[Verse 1] Every morning Mr. Carter wore a vest and a bow tie Shined his shoes on Saturday and wore 'em proud on Sunday Tall and lean with silver hair and a smile that never quit Had a way of making folks feel better just by talking with 'em a bit He knew every kid by first name Every widow on the block Never met a stranger in his life Never passed somebody by without a stop [Pre-Chorus] If you were down, he'd lift you up If you were lost, he'd help you find your way [Chorus] Everybody knew Mr. Carter And Mr. Carter knew us all He was the first one there to help Any time somebody called Never asked for recognition Never wanted any praise He just spent a lifetime making our little town a better place [Verse 2] After Miss Evelyn passed away The house got quiet at night But he'd still show up at every game Still sat on the same church pew Every Sunday just the same Worked every fundraiser he could find Helped put bicycles beneath Christmas trees If there was a job that needed doing You could bet he'd volunteer for free [Pre-Chorus] He carried more folks than he'll ever know And never kept a single score [Chorus] Everybody knew Mr. Carter And Mr. Carter knew us all He was the first one there to help Any time somebody called Never asked for recognition Never wanted any praise He just spent a lifetime making our little town a better place [Bridge] Then one day the stories started changing Names got harder to recall The man who never forgot anybody Couldn't always remember us all So we mowed his yard and brought him supper Sat and listened when he'd tell old stories twice 'Cause every kindness he'd ever given Had come back around in all our lives [Final Chorus] Everybody knew Mr. Carter And Mr. Carter knew us all Though the years stole some memories away They couldn't touch what he meant to us He spent his whole life showing up When somebody needed a hand So when his world grew a little smaller The whole town showed up for him [Outro] Tall and lean in a vest and bow tie Still smiling... Still Mr. Carter
