Guy Clark - The Randall Knife Lyrics






My father had a Randall knife
My mother gave it to him
When he went off to WWII
To save us all from ruin
If you've ever held a Randall knife
Then you know my father well
If a better blade was ever made
It was probably forged in hell

My father was a good man
A lawyer by his trade
And only once did I ever see
Him misuse the blade
It almost cut his thumb off
When he took it for a tool
The knife was made for darker things
And you could not bend the rules

He let me take it camping once
On a Boy Scout jamboree
And I broke a half an inch off
Trying to stick it in a tree
I hid it from him for a while
But the knife and he were one
He put it in his bottom drawer
Without a hard word one

There it slept and there it stayed
For twenty some odd years
Sort of like Excalibur
Except waiting for a tear

My father died when I was forty
And I couldn't find a way to cry
Not because I didn't love him
Not because he didn't try
I'd cried for every lesser thing
Whiskey, pain and beauty
But he deserved a better tear
And I was not quite ready

So we took his ashed out to sea
And poured 'em off the stern
And threw the roses in the wake
Of everything we'd learned
When we got back to the house
They asked me what I wanted
Not the lawbooks not the watch
I need the things he's haunted

My hand burned for the Randall knife
There in the bottom drawer
And I found a tear for my father's life
And all that it stood for





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Guy Clark The Randall Knife Comments
  1. C.... P....

    heart shattering

  2. C.... P....

    heart shattering

  3. D.... R....

    Good morning Robert W. Roddis, Esq. Thank you very much for sharing this classic from Mr. Guy Clark. He should have music schools and performing art centers around the world named in his honor. He was truly priceless to music and storytelling. God rest his soul.

  4. S.... H....

    The song is actually 'The Ballad of Ira hayes'...

  5. K.... K....

    At the end of the day, we've all had our "Randall knife" . . . . . we just need to find a way to enjoy it, and never lose it, and to never lose it.

  6. b.... ....

    I owned a lot of good knives over my life, miss all of them, wish I had a father like that, mine was a bastard, best day of my life when the evil shit finally died. You have a good father or brother, learn to love them, if you have a bastard like me, be brave enough to run a million miles away from him cause he will destroy you.

  7. M.... ....

    I'm 35 and carry a Randall daily. My son will after me, and his son after... if you dont own a Randall Made Knife, start saving

  8. H.... ....

    I just lost my father a Vietnam veteran with the 1st Cav 67-68.. only thing I truly wanted of his was a pair of brass knuckles he kept in his car while being a business representative for a cement masons union. Was also able to show him my knife collection, which he had me doing since a young kid.
    He passed right before Christmas, which would of been his birthday.
    I just found them.. broke me for a while

  9. T.... L....

    incredible story-telling in song. One of the best ever written

  10. T.... B....

    Without Guy Clark there would have been no Jerry Jeff Walker.Great to see those two Lions together.Aint It Fun Being From Texas!

  11. N.... S....

    Style brought me here

  12. K.... ....

    One of the greatest story tellers ever! Thank you for the gift you gave us Guy Clark.

  13. B.... D....

    Jerry Jeff Walker in the white hat.

  14. R.... h....

    My daddy was a knife maker in his later years ( though he preferred Loveless to Randal) the knives he left behind are priceless treasures to me now. And I'll tell you this. Bo Randall didnt have a damn thing on "Tinker" House. 'Cept maby a reputation.Thank you for the song Guy. He used to quote "Home GrownTomatoes" sometimes. I imagine you two are exchanging jokes in heaven right about now and I find a tear to imagining the prospect.

  15. B.... M....

    Cuts like a Randall Knife..Straight, Deep and to the Hilt..Guy Clark R.I.P. Good Job...👍🎸🇺🇸

  16. P.... S....

    What a great performer. Gone too soon.
    I got hooked when I heard The Guitar.

  17. F.... P....

    Love this song, there are very few artists like Guy Clark. Like a master carpenter working with a stack of hardwood Guy Clark didnt just write songs, he crafted them. The stories he conveys in his songs are few and far between in today’s music genre. Shame I discovered him 2 months after his passing. Rest in peace Guy

  18. K.... G....

    My dad and I haven't spoke in years. He's still alive but we we are oil and water..... makes me think of him..

  19. B.... D....

    THE Guy Clark Randall knife is now on display as part of the Armadillos and Outlets Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

    B.... D....

    Guy wrote the song on the back of a paper sack.He gave the sack to Vince Gills wife Amy Grant.Its been framed and is hanging in her office in Nashville.Has been for years.

  20. R.... L....

    Great song, great song writer, great guitar picker and great singer. Guy Clark is greatly missed.

  21. l.... i....

    The hallmark of a great songwriter is the ability to say a lot with just a few words, Guy Clark does exactly that.
    Any son who has loved and lost his father cannot fail to be moved by this. Love from the U.K.

  22. r.... c....

    A month ago, my wife brought me out of box of stuff that was her folks. It poor condition but still usable. Was a Randall knife. Her daddy used in Korea and in Vietnam. Well worn and the leather dry rotted. However the stamp cartouche still visible. I told her what it was and confirmed the dates. I know if her dad was around he’d been the same as Guy’s

  23. T.... *....

    No words..... cheers friend

  24. W.... L....

    Rip good radio..you will be missed... YouTube will replace you...

  25. L.... C....

    I was building a guitar for my A levels at college, was doing some work on the body sanding and this song came on, I was trying not to cry, it didn't work, Guy was incredible, really really incredible

  26. A.... O....

    Some guys see a knife as a weapon, other guys see it as a tool, this Guy saw it as a song.

  27. T.... B....

    60 dislikes= piss on these turds.

  28. T.... C....

    Awesome

  29. J.... W....

    Guy was the Soul of Music in Tejas

  30. j.... ....

    Such a human story song. If this song doesn't give you feelings, you haven't any

  31. C.... N....

    The man was very special

  32. A.... D....

    When I was a boy one of my mothers friends had a Randall knife and I will always remember the weighty feeling it had, like it was not to be disrespected.

  33. B.... P....

    perfect beautiful lyrics in this song, and powerfully sung... understated, but what a statement Guy Clark makes in this song... I can listen to this song over and over and over...

  34. B.... D....

    Guy,Townes Van Zant,John Prine,Steve Young,& a handful of others are THE songwriters. I had the privledge of knowing them.

  35. N.... J....

    My dad carried a Randall in Vietnam. This always reminds me of him.

  36. J.... F....

    It hurts. His father died at 40. That's not enough time....

  37. A.... N....

    Add my applaud to that wave of claps

  38. A.... B....

    LET HIM ROLL WITH THAT RANDALL KNIFE

  39. C.... O....

    goddamn Guy!

  40. P.... N....

    What a touching song. Makes me think of my dear departed father, whose love for I never properly displayed while he was alive.

  41. J.... C....

    corey you learned nothing from this song every body is entitled there own a opinion

  42. J.... C....

    this song is about strengths not frailtys about self control and forgiveness and understanding we were all young once

  43. r.... A....

    My father had a Randall knife
    My mother gave it to him
    When he went off to WWII
    To save us all from ruin
    If you've ever held a Randall knife
    Then you know my father well
    If a better blade was ever made
    It was probably forged in hell

    My father was a good man
    A lawyer by his trade
    And only once did I ever see
    Him misuse the blade
    It almost cut his thumb off
    When he took it for a tool
    The knife was made for darker things
    And you could not bend the rules

    He let me take it camping once
    On a Boy Scout jamboree
    And I broke a half an inch off
    Trying to stick it in a tree
    I hid it from him for a while
    But the knife and he were one
    He put it in his bottom drawer
    Without a hard word one

    There it slept and there it stayed
    For twenty some odd years
    Sort of like Excalibur
    Except waiting for a tear

    My father died when I was forty
    And I couldn't find a way to cry
    Not because I didn't love him
    Not because he didn't try
    I'd cried for every lesser thing
    Whiskey, pain and beauty
    But he deserved a better tear
    And I was not quite ready

    So we took his ashed out to sea
    And poured 'em off the stern
    And threw the roses in the wake
    Of everything we'd learned
    When we got back to the house
    They asked me what I wanted
    Not the lawbooks not the watch
    I need the things he's haunted

    My hand burned for the Randall knife
    There in the bottom drawer
    And I found a tear for my father's life
    And all that it stood for

  44. j.... b....

    Righteous song about the high quality of his Dad and not recognizing his worth on Earth.

  45. A.... B....

    wait did this come before or after let him roll?

  46. j.... ....

    good music is eternal

  47. W.... N....

    He sure told they lilly pad @$$ 'bout daddy then.

  48. B.... H....

    Same exact song as 'Let him roll" on his first album with different lyrics. Both awesome versions.

  49. M.... S....

    It's got similar guitar to LA Freeway in the background

    M.... S....

    Probably forged in 4311's @$$. Now back to the great things they are doing with rouge CU.

    M.... S....

    Michael Siemering Its the same tune as "Let him roll". Another masterpiece from Mr. Clark.

  50. B.... W....

    So pretty...God Bless

  51. M.... ....

    Thanks Dad... for everything

  52. H.... K....

    i have a randall knife but also have better blades so...

    H.... K....

    swimmer706 it's ok i got a new job sexually pleasing ur wives and mothers. I'm flying like neville bartoss

    H.... K....

    it ain't about the knife

    H.... K....

    swimmer706 sounds like this happy guy is a bit sad about losing his job

    H.... K....

    happyfacekilla not all of us are fat like some of us a medium and some of us are Hercules

    H.... K....

    sime Shut up, trump

  53. M.... H....

    Love this episode of "Texas Connection" which copied on my VCR in 1990-1991. Susanna, Richard Leigh. Every song shone!

  54. L.... C....

    I have only just started listening to guy Clark  sorry to hear about his passing hope god likes his music and songs

    L.... C....

    God has his hands full with Guy and Townes up there.

  55. J.... L....

    Classic- if you've lost a Dad;you get it!

  56. A.... N....

    The video starts with clapping and it ends with clapping.. If you play it on repeat, it's as if Guy sings it repeatedly

  57. M.... P....

    What a Great song,about a great father and a great knife.

  58. B.... D....

    RIP. LEGEND.

  59. A.... O....

    You can't go wrong with a Randall Knife and Black Diamond Strings Huh, Guy would know.

  60. b.... m....

    i really miss him  and his honesty

  61. E.... C....

    I didn't have a Randall knife but as a kid growing up in a foster home in Northern Alberta on a cow farm in the late 60s, I was 9 and was asked what I wanted for Christmas, I loved Barlow knives..and asked for one and got it..I carried that darn thing everywhere..threw it around, sharped it, lost it along the way..my old knife led me to this song..got to know Guy Clark..one of my faves..

    E.... C....

    This is a really nice story..........in NL Canada. Please RSVP if you see this.

    E.... C....

    Hi Everett, and David ... Nova Scotia here. Great story there Everett, did you ever find that old knife again?

    Around here in Nova Scotia a lot of people had/have Grohman Knives, .. I have several Grohman Knives. One time many years ago my Grandfather knew Mr. Grohman that started the company and Mr. Grohman showed up at my Grandfather's shop one time and gave him a Hunting Knife (like as a sampler sort of, that was what he did back then to get the name out there and people usin the product). My grandfather is gone now, and my Father has it .. some day I would like to have that knife.

    Great song writer, that Guy Clark eh?

  62. M.... ....

    I kind of dislike when people comment .. RIP. It's sort of like they just want to send off something quickly on their I-phones or whatever, but without any true thought or respect for the artist. Does anyone realize this man's greatness ? ! If so, please be more respectful in your comments especially now that he's passed.

  63. W.... P....

    I discovered Guy;'s music around 2010. Made me appreciate all the country music so much more, his songs hit home, I can see and hear how the team of Townes and him made an amazing songwriting team.
    God rest your fingers, Guy. They created some magic.

  64. M.... ....

    I miss him already.

  65. V.... K....

    Another of his great songs. RIP

  66. M.... C....

    Guy did his father proud. Wrote songs like his Dad practiced aw, and Bo Randall crafted knives. The right way.

  67. M.... R....

    Guy has gone to Dallas, Bless his soul.

  68. A.... K....

    This song always makes me cry. We lost something special today

    A.... K....

    It just did. It reminds you of home, years ago.

    A.... K....

    If life is measured by treasures left behind....Then Guy's life was huge.

    A.... K....

    He was a masterful songwriter.

    A.... K....

    Couldn't agree more. If this doesn't tear you up nothing will! Just an incredible piece of songwriting genius.

    A.... K....

    Jerry Jeff walker

  69. A.... ....

    No other singer songwriter has touch me as deeply. Godspeed Guy.

    A.... ....

    +AcousticGroove56 Amen

  70. D.... T....

    i am so sad right now !! Requiescat in pace Mr Clark

  71. H.... ....

    RIP Guy. You will be sorely missed. :(

  72. D.... ....

    Unbelievably beautiful in a tough way!!! I'll never be the same now after hearing this. Chills

    D.... ....

    i hope you are a young person. These sentiments should be learned young

    D.... ....

    I'm young at heart friend. I collect knives. Been around a bit. Love Americana and the good old USA and what the flag stands for and all the sacrifices before me to allow me the freedom that I have. My forefathers have been on this continent since 1640s and I have the proof of that. I know what boat they came over on, not the May Flower but the Saint Jean along with a Frigate for escort. They carved out a living in the brutal northeast along the Saint Laurence River. They too fought the British for independence. In 1900 AD they immigrated south into USA (legally) with papers and worked hard in New England. Now we struggle to hang on to our American identity and western values and will fight for that as did my forefathers. The Randall knife is an icon of WW2 and I own two of them. Beauties. This song wraps up many feelings. I honor the veterans.

  73. M.... ....

    Something special about Texas songwriters.

    M.... ....

    +MCJ62 Have you listened to Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's "We're the Song Writers"  off the Django and Jimmy Album...Love it!

  74. s.... j....

    Was so lucky to see him live in Winnipeg with Lyle Lovette Joe Ely and John Hiatt. What a show. Four guys on stage with four guitars. Beauty

    s.... j....

    steve julian you lucky son-of-a-gun

    s.... j....

    steve julian I saw that same concert here in LA at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I’ll forever remember Guy Clark, saying “This just feels weird. “He turned around to us, sitting up behind the stage, and sang to us, instead of the huge audience in front of him. What a guy. What a great concert. From all of them.

    s.... j....

    Saw several of those shows over a couple of years.Never got tired of Johns opening line"Can you tell which one of us is NOT from Texas?" Lol

  75. a.... S....

    This song wells me up every time I listen to it. It's beautiful. Heartfelt. Powerful. Go Guy.

  76. g.... 6....

    tears well up in my eyes...

  77. C.... J....

    I'd like to stick my Randall Knife in the 14 listeners who disliked this video.

    C.... J....

    @Talkin Bout Nawlins how do you know what they listen to and what makes you better than them

    C.... J....

    @jamie wesson Well its like this.I would bet you are some dumb kid by yur question so allow me to explain.This is grownup music with lyrics that mean something.Not just some top 40 teenybopper song by some dipshit writing nursery rhyme lyrics and wearing a cowboy hat calling himself a country music star.This music is Americana and Guy Clark was one of the best songwtiters on the planet.Now go back and wait on garth brooks to swing out over the crowd on a rope.Thats real country lol Its not hard to know more about music these days with all the Nashvega$ Prettyboy bullshit on the radio.

    C.... J....

    No you won't.........Guy wouldn't want that....

    C.... J....

    @David Fagan No but Guy wouldnt mind takking them out to the "Parking Lot".Remember that tune he did? Darrell Scott wrote it for Guy.AINT IT FUN BEING FROM TEXAS!

    C.... J....

    I will help you if you will let me!

  78. L.... ....

    My father had a randall knife bought for him by my mother. That knife was the one item of his i truly had left after his death. This song hits home, I still have the "sister" to my fathers knife but my brother-in-law stole the one my mother bought long ago. Everyone should look at randall knifes they truly are worthy of this song.

    L.... ....

    May that fucker who stole your knife, stumble and fall on it.

  79. M.... ....

    This is one of the finest songs ever written.

    M.... ....

    Heres some trivia for you.Vince Gill's wife,Amy Grant has the paper sack framed behind her desk that Guy wrote the song on.Guy gave it to her years ago.Ive seen it and its breathtaking.Just a plain paper sack with the lyrics on it.But so Beautiful! R.I.P GUY CLARK GBNF

  80. A.... M....

    First I heard this song...I was 19....I'm 41 know.....And I still Love the Randall Knife

    A.... M....

    my kind of lady

  81. S.... R....

    Only part of this song I question is I doubt you can break an inch off a Randall on a tree.

    S.... R....

    +Scott Randall ------- I saw a knife , not a Randall , get snapped by a steel jacketed 30.06 slug that we tracked 10 inches through a walnut tree . The knife must have hit it just right at at a stress point on the blade , took about 2" off .

    S.... R....

    Dont give a shit how good the quality is a tip can be damaged easy as hell.One wrong hit.Now my question.Why is there always some dipshit in every crowd?

  82. W.... M....

    that song touches on our human frailties , mistakes, regrets , and suppressed love. if it didn't touch you or bring a tear i pity the life you've lived .

  83. u.... ....

    Classic pricless song and it is a much more profound experience watching him sing it live. I've listened to it many times today. Who's that to the left of Jerry Jeff?

  84. L.... ....

    Bo and Gary Randall  , Randall made knives out of Orlando Florida  there is many years of US history  in that family , if any of you ever get the chance look it up  they are still in business today and making some of the finest knives in American and the world .

    L.... ....

    I had the pleasure of meeting Bo and Gary - Had three of Bo's knives - two model 14 Attacks, one of which served me well in Vietnam and a model 1 I passed them along to my daughter and her husband who is nearing retirement in the Marine Corps as a Master Gunnery Sgt...

    L.... ....

    I have model 1 on the way

  85. R.... L....

    vietnam, 1966, Randall model 1-7

  86. B.... M....

    No other writer brings me more tears. Guy, your reach is deep.

  87. B.... B....

    If this song doesn't hit you where you live, something's wrong.

  88. D.... K....

    Mystery, anyone?

    D.... K....

    style and mystery brought me here too ;)

    D.... K....

    yes brah

    D.... K....

    Yup, reading The Game right now

  89. v.... ....

    Good knives.

  90. J.... L....

    I would give almost all that I own to have seen Guy Clark live during this time period. 

  91. A.... ....

    Few men in there time get to create something as pure and beautiful as this song.

  92. 1.... ....

    Does anyone seriously believe that this is a song about a knife?!

    1.... ....

    its about his dads knife as well has his dad have you been paying attention

  93. c.... ....

    I don't think you understand, I NEVER said I would buy one and I am not going to.

  94. t.... ....

    Never in my life have a gotten more defensive responses for Randalls just because of my above statement. Fuck, take it easy you dumb chumps.

  95. j.... ....

    Don't buy one then. Nobody is begging you to. I think the waiting list is 4 years now....It may be longer. They don't need your business. They have plenty.

  96. j.... ....

    I've got an idea for you....DON'T BUY ONE IF YOU DON'T WANT ONE. Man if that is all you got out of this song you are a sad, sad piece of work.

  97. j.... ....

    This is actually the tune to the verse of "The Sweet Bye and Bye."

  98. t.... ....

    I think what you pay for is a piece of history, and the opportunity to own something customized. I also feel that price is pushed due to limit of supply, and that quality is mostly the same among most knife makers these days. Not saying its a bad knife at all, I'm sure we can all agree on that. But the price is just ridiculous.