Had an uncle named Matthew
Was his father�� only boy
Born just south of Colby, Kansas
Was his mother�� 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

Growiné?¥up a Kansas farmboy
Life was mostly haviné?¥fun
Ridin�on his Daddy�� 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 is just a Kansas summer sky

Well, I guess there were some hard times
And I�檜 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�� burden
And he came to be my friend

So, I wrote this down for Matthew
And it�� for him the song is sung
Ridin�on his Daddy�� 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,was 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