I was standin' by the bedside of a sister And kindly take this message to the other side And I asked her if she would do me a favor Who was just about to cross that swellin' tide Well, if you see my savior tell him that you saw me And when you saw me I was on my way You may meet some boyfriends who may ask about me You tell 'em I am a comin' home someday I was standin' by the bedside of a sister And I asked her if she would do me a favor Who was just about to cross that swellin' tide And kindly take this message to the other side When you reach that goal that's when you'll think about me I was standin' by the bedside of a sister Sooner or later, sooner or later it's a debt that must be paid Well you may have to make this journey on without me But don't forget to tell my savior what I said And I asked her if she would do me a favor Who was just about to cross that swellin' tide And kindly take this message to the other side