Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? Album Lyrics by Tyler Childers

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Old Country Church

There's a place dear to me
Where I'm longing to be
With my friends at the old country church
There with mother we went
And our Sundays were spent
With my friends at the old country church

Precious years of memories
Oh, what joy they bring to me
How I long once more to be
With my friends at the old country church

As a small country boy
How my heart beat with joy
When I knelt in the old country church
And the savior above
By his wonderful love
Saved my soul in the old country church

Precious years of memories
Oh, what joy they bring to me
How I long once more to be
With my friends at the old country church

How I wish that today
All the people would pray
As they prayed in the old country church
If they'd only confess
Jesus surely would bless
As he did in the old country church

Precious years of memories
Oh, what joy they bring to me
How I long once more to be
With my friends at the old country church

Precious years of memories
Oh, what joy they bring to me
How I long once more to be
With my friends at the old country church
With my friends at the old country church

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Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?

Now you tell me that there are streets of gold and angels in the air
Now all that's fine and dandy and I'm sure it's nice up there
There's just one thing that I need to know 'fore I settle down
Can I take my hounds to heaven
Can I hunt on God's ground

Now you say if I quit drinking and try to toe the line
I can make it up to glory at the end of my life
Now whiskey's hard to throw away something I might try to do
If I could spend forever running round treeing coon's

But if I can't take my hound's to heaven
If I can't hunt on God's land
Then I'd rather load my dog box up and go to hell with all my friends
Now I'll wake up in the morning and follow you to town
If I can take my hounds to heaven
If I can hunt on God's ground

Now you say if I quit smoking and my rough and rowdy ways
We'd walk together forever on streets of gold someday
But the only way I can stand it now and I hate to say it's true
Is when you start your bitchin'
I can run off and hunt till my face turns blue

If I can't take my dogs to heaven
If I can't hunt on God's land
I'd rather load my dog box up and go to hell with all my friends
Now I'll wake up in the morning and follow you to town
If I can take my hounds to heaven
If I can hunt on God's ground
If I can take my hounds to heaven
If I can hunt on God's ground

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Two Coats

Two coats laid before me, an old and the new
And I could have either of them 'less I do
One coat was ugly and terribly torn
The other, a new one and never been worn

And I'll tell you the best thing I ever did do
I laid off the old one and put on the new

[Instrumental Break]

The old coat was earthy and not meant to wear
I pulled it off and shed me a tear
When there was a new one presentеd to me
I laid off the old one and put on thе new

I'll tell you the best thing I ever did do
I laid off the old coat and put on the new

[Instrumental Break]

The old coat was earthly and greenish brown
The other bears His image the whole world goes 'round
The next was my savior over from Heaven so fair
He gave me his new coat that you see me wear

I'll tell you the best thing I ever did do
I laid off the old coat and put on the new

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Purgatory

Will you pray for me
When the roots of the oak and my ribcage are braidin'
If I can think
Lord knows that I will fondly pray for you
High on the hill where the fox horns blow
And down in the grave where they lay me low
Catholic girl, pray for me
You're my only hope for Heaven

When I's a boy
I'd drink and love and smoke and snort my fill
But all the while
I kept in mind the Lord's redeeming grace
High on the hill where the fox horns blow
And down in the city where the heathens go
Catholic girl, pray for me
You're my only hope for Heaven

you reckon he lets free will
Boys mope around in purgatory

I know that Hell
Is just as real as I am surely breathin'
But I've heard tale
Of a middle ground, I think will work for me
When the time has come for changin' worlds
I'll hedge my bets with a Catholic girl
Catholic girl, pray for me
You're my only hope for Heaven

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Way of the Triune God

(What's a soliloquy, pa?
(Well, a soliloquy is, is where you kinda look a way off)
(And kinda talk to yourself)
(Oh)
(They used to do that a whole lot back then)
(If you do it today, then someone will take you away)

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Angel Band

Hallelujah, jubilee
Hallelujah, jubilee

He stands behind the pulpit
He's calling out a line
Responds to congregation
Just a little way's behind
Echoes down the streets of gold
Through the Pearly Gates
Dribbles over the Jordan
And it goes on by the banks

He's rattling a Werther's
On his dentures in the pew
He's holding down the bass
It's a little out of tune
But his heart is in the hymnal
And that's all a boy can do
Make a joyful sound
'Til the rest have come to roost

Hallelujah, jubilee
I can hear the angel band
I was blind but now I see
And I'll jump right in amongst them
When I reach the glory land

She's shouting in the aisle
She's shaking something fierce
Feels so good to be here
After all these faithful years
Just took a walk with Jesus
Just touched his nail-scarred hands
Didn't even bother her
That he ain't a blue-eyed man

Hallelujah, jubilee
I can hear the angel band
I was blind but now I see
And I'll jump right in amongst them
When I reach the glory land

There's Hindus, Jews, and Muslims
And Baptists of all kinds
Catholic girls and Amish boys
Who've left their plows behind
Up there in the choir
Singing side by side
Wondering why exactly
They been fussing the whole time

Hallelujah, jubilee
I can hear the angel band
I was blind but now I see
And I'll jump right in amongst them
When I reach the glory land

Hallelujah, jubilee
Hallelujah, jubilee
I can hear the angel band
Hallelujah

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Jubilee

[Instrumental]

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Heart You've Been Tendin'

All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take is the heart you've been tendin'

Ain't no way to fake it
No way around it
No time to tear it
And there ain't no excuse

And it ain't that hard
When you get down to it
Only tool that you'll need
Only one that you'll use

All that you'll take is the heart you've been tendin'
At the start or the endin' you'll be cast in the wild
You'll either go through like you know what you're doin'
Or run around aimless and scared like a child

All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take is the heart you've been tendin'

Now hearts they can wilt
When they're left in the window
Without any shade
From the sun beatin' down

And they ain't maintained and kept in water
But it's the only thing that you'll take to the ground

All that you'll take is the heart you've been tendin'
At the start or the endin' you'll be cast in the wild
You'll either go through like you know what you're doin'
Or run around aimless and scared like a child

All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take is the heart you've been tendin'

It'll show in your stride and the songs you been singin'
It'll give you some pride and then further along
When you've left it all
It can help someone else get back to their home

All that you'll take is the heart you've been tendin'
At the start or the endin' you'll be cast in the wild
You'll either go through like you know what you're doin'
Or run around aimless and scared like a child

All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take
All that you'll take is the heart you've been tendin'