BURY ME IN GARNET (HOLD THE SHOVEL) [Intro - Spoken, dry Southern humor] Last Saturday, I said I was done. I meant it, too. Anyway… what channel’s Florida on? [Verse 1] We had Kentucky seventeen down, Thought we’d finally turned around. Then they went for two in overtime, And buried us another time. I told my wife, “I’m done with this. No more Saturdays spent like this.” But come noon down in Gainesville, There I sat, right back in hell. [Chorus - Warm, weary singalong] So bury me in garnet, Put a Gamecock on my stone. Write, “He died still waiting For an SEC win at home.” Play Sandstorm at the funeral, Let everybody sway. And if we’re up by sixteen points, Please don’t tell me how it ends that day. [Verse 2] Florida hit a long one first, I said, “Well, here comes something worse.” We missed a kick, I shook my head, “Yep, seen this movie,” is what I said. Then Harbor scored, and Bennett too, And Swain picked one out of the blue. I checked the score, then checked again, Was this the same team from last weekend? [Chorus - A little bigger, still cautious] So bury me in garnet, Put a Gamecock on my stone. I’ve seen enough fourth-quarter leads To know we’re never really home. Play Sandstorm at the funeral, But keep the flowers away. I ain’t calling this a victory Till that clock says zero today. [Verse 3] Sellers found Murph, then ran one in, And I remembered how it feels to grin. Dylan Stewart got himself a sack, And Lord, it’s good to have him back. Shane said practice had been excellent, Like he says near every week. But this time when he said it, I didn’t have to grit my teeth. We went down to the Swamp that day, With three straight losses in the way. And somewhere in that second half, I caught myself beginning to laugh. [Bridge - Spoken over soft guitar, building] Now hold on… We blew a seventeen-point lead last week. We’ve lost games I still can’t explain. I have seen enough Carolina football To know that hope is a dangerous thing. But if we really beat Florida… Somebody call my family. Tell ‘em I’m gonna make it. [Final Chorus - Full, joyful pub singalong] So don’t bury me in garnet yet, Put that shovel in the shed. I thought this football season Was already good as dead. Play Sandstorm a little louder, Let the whole damn rooster crow. We went down into the Swamp today, And put on one hell of a show. Yeah, somebody check that scoreboard twice, Then check it once again. We finally won an SEC game… Lord, here comes hope again. [Outro - Gentle acoustic guitar, half-spoken] Got a bye week coming up. Tennessee after that. I’m not getting my hopes up. … Who am I kidding? [Softly sung] Bury me in garnet… Just not yet.
