John Prine - He Was In Heaven Before He Died lyrics

There's a rainbow of babies Draped over the graveyard Where all the dead sailors Wait for their brides And the cold bitter snow Has strangled each gra**blade Where the salt from their tears Washed out with the tide Chorus And i smiled on the wabash The last time i pa**ed it Yes i gave her a wink From the pa**enger side And my foot fell asleep As i swallowed my candy Knowing he was in heaven Before he died Now the harbor's on fire With the dreams and desires Of a thousand young poets Who failed 'cause they tried For a rhyme without reason Floats down to the bottom Where the scavengers eat 'em And wash in with the tide Repeat chorus: The sun can play tricks With your eyes on the highway The moon can lay sideways Till the ocean stands still But a person can't tell His best friend he loves him Till time has stopped breathing You're alone on the hill Repeat chorus: