Had an uncle named Matthew

Was his fathers only boy

Born just south of Colby, Kansas

Was his mother's pride and joy Yes, and joy was just the thing he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy Kansas wheat field

Blue, just a Kansas summer sky And all the stories that he told me

Back when I was just a lad

And all the memories that he gave me

And all the good times that he had Growing up a Kansas farm boy

Life was mostly having fun

Riding on his Daddy's shoulders

Behind a mule, beneath the sun Yes, and joy was just the thing he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy Kansas wheat field

Blue, 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 the family Bible

Faith as solid as a stone Yes, and joy was just the thing he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy Kansas wheat field

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

Riding on his Daddy's shoulders

Behind a Mule, beneath the sun Yes, and joy was just the thing he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy Kansas wheat field

Blue, just a Kansas summer sky Yes, and joy was just the thing he was raised on

Love was just the way to live and die

Gold was just a windy Kansas wheat field

Blue, just a Kansas summer sky