Author: Jim

Just Because

Jim,

—Shelton Brothers
Just because you think you're so pretty
Just because you think you're so hot
Just because you think you've got something
That nobody else has got
You made me spend all my money
Then you laughed and called me old Santy Claus
But I'm telling you, honey I'm leaving you
Because, just because.

Just because you think I'll be lonesome
Just because you think I'll be blue
Just because you think I'll be foolish
To stay at home and wait for you
You made my drop all my girlfriends
Then you laughed and called me mister Santy Claus
Well, I'm telling you, baby I'm through with you
Because, just because.

There'll come a time you'll be lonesome
There'll come a time you'll be blue
When old Santy Claus won't be near you
To pay the bills for you
Though you may say that I'm foolish
There just ain't no Santy Claus
I'm telling you, good gal I'm through with you
Because, just because.

Dixon Brothers Lyrics—>

Now just because you think you're so pretty,
Just because you think you're so smart
You went and spent all my money
And played ball with my heart.

When you thought you'd spent all my money,
You laughed and call me old Santy Claus
There's no doubt, baby I found you out
Honey, it's just because

Don't think for a moment now baby,
That I am crazy about you
You caused me to lose all of my girlfriends
I'll never hang around with you

You'll wake up some morning baby
And miss your old Santy Claus
I'm telling you baby I'm not kidding you
Honey it's just because

There'll come a time you will want me
When you are lonely and blue
Your old Santy Claus won't be 'round then
To cheer and comfort you

The next train that leaves this town babe,
Will carry your old Santy Claus
I'm telling you baby I'm leaving you
Honey it's just because

Verse and Chorus:

I I I V
V V V I
I I I – I7 IV
IV – IV#º I – VI II – V I

 

Please Help Me I'm Falling

Jim,

—Don Robertson & Hal Blair

Please help me I'm falling in love with you
Close the door to temptation don't let me walk through
Turn away from me darling I'm begging you to
Please help me I'm falling in love with you

I belong to another whose arms have grown cold
But I promised forever to have and to hold
I can never be free dear but when I'm with you
I know that I'm losing the will to be true

Please help me I'm falling and that would be sin
Close the door to temptation don't let me walk in
For I mustn't want you but darling I do
Please help me I'm falling in love with you

Verse

I I IV I
I IV – I II V
V I I – I7 IV
IV I V I

 

This World's No Place To Live (But It's Home)

Jim,

—Buzz Busby & Leon Morris
In the cool and silent dawn, Lord I travel here alone
And the wind sends back an echo of my cry
For I've seen the quiet dead and I've heard the living moan
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Chorus 1:
A song I seem to hear, it comes a winging to my ear
A hundred million voices soft and low
The dream, the hopes and fears of so many thousand years
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Each new born baby's cry is the hope of men grown old
For to change this world in lighter, brighter ways
But alas they hope in vain for it all remains unchanged
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Chorus 2:
For the time of death is long, and the grave lies icy cold
Man's last and long asleep when life is done
So I'll linger yet awhile, give out love, a song, and a smile
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Verse

|:  I I IV I
IIm V I I  :|

Chorus

IIm IIm IV I
IIm IV V V
I I IV I
IIm V I I

 

Salt River

Jim,


Friend of the Devil

Jim,

—Grateful Dead

I lit out from Reno
I was trailed by twenty hounds
Didn't get to sleep that night
Till the morning came around

Chorus:
Set out runnin' but I take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Ran into the Devil, babe
He loaned me twenty bills
I spent the night in Utah
In a cave up in the hills

Chorus

I ran down to the levee
But the Devil caught me there
He took my twenty dollar bill
And he vanished in the air

Chorus

Bridge:
Got two reasons why I cry away each lonely night
The first one's named sweet Anne Marie and she's my hearts delight
The second one is prison, babe, the sheriff's on my trail
And if he catches up with me, I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she's got my child
But it don't look like me

Chorus   Bridge   Repeat Verse 4 & Chorus
 

Verse:

I IV I IV

Chorus:

V IIm V IIm – V

Bridge:

V V IV IV
V V IIm IV – V

Dear Abby

Jim,

—John Prine

Dear Abby, dear Abby
My feet are too long
My hair's falling out and my rights are all wrong
My friends they all tell me that I've no friends at all
Won't you write me a letter, won't you give me a call
Signed bewildered

Bewildered, bewildered
You have no complaint
You are what your are and you ain't what you ain't
So listen up buster, and listen up good
Stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood

Dear Abby, dear Abby
My fountain pen leaks
My wife hollers at me and my kids are all freaks
Every side I get up on is the wrong side of bed
If it weren't so expensive I'd wish I were dead
Signed unhappy

Unhappy, unhappy
You have no complaint
You are what your are and you ain't what you ain't
So listen up buster, and listen up good
Stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood

Dear Abby, dear Abby
Dear Abby, dear Abby
Dear Abby, dear Abby
You won't believe this
But my stomach makes noises whenever I kiss
My girlfriend tells me it's all in my head
But my stomach tells me to write you instead
Signed noise-maker

Noise-maker, noise-maker
You have no complaint
You are what your are and you ain't what you ain't
So listen up buster, and listen up good
Stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood

Dear Abby, dear Abby
Well I never thought
That me and my girlfriend would ever get caught
We were sitting in the back seat just shooting the breeze
With her hair up in curlers and her pants to her knees
Signed just married

Just married just married
You have no complaint
You are what your are and you ain't what you ain't
So listen up buster, and listen up good
Stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood
Signed dear Abby

6/8

Verse:

I IV – I I II – V
I IV – I I V-I
IV – V I

I Always Get Lucky With You

Jim,

—Freddie Powers, recorded by Merle Haggard & George Jones

I've had good luck, and bad luck
And no luck, it's true,
But I always get lucky with you.

I've been turned on, and turned down
When the bars close at two,
But I always get lucky with you.

Bridge:
I keep two strikes against me most all of the time
And when it's down to a phone call, I'm minus a dime.

There's been good days, and bad days,
But when the day is through
I always get lucky with you

Oh, I always get lucky with you.

¾

Verse:

I I+5 IV IV#º
I V I V

Bridge:

IV IV#º I – V7 I
II7 II7 IIm7 V7

 

Where Will This End

Jim,

—Buzz Busby

My love it died and I'm all alone
I'm lost, I'm lost in sin
The jug of wine it goes fast (past?) like mine
Oh where, oh where will this end

Chorus:
Where will this end, I ask my friend
What is my destiny
My broken heart, it just won't mend
Oh where, oh where will this end

What will I do, where will I go
Will I ever love again
Oh heaven I pray, show me the way
Oh where, oh where will this end

Chorus

¾

Verse:

I IV – I I V
I IV – I I – V I

Chorus:

IV I I V
I IV – I I – V I

 

You Can't Ride My Mule

Jim,

—Lee Brothers Trio 1930

I've been to both sides of this old world,
Many's the sights I've seen,
I've been some places with a king,
And everywhere with a queen.

But you can't ride my mule,
No sir you can't ride my mule,
You can't ride my mule,
And treat me this old way.

I picked you up and you threw me down,
What makes you do me like this,
If you don't stop your rowdy ways,
Your greasy hair got twist.

Now, you can't ride my mule,
This mule won't ride today,
You can't ride my mule,
Till you do as I say.

You thought it smart to throw me down,
But I'll get even with you,
I'm going places and doing things,
I couldn't do with you.

You can't ride my mule,
This mule simply won't be rid,
You can't ride my mule,
Since you done the things you did.

You can't ride my mule,
I'm telling this to you
For this here mule will up and throw you down,
Your chum will be black and blue

Verse & Chorus:

VI II V I
VI II V I

 

You're Gonna Change Or I'm-a-Gonna Leave

Jim,

—Hank Williams
You wore out a brand new trunk
Packin' an' unpackin' your junk
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
You're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

You're gonna change your way of livin'
Change the things you do
Stop doin' all the things that you oughtn't to
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
You're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

This ain't right and that is wrong
You just keep naggin' all the day long
It's gotta stop, I don't mean please
Now, you're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

The way to keep a woman happy
And make her do what's right
Is love her every mornin', bawl her out at night
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
Now you're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

Every time you get mad
You pack your rags and go back to dad
You tell him lies he don't believe
Now, you're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

You're gonna change your way of livin'
Change the things you do
Stop doin' all the things that you're oughtn't to
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
You're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

Verse:

I I I I
I I I* I V – I
IV IV I I
I I I* I V – I

*only 6 beats; others=8.