I Can't Hold a Hammer, But I Can Still Lift My Hands | Old School Gospel Blues

Old school gospel blues about getting old and praising anyway. A deep, weathered bass-baritone lead, a stomping Sunday groove and a small congregation clapping along. Forty years behind a framing hammer. He built the steps on the Baptist church, the cradle both his boys slept in, and a porch that's still standing through three storms and a flood. Now his knuckles look like the knots in yellow pine. Some mornings he can't work a button, and Mary does it without a word. The doctor says it's only gonna spread. He thanked him, paid him, and whistled out the door. He can't hold a nail. He can't hold a cup. But every Sunday, crooked as they are, these hands still rise. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro — Look at these hands 0:18 Verse 1 — Knuckles like the knots in yellow pine 0:36 Verse 2 — I built the steps on the Baptist church 0:52 Chorus — These hands can still praise 1:19 Verse 3 — Doctor says it's in the joints 1:35 Chorus 2 2:01 Bridge — Can you still clap? 2:22 Verse 4 — Mary took my hands last night 2:41 Final chorus 3:09 Outro — Go on and clap with me LYRICS [Intro] Look at these hands. [Verse 1] Knuckles like the knots in yellow pine Thumb don't bend the way it did Forty years behind a framing hammer Every roof on Miller Street Some mornings I can't work a button Mary does it without a word [Verse 2] I built the steps on the Baptist church Built the cradle both my boys slept in Built a porch that's still standing Through three storms and a flood Now I can't hold a coffee cup steady But I ain't done yet [Chorus] These hands can still praise Crooked as they are Couldn't swing a hammer now But they can reach that far Can't hold a nail, can't hold a cup Can't hardly hold a hymnal up But on a Sunday they still rise These hands can still praise [Verse 3] Doctor says it's in the joints Says it's only gonna spread I thanked him and I paid him Then I whistled out the door He don't know what these hands have held Or what they're holding for [Bridge] Can you still clap? We can still clap Can you still lift 'em? We can still lift 'em Don't matter how they shake Lift 'em anyway [Verse 4] Mary took my hands last night Rubbed the liniment in slow Said these held me at the altar Fifty-one years ago Then she kissed the crooked knuckle Like it's the best part of me [Final Chorus] These hands can still praise Crooked as they are Mary holds 'em when they ache The Lord holds what they are Can't hold a nail, can't hold a cup But watch me hold 'em up Every Sunday they still rise These hands can still praise [Outro] Go on and clap with me. Slow. That's it. Original song and artwork by Pewlight — Vintage Gospel. #gospelblues #oldschoolgospel #gospelmusic