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

Growin鈥up a Kansas farmboy
Life was mostly havin鈥fun
Ridin鈥on his Daddy鈥檚 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鈥檓 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鈥檚 burden
And he came to be my friend

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