Mr. Confederate Man

[G]I was just a [C]little boy in [G]elementary s[D]chool
[G]English and Math and [C]Science class
[G]Learning the [D]golden [G]rule
[G]I learned how to add and [C]how to subtract
How to [G]multiply and [D]divide
[G]I learned about bugs and [C]I learned about plants
And I [G]learned how to [D]read and [G]write
[G]But my most favorite c[C]lass of all was my [G]last class of the d[D]ay
[G]When my history teacher would [C]tell us tales of old [G]times long [D]gone [G]away
[G]I was amazed at the way she k[C]new all the people and their[G] names and the
places and the d[D]ates
Because [G]when I first learned about [C]General Lee and his [G]Thirteen r[D]ebel [G]states.

:Tabbing:

[G]One day she [C]came to school with a b[G]ig brown [D]grocery [G]bag
[G]She opened it up we all [C]helped her hold her up
This g[G]reat big X[D]-shaped [G]flag
She said "[G]Class, now only a [C]fool would tell you this f[G]lag is a symbol of h[D]ate
[G]It represents the men who f[C]ought and died with [G]pride for our [D]Confederate
[G]states

[G]Your assignment tonight, I w[C]ant you to write, I [G]want you to p[D]retend
That one of [G]these brave men came [C]back to life,
[G]What would you s[D]ay to [G]him
Well the s[G]chool bell rang and I [C]thought and I thought as the [G]bus carried me
across [D]town
I got [G]out my pencil and my [C]notebook pad and t[G]his is what [D]I wrote d[G]own

[G]I wrote

[G]Mr. [C]Confederate man,
[G]I'd like to [D]shake your hand
For [G]giving your life for [C]Dixieland
[G]Mr. C[D]onfederate [G]man,

The next day in history class, I put my paper on the teacher's desk
Then she called me up in front of everyone,
because she said she liked mine the best
As I walked up to the head of the class,
my teacher smiled and she nodded at me
Then I saw a tear roll down her cheek as I began to read

I read

Mr. Confederate man,
I'd like to shake your hand
For giving your life for Dixieland
Mr. Confederate man,

Played quiet:

I was at home reading through the news, just the other day
When I ran across my old teacher's name and I saw that she had passed away
With a bitter-sweet smile I looked up at my wall, a wrinkled paper and an
old wood frame
Where underneath penciled words almost faded away, she had marked a great
big red A
Plus

Mr. Confederate man,
I'd like to shake your hand
For giving your life for Dixieland
Mr. Confederate man,

I wrote

Mr. Confederate man,
I'd like to shake your hand
For giving your life for Dixieland
Mr. Confederate man...