Mr. Confederate Man

I was just a little boy
in elementary school
English and Math and Science class
learning the golden rules
I learned how to add and how to subtract
and how to multiply and divide
I learned about bugs and I learned about plants
and I learned how to read and write
but my most favorite class of all
was the last class of the day
when my history teacher would tell us tales
of old times long gone away
I was amazed at the way she knew all the people
and their names and the places and the dates
that's when I first learned about General Lee
and his 13 rebel States

One day she came to school
with a big brown grocery bag
she opened it up, we all helped her hold up
this great big "X" shaped flag
she said class
now only a fool will tell you
this flag is a symbol of hate
It represents the men who fought and died
with pride for our Confederate States
Your assignment tonight
I want you to write
I want you to pretend
that one of these brave men came back to life
now what would you say to him

Well the school bell rang
and I thought and I thought
as the bus carried me across town
I got out my pencil and my notebook pad
and this is what I wrote down

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

The next day in History class
I put my paper on the teachers 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

Well I was at home reading through the news
just the other day
when I ran across my old teachers name
and I saw where she had passed away
with a bitter-sweet smile
I looked up at my wall
a wrinkled paper in a old wood frame
where underneath penciled words almost faded away
she had marked a grade 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