A  C  D  D  C  A
A  C  D  D  C  A

[Verse 1]
A
Well out in the country we didn't have mortuaries
    D                                  A
And so it was always customary for the undertaker to do his job
             B7                     E
And lay your kin out right there at home.
          A
Yeah, the church would loan you folding chairs
               D
And you'd have visitation and everything right there
             A
But when the nighttime come you'd have to sit up with the dead
         E                            A  C  D  D  C  A
Cause it wasn't right to leave them alone.

[Verse 2]
A                                              D
Well the last time I sat up was in '65 when my old arthritic Uncle Fred died
       A                          B7                             E
He was 97, so stooped over the mortician couldn't straighten him out
            A
They used a loggin' chain to hold him down
D                                                   A
Covered that all up with a cape and gown and didn't tell nobody in the family
                               E                               A  C  D  D  C  A
Cause that's the kind of stuff folk's just don't want to know about.

[Verse 3]
             A                                             A  C  D
Well we were all sittin' there, it was three in the morning
               A                                            A  C  D
And then there came up a cloud, thunder, lightnin' and stormin'
A
Well that lightnin' flashed, and the thunder clapped
D
And that chain round old Uncle Fred went snap!
E
Rattled and fell to the floor with a thump
        A
And old Uncle Fred just sat right up.  (YEOW)

[Chorus]
A                                             D                  A  D  A
And I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more, I don't know 'bout you
      A                                          E                        D  E
No, I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more, no matter what you say or do
             A
They say the dead can't hurt you cause they already left
              D
But what they left can sure make you hurt yourself
      A                         B7
And I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more
          E                       A  C  D                  D  C  A
Since the dead started sittin' up too.    Lord, have mercy.

[Bridge]

A  C  D  D  c  A
A  C  D  D  C  A

[Verse 4]
A
Well when Uncle Fred sat up so did everyone there
    D
And there came a great partin' in the folding chairs
         A
And that preacher nearly knocked me down, he said,
          E
"Ooh, I'm headin' out that kitchen door."
             A
I hollered, "Rev, that kitchen ain't got no door in it!"
          D
He said, "Don't worry son it will have in a minute!"
      A                        E                     A  C  D  D  C  A
And I ain't never seen so much jumpin' and shovin' before.

[Verse 5]
     A
Then somebody stepped on some old cat's tail
       D
And he let out a scream, a screech, a wail
       A                                               B7        E
And to say the least that howl didn't hwlp to calm the situation down
A                                         D
And then that lightnin' flashed, and that house went black
      A
And I spoke to my feet and said, "Boys, make tracks."
      E                                                A  C  D  D  C  A
And I went through that screen door lickety split for town.

[Verse 6]
       A                                         A  C  D
Well I cut through the cenetary, fell into a hole
       A                                        A  C  D
It was Uncle Fred's grave, it was dark and cold.
          A
Yeah, the town drunk dug it too deep
    D
And unbeknownst to me he's still in there asleep.
        E
And I'm scratchin' and jumpin' tryin' to get out of that hole
E                         N.C.
And he woke up amd said, "E ght as well come over here and sit down beside me, boy,
N.C.
Csuse you ain't gettin' outta here tonight."
N.C.
But I did.

[Chorus]
A                                             D                  A  D  A
And I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more, I don't know 'bout you
      A                                          E                        D  E
No, I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more, no matter what you say or do
             A
They say the dead can't hurt you cause they already left
              D
But what they left can sure make you hurt yourself
      A                         B7
And I ain't sittin' up with the dead no more
          E                       A  C  D  D  C  A
Since the dead started sittin' up too.