Now mister joe henry was a happy little man Who became a legend in our town Most everybody owes a lot of the smiles To the happy sounds that he puts down He had one guitar and four other guys Who kept time with their clappin’ hands We call him mister joe henry’s happy hand clappin’ Open air rhythm band Oh you can find ‘em every evening when the sun went down At the corner of fourth and main It didn’t take much of that hand clappin’ rhythm To start the sun a-shinning again I can’t help but feel this part of the world Is supposed to do the good lord’s plan Because of mister joe henry’s happy hand clappin’ Open air rhythm band We’d all gather around and call out the names Of our favorite songs of the day But it didn’t much matter to mister joe henry They all came out the same ol’ way Even melancholy baby had to put on a smile In the presence of this happy man Yes that was mister joe henry’s happy hand clappin’ Open air rhythm band