The Last Leaf

The tobacco leaf is dark and smooth,

the binder is tight

I've rolled a thousand cigars

with all my might

The arthritis in my fingers

is making me retire

And I will roll my final leaf,

the one that takes me higher

I'm the cigar roller's last leaf,

I'll roll it with my soul

The wrapper's fine, the draw is smooth,

I'll make it whole

I'll light it with a match and watch the smoke rise to

the sky

And I'll remember

all the men who taught me how to try (ooh-ooh)

The old men in the shop would smoke and talk of politics

and sport

They'd tell of Cuba,

of the sea, of women and of port

I learned my craft from listening,

from watching and from care

And I have rolled a million cigars,

a legacy to share

I place the final leaf in place,

I roll it with my hand

The shape is perfect,

smooth and straight, the finest in the land

I light it up,

the smoke curls, the fragrance fills the room

And I'll remember every leaf,

through joy and through the gloom

I'm the cigar roller's last leaf,

I'll roll it with my soul

The wrapper's fine, the draw is smooth,

I'll make it whole

I'll light it with a match and watch the smoke rise to

the sky

And I'll remember all the men who taught me how

to try

Taught me how to try (mmm-hmm)