bed?
Would you mind if I took a few records?
Just Nirvana, the Stones and the Dead
Well, you know that you can't take it with you
to your heavenly home up on high
When you pass through those gates and they hand you your wings
can I have all your stuff when you die?"
But the angels consulted St. Peter
and flew me back to my hospital bed
My life was a new day a-dawning...
And the angels took Tommy instead
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sj