My parents raised me tenderly, they had no trials with me
My mind being set on wandering, with them I couldn’t agree
They pleaded and they begged me, not to go away
But I set out in this wide world, for there I could not stay
Break
I set out that morning, strange places for to see
I met little Maggie Walker and, she fell in love with me
She was so sweet and tender, so pretty and so fair
There never was a sight in this whole world
With her I could compare
I asked if ??????????, if I crossed over the plain
She said it made no difference, so long as I returned again
She said that she’d prove true to me, till death she proved unkind
We kissed, shook hands and parted, and I left that girl behind
I went out a wandering, till I came to a western town
Work and the money were plentiful, to the salt works I was bound
The work and the money were plentiful, and the girls all kind to me
But the only object of my heart was the girl in Tennessee
I went out one morning, till I came to the public square
The mail train being on arrival, l met the carrier there
He gave to me letter, that gave me to understand
That the girl I left in Tennessee, had married another man
I read on down a little further, to see if these words were true
I turned all around and about there, I didn’t know what to do
I turned all a round and about there, that company I resigned
For the only girl I’d ever loved was the girl I’d left behind
For the only girl I’d ever loved was the girl I’d left behind
MILWAUKEE BLUES From Charlie Poole. Key on LP ~C#. D is too high for me to sing. Only has 15 bars! Bar 8 and 14 are 6/4
One Tuesday morning and it looked like rain
Round the curve come a passenger train
On the blind sat old Bill Jones
He's a good old hobo and he's tryin' to get home
Chorus:
Tryin' to get home, he's tryin' to get home
He's a good old hobo and he's tryin' to get home
Way down in Georgia on a tramp
Roads are gettin' muddy and my legs are gettin' damp
I got to catch a freight train to leave this town
'Cause they don't allow no hobos a-hangin' around.
I left Atlanta one morning 'fore day
The brakeman said, "You'll have to pay."
Got no money but I pawned my shoes
I want to go west, got the Milwaukee blues
Old Bill Jones said before he died,
"Fix the roads so the folks can ride
When they ride they will ride the rods
Put all their trust in the hands of God.
Old Bill Jones said before he died
There's two more roads that he'd like to ride
Fireman said what can it be?
Southern Pacific and the Santa Fee.
Miss the Mississippi . (Halley) From Jimmy Rogers, with Hoyt Slim Bryant on guitar, clarinet and two violins, piano. Key E flat.
Intro verse
I’m growing tired of the big city’s lights
Tired of the glamour and tired of the sights
In all my dreams I am roaming once more
Back to my home on the old river shore
Chorus:
I am sad and weary, far away from home
Miss the Mississippi and you, dear
Days are dark and dreary, every where I roam
Miss the Mississippi and you
Rolling thewide world over, always alone and blue, blue
Nothing seems to cheerme under heaven’s dome
Miss the Mississippi and you
Odel ay ee oh de layee
Dee o layee oh de layee
Odel ayee oh del ayee oh
De leedle ay ee
Memories are bringing, happy days of yore
Miss the Mississippi and you
Mockingbirds are singing, round the cabin door
Miss the Mississippi and you
Rolling thewide world over, always alone and blue, so blue
Longing for my homeland, muddy water
Miss the Mississippi and you
Odel ay ee oh de layee
Dee o layee oh de layee
Missi-ssipi an- d yo- u
The intro verse has a different melody to rest of the song
Molly Put the Kettle On From Skillet Lickers Key D
Molly put the kittle on, Molly put the kittle on
Molly put the kittle on, All take tea.
Into low part
(Spoken on low part –
I love tea
I love tea, don’t you?
I don’t drink it myself
Rather have a (plate/taste/drink) of licker
No, I don’t take tea, Ha, Ha. Back into high part
Swing Sal, Swing Sue
Swing that girl with the run down shoe.
Into high part
Spoken: Go back Gid, wake up!
Swing Ma, Swing Pa
Swing that girl from Arkansas
Take a chew tobaccer, promenade all
Pull that calico from the wall
Into high part
Molly put the kittle (sic) on, Molly put the kittle on
Molly put the kittle on, All take tea.
Spoken: I aint got that drink yet
Swing Sal, Swing Sue
Swing that girl with the run down shoe.
Back into high part
Molly put the kittle (sic) on, Molly put the kittle on
Molly put the kittle on, All take tea.
4 bars A part, then END
Mountaineers Love Song From: Highwoods String Band. Dance All Night. Rounder LP
Chorus:
Oh, Miss Liza’s a poor girl
Oh Miss Liza Jane
Oh, Miss Liza’s a poor girl
Riding on that train
I went up on the mountain, to give my horn a blow
I thought I heard my Liza say, Yonder comes my Beau
I took old Dick and Dinah, and hitched them to the train
To fetch a load of ‘lasses, to sweet my Liza Jane
I asked her if she loved me, she said she loved me some
She threw her arms around my neck, I thought my time had come
Riding on a steamboat, Riding on a train
And if I ever marry, gonna marry my Liza Jane.
Moving Day From Charlie Poole.
The landlord said this morning to me
Give me your key, this lot ain't free
I can't get no rent out of you
Pack up your bags and skidoo, you
I've been waiting till my Bill comes home
He's my honey from the honeycomb
He’ll have money, for he told me so this morning
CHORUS:
Because it’s moving day, moving day
Rip the carpet up off of the floor
Load your oilstove and out the door
Because it's moving day, pack up your bed quilts and get away
If you spend every cent you can live out in a tent
It's moo-oo-oovin' day
Second verse from Mudcat: Delaware Water Gap;
Moving Day continued
Bill come back all covered with snow
I said, "Hello. Let's have some dough.
Here's the landlord waitin' for rent."
Bill says, "I ain't got a cent. No."
Try and catch me, mister landlord man,
I'll be leavin' just as soon as I can
I'm goin' back to Dixieland this mornin', because it's ...
My Home Among The Hills (A. P. Carter/Peer International, BMI) From: Tom, Brad and Alice
Oh my home among the hills of old Virginia I love still
And it stands near a lonesome pine
How I long to go back to that vine-covered shack
Where I left that old mother of mine
I can still see her there in that old rocking chair
In my home among the hills
And I seem to hear her say why did you go away
From your home among the hills
Oh the pine tree stands alone near my old Virginia home
And that silver-haired mother of mine
I can see her smiling face in that old familiar place
In my home among the hills
Oh I'm leaving here today I'm going back to stay
In my home among the hills
Oh how happy we would be 'neath that lonesome pine tree
In my home among the hills