The Baptizing of Elroy Snead

They called him Roy, since he was a boy, but his name was Elroy Snead Born in the hills 'mongst the likker and stills he couldn't write or read But he had a good mind, was gentle and kind, loved his Tennessee They said he'd go far, just give him a jar, he'd fill it fine you'll see Well the years went by as time does fly and Roy was gettin' nowhere Grownups worryin', that he wasn't hurryin' to get at least somewhere His Pa said, "Son, now you're the one to keep the fam'ly tradition. We'll build a still and I know you will brew it with no suspicion." Roy wasn't eager but money was meager - he had noticed girls A blonde lived near that he held dear - he would love to play with her curls Well they built the still up on the hill and turned out pure corn likker The money came in, they did it again - this one built much quicker Now nothin' went wrong and it wasn't long 'til Roy wanted a wife He asked the blonde if she would bond, she said. "I will tell you of life. Go make money - call me honey, but if you ain't baptized you're dead." Well, he gave it thought and all that she brought - slowly nodded his head They then arranged his life to be changed in the creek below his stills It looked like rain but he didn't complain - it should stay in the hills The preacher stood by, Roy said goodbye to sin before the dunkin' Then they heard without sayin' a word upstream somethin' was thunkin' As they looked upstream , it would seem that a flash flood was in full flow And ridin' high in the water nigh were two stills about to blow Then blow they did through the lid , spilling hundreds of gallons of shine An alcohol bath took away God's wrath -Roy was baptized just fine. Well we drank from the creek about a week, a happy town indeed We've changed a lot but we never forgot baptizing Elroy Snead 11-9-19