I recall the day she found it 
Come home with her coat wrapped ‘round it 
Back when I was just a little boy
I’d have sworn that it was dead
But it fooled me and lived instead
It grew to be my mother’s pride and joy

It’s just an old Magnolia tree
But friend it means much more to me 
It’s a symbol of my momma’s tender love
And of all the things in life I’ve found 
That picked me up when I was down
I remember my magnolia mother’s love

Oh the kinfolk come and gathered round
The day we laid my momma down 
I swore I’d try to be a better man
Standing beneath her favorite tree 
I knew her pride and joy was me
When a petal fell and nestled in my hand