[Lyric] When Uncle Bill Quit Dope (Johnny Cash)

Now Uncle Bill was my Mothers Brother, a tall lanky man
But somewhere back in Uncle Bill's life, he took to sniffin' cocaine
I'd find him out in the back yard, sittin' against a tree
His eyes bugged out in a cocaine stare and his mind in a cocaine dream

Well one fall day when Uncle Bill was having a cocaine fit
He said "Louise this coke's no good and I've made up my mind to quit
Now you take this key and I'll go upstairs and then you lock the door
And Lord I swear I'll stay up there till I don't want dope no more"

Well, he stomped the floor and he bеat the door and he moaned a mournful cry
Whеn the last cocaine went through his brain, we thought he'd surely die
He yelled and he cussed and he fell on the floor and we almost gave up hope
As long as I live I won't forget when Uncle Bill quit dope

Well, for the first few hours we heard not a sound, upstairs was quiet and still
And then all of a sudden we heard a shriek of pain from Uncle Bill
He bounced out of bed and across the room, I heard him break a chair
And then another scream louder than the first as he ripped out a hunk of his hair

My Mother kissed us all that night, as brother and I lay in bed
We wondered if poor old Uncle Bill was dyin' or already dead
But all night long we listened to him as he raved and pleaded and called
And I swear I heard his finger nails tearing the paper off the walls
Well, he stomped the floor and he beat the door and he moaned a mournful cry
When the last cocaine went through his brain we thought he'd surely die
He yelled and he cussed and he fell on the floor and we almost gave up hope
As long as I live I won't forget when Uncle Bill quit dope

After fourteen days and nights of hell, it grew quiet over head
And I peered past mother, as she unlocked the door expecting to find him dead
But to my surprise there was Uncle Bill, as shiny as a brand new dollar
His hair was combed and his beard was gone, he'd grown two inches taller

In his old blue suit and his patent shoes, he was quite a sight to see
The light was back in his deep blue eyes as he turned to mother and me
He said "Louise, I've been through hell and I nearly went insane
But I finally kicked that devil's habit, I beat that demon cocaine"

Well, he stomped the floor and he beat the door and he moaned a mournful cry
When the last cocaine went through his brain we thought he'd surely die
He screamed and he hollered and he fell on the floor and we almost gave up hope
As long as I live I won't forget when Uncle Bill quit dope
As long as I live I won't forget when Uncle Bill quit dope