In West Jefferson, she grew up dirt poor
And in a mountain revival, she turned to the Lord
She learned that He loved with no conditions
The love that she gave to her daughters and sons
She wore a gold cross on her rope chain
Said a little prayer in the Father’s name
Watched over her flock
by names
stopped on to her claim to fame
She wore a gold cross on her rope chain
Now out in Nashville, I’m drinkin’ again
And everyone knows that can’t keep head
And in my failure, the thread
reached for that cross on that chain by the bed
She wore a gold cross on her rope chain
Said a little prayer in the Father’s name
just drove was seventeen and a day
Left to on to her claim to fame
She wore a gold cross on her rope chain
When that old cancer took the bloodstream
She called me up just to ask if I’d seen
And then she knelt down and gave everything
God the Father and the King
She wore a gold cross on her rope chain
Said a little prayer in the Father’s name
Watched over her flock
by names
stopped on to her claim to fame
She wore a gold cross on her rope chain