ezra messenger made his death bed and he lay his body out
to his family who'd desertedhe would spAdd to the news about
on the 15th of december they would read this rich man's will
death shook old ezra's hand

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so they travelled from the berkshires
and they came from plymouth rock
and a train rolled up from greenwich
and a coach from windsor locks
and in every head danced visions of the hundred dollar
bill death shook old ezra's hand

Ezra Messenger Connecticut Greenwich Massachusetts New York North America Plymouth Plymouth Rock The Berkshires U.S.A. Windsor Locks 100

now ezra was quite wealthy but he'd never hurt his kin
yet his family had condemned him like his life was filled with sin
but they never named a reason no they never showed their hand
so death shook old ezra's hand

Ezra Messenger

so they gathered round his bed and the cold new english skies
of 40 lonely winters seem to smoulder in his eyes

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and the crowd could not remember what had scandalized him when
they decided all those years ago not to speak to him again
when up jumped that healthy rich man with a pistol aimed to kill
death shook old ezra's hand

Ezra Messenger

and when the smoke had settled every soul that came was gone
and they lay as cold and quiet as the snow out on the lawn
and on each of them he spit and placed a hundred dollar bill
death shook old ezra's hand
yeah death shook old ezra's hand
as sure as i'm standing here death shook old ezra's hand

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