Discover the story of the song > Ballad Of Forty Dollars – Tom T. Hall

The song is about a man who died and the protagonist is hired to help with his funeral. The protagonist doesn't own a suit and is scared of the talk about Hell, so he decides to sit in his truck and pretend that he doesn't know the man. He notices a fancy limousine and wonders who it belongs to. He also sees the widow in a pretty dress and thinks some women look good in black. The bugler plays a song and the protagonist hopes the man rests in peace, even though he owes the protagonist $40.