Author: Jim

Stumptown Stomp

Jim,


How Come I Ain't Dead

Jim,

—Tim O'Brien

I begged her not to go, said I could not live without her
She said don't be dramatic, you'll survive
She drove away, the sky turned gray
I cried all night about her
I'm still breathin' but her leavin' hurts more
Each day I'm alive

Chorus:
If I can't live without her, how come I ain't dead
Six feet down in the cold, cold ground
With a stone above my head
But somethin's wrong 'cause now she's gone
And I live on instead
If I can't live without her, how come I ain't dead

I wake up every mornin' scared to open up my eyes
I don't know if I'll be there in the mirror
But there I am, a broken man
I look somewhat surprised
I'm grateful for another day
But amazed that I'm still here

Chorus

Bridge:
Saint Peter's waitin' for me outside the pearly gates
But I'm waitin' on the angel band, I guess they're runnin' late

Chorus

Verse:

I I I V
V V I I
I I I IV
V V V I

Chorus:

IV IV IV I
V V V I
IV IV IV V
V V V I

Bridge:

II II VI VI
II II V V

Old Chattanooga

Jim,





Lazy John

Jim,


We're going to dance Saturday night
We're gonna dance til the broad daylight
Then I'll walk my baby back home
Why don't you get away lazy John

Chorus:
Lazy John, lazy John
Why don't you get your day's work all done
You're in the shade and I'm in the sun
Why don't you get away lazy John

I've got a girl who lives in the town
Her hair is curly and her eyes are brown,
My heart says stay, my feet say run
What'll I do old lazy John

Every night when I go home
It's peas in the pot and the old jawbone
Here today, tomorrow gone
Why don't you get away lazy John

We're gonna dance like it's Saturday night
We're not coming home 'til the morning light
I'll shine my shoes and I'll see my hon'
Why don't you go away lazy John

Extra verses:

Work all week in the noon day sun
Fifteen cents when Saturday comes
Goin to a dance to have some fun
Why don't you get away lazy John

Got a gal lives down the road
Her eyes are crooked and her legs are bowed
But we sure have a lot of fun
Why don't you get away lazy John



Sales Tax on the Women

Jim,

—Dorsey M. Dixon (The Dixon Brothers) 1936

You may sales tax the flour, the lard and the meat
Take the pennies 'way from me and my pals
You may sales tax everything that we have to eat
But don't put a tax on the gals

Chorus:
One cent, two cents, three cents in cash
That's the way my money goes a-spendin'
But take off my hat and hit me with a bat
If you put the sales tax on the women

Don't put the taxes on the good-lookin' girls
Although I know the pennies have to go
Well, I wouldn't have it done for a hundred or more
'Cause the boys wouldn't stand a bit of show

I love the little girls with the lovely little curls
If that is wrong, I hope I will repent
I would sure be sore and I couldn't love no more
If I had to pay the taxes as I went

That's the way it goes, Uncle Sam knows
He's just torturin' me and my pals
We would die with the blues without any shoes
If you put the sales tax on the gals

Well, I don't mean any harm when I step out at night
Happy times with the ladies I've spent
Sales taxes on the kisses just wouldn't be right
In my pockets I would never have a cent

Verse:

I I I V
I I IV – V I

Chorus:

IV I IV I
IV I I – V I

Early Morning Breeze

Jim,

—Dolly Parton

I open up my door to greet the early morning sun
Closing it behind me and away I do sun
To the meadow, where the meadow lark is singing in the tree
In the meadow I go walking in the early morning breeze

I cup my hands to catch a multi-colored butterfly
Perched upon the petals of flowers growing wild
Freeing it, I Watch it as it flies away from me
To visit with the flowers in the early morning breeze

Chorus:
Rainbow colored flowers kissed with early morning sun
The aster and the dahlia and wild geraniums
Drops of morning dew still linger on the iris leaves
In the meadow where I'm walking in the early morning breeze

Misty-eyed I look about the meadow where I stray
For it's there I find the courage to greet the coming day
For there among the flowers, I kneel gently to my knees
To have a word with God in the early morning breeze

Verse:

I I I I
IV IV VII V
I IV I IV
I VII IV I

Chorus:

V V IV I
V V IV I
I I IV I
I VII IV I

It's A Long, Long Way To The Top Of The World

Jim,

-Jim & Jesse McReynolds

Its a long long way to the top of the world
But its only a short fall back down

A young fool filled with greed, I let ambition rule me
Like a hunger that gnawed at my soul
I worked hard made my fortune but lost the heart of my darling
She got lonely and her love soon grew cold

Chorus:
Its a long long way to the top of the world
On a rough road that winds round and round
Its a long long way to the top of the world
But its only a short fall back down

Now I'm a big man with money but at love I'm a pauper
The love I once held now another man claims
I've reached the top of the world but my heart hit rock bottom
I can't make love to fortune and fame

Chorus

3/4

Intro:

I – I7 IV – I I – V I

Verse:

I – V I – IV I V
I – V I – IV I – V I

Chorus:

V I IV – I V
I – I7 IV – I I – V I

Stormy Horizons

Jim,

-Jim & Jesse McReynolds

There's stormy horizons in my heart

I scarcely hear the wild wind's cry or feel its sudden blast
A greater storm just swept my world apart
Today you're with somebody new my hopes are gone at last
There's stormy horizons in my heart

Chorus:
Rain swept and tattered like the rose in the wind
Stormy horizons without and within
You were all that mattered but you wanted to be free
Now stormy horizons wait for me

Of things as fragile and as sweet as roses' dreams are made
And dreams we had you held so carelessly
They fell like petals round my feet I saw my rainbow fade
Now stormy horizons wait for me

Intro:

I IV I – V I

Verse:

I IV I V
I IV I – V I

Chorus:

IV I I I – V
I IV – I I – V I

Angel's Waltz

Jim,


Philadelphia Lawyer

Jim,

—Woody Guthrie

Way out in Reno, Nevada
Where romances blooms and fades
There was Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love with a Hollywood maid

"Come, love, and we'll go ramblin'
Down where the lights are so bright
I'll win you a divorce from your husband
And we can get married tonight"

Wild Bill was a gun-totin' cowhand
Ten notches were carved in his gun
And all the boys around Reno
Left Bill's Hollywood sweetheart alone

One night when Bill was returning
From ridin' the range in the cold
He thought of his Hollywood sweetheart
Her love was as lasting as gold

As he drew near to her window
Two shadows he saw on the shade
'Twas the great Philadelphia lawyer
Makin' love to Bill's Hollywood maid

The night was as still as the desert
The moon hangin' high overhead
Bill listened awhile through the window
He could hear ev'ry word that they said

"Your hands are so pretty and lovely
Your form's so rare and divine
Come go back with me to Philadelphia
And leave this wild cowboy behind"

Now tonight back in old Pennsylvania
Among her beautiful pines
There's one less Philadelphia lawyer
In old Philadelphia tonight

Verse:

I V V I
I IV V I