This is the true story of my grandfather and grandmother. My grandfather operated a general store in a small nortwest Louisiana town. My grandmother was a pretty lady several years younger than my grandfather. After their children (my mother, aunt, and uncle) were grown, she worked at the small Baptist church where she befriended the preacher. The preacher and his wife became close friends of my grandfather and grandmother, but a forbidden love developed between my grandmother and the preacher. Ignoring the scandal that would surely erupt in that small town they gave into their desire for one another and left. My grandfather was so embittered and heartbroken that he proceeded to burn all her belongings, including her grandfather’s Confederate uniform. This song begged to be written in a hauntingly southern gothic style.
In a sleepy little town back in twenty-nine
A railroad stop on the Louisiana line
D.T. Fulmer ran a feed and seed
And his general store had everything you need
Three kids were born in a wood-frame house
My mama was the third, living hand to mouth
Life was hard, but when push came to shove
As the sun went down, there was always love
My grandma Thelma was a pretty young thing
But I think her mind held onto dreams
Of getting out of that dusty little town
Pop tried, but the devil started pulling her down
[Chorus]
Well Pop’s out back with a great big fire
Is it a barbecue or a funeral pyre
Burned a wedding dress and a rebel coat
And thirty years of love went up in smoke
Now Byron, he was the Baptist preacher
And Thelma, she was a restless creature
When the kids were grown she worked at the church
And Byron’s eyes began to search
He found a way out of his starched-shirt life
And ran off with my grandpa’s wife
__________
[Chorus]
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Pop laughed low through a smoker’s wheeze
He bellowed loud as he slapped his knees
But most things he kept locked inside
Never spoke Thelma’s name till the day he died
__________
[Final Chorus]
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