Matthew

had an uncle named matthew

Was his father's only boy

Born just south of colby, kansas

Was his mother's pride and joy



Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy kansas wheatfield

Blue, just a kansas summer sky



All the stories that he told me

Back when i was just a lad

All the memories that he gave me

All the good times that he had



Growin' up a kansas farmboy

Life was mostly havin' fun

Ridin' on his daddy's shoulders

Behind a view beneath the sun



Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy kansas wheatfield

Blue is just a kansas summer sky



Well, i guess there were some hard times

And i'm told some years were lean

They had a storm in forty-seven

A twister came and stripped them clean



He lost the farm and lost his family

He lost the wheat and lost his home

But he found a family bible

Faith as solid as a stone



Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy kansas wheatfield

Blue, just a kansas summer sky



So he came to live at our house

And he came to work the land

He came to ease my daddy's burden

And he came to be my friend



So, i wrote this down for matthew

And it's for him the song is sung

Ridin' on his daddy's shoulders

Behind a mule beneath the sun



Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy kansas wheatfield

Blue, just a kansas summer sky



Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy kansas wheatfield

Blue, just a kansas summer sky



Words and music by john denver




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