—Blind Alfred Reed

We know young men are bold and free
Beware o take care
They'll tell you they're friends but they're false you see
Beware o take care

Chorus:
Be-ware young ladies they're foolin' you
Trust them not they're foolin' you
Be-ware young ladies they're foolin' you
Beware o take care

They smoke, they chew, they wear fine shoes
Beware o take care
And in their pockets is a bottle of booze
Beware o take care

Chorus

Around their necks they wear a guard
Beware o take care
And in their pocket is a deck of cards
Beware o take care

Chorus

They put their hands up to their hearts
They sigh oh they sigh
They say they love no one but you
They lie oh they lie

Chorus

Verse:

I	I	V	I
I	I	V	I

Chorus:

/I*	IV	I	V	I
/I*	IV	I	V	I

*extra half measure!

 

—Georgia Yellow Hammers

(same tune as Two Dollar Bill, a.k.a. Long Journey Home)

Looked out at the window
What do you reckon I see
What do you reckon I see boys
And what do you reckon I see
Looked out at the window
What do you reckon I see
The high sherrif is right after me

Before I'd be arrested
I'd fight him at my door
Fight him at my door boys
I'd fight him at my door
Before I'd be arrested
I'd fight him at my door
Nobody to go my bond

Yonder comes my sweetheart
With a ten dollar bill
Ten dollar bill boys
Ten dollar bill
Yonder comes my sweetheart
With a ten dollar bill
She's going to go with me

There's a big ball in Memphis
And I'm bound to go
I'm bound to go boys
I'm bound to go
There's a big ball in Memphis
And I'm bound to go
Nobody to go with me

I hopped out of the window
And tore down the blind
Tore down the blind boys
Tore down the blind
I hopped out of the window
And tore down the blind
Doggone my rowdy times

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

 

—Fred Cockerham/Tommy Jarrell

Yonder comes a rabbit,
Skippin' through the sand,
Zip that rabbit, he don't mind,
Fry him in my pan, Lord
I'll fry him in my pan.

Chorus:
Big-eyed rabbit's gone, gone
Big-eyed rabbit's gone. (X2)

Yonder comes a rabbit,
Hard as he can run,
Yonder comes another one,
I'll shoot him with a double-barrel gun, gun
Shoot him with a double-barrel gun.

Yonder comes my darlin',
Just how do I know?
Tell by her pretty blue eyes,
Shinein' bright like gold, gold
Shinein' bright like gold.

Chorus:
I'm a rockin' in a weary land, land
Rockin' in a weary land. (X2)

Verse:

I	I	I	IV
IV	I	I	V
V	I

Chorus:

|: I

V

V

I :|

 

—Charlie Poole

Bill Mason was an engineer
He'd been on the road all of his life
I'll never forget the morning
He married himself a wife

Bill hadn't been married more than an hour
'till up came a message from Kress
And ordered Bill to come down
And bring out the night express

While Maggie sat by the window
A waiting for the night express
And if she hadn't a done so
She'd have been a widow, I guess

There was some drunken rascals
That come down by the ridge
They come down by the railroad
And tore off the rail from the bridge

Well, Maggie heard them working
I guess there's something wrong
In less than fifteen minutes
Bill's train would be along

She couldn't come near to tell it
A mile it wouldn't've done
She just grabbed up the lantern
And made for the bridge alone

By Jove, Bill saw the signal
And stopped the night express
And found his Maggie crying
On the track in her wedding dress

Her crying and laughing for joy
Still holding on to the light
He came around the curve a-flying
Bill Mason's on time tonight

I	I	IV	I
I	I	II	V
I	I	IV	I
I	I	V	I

 

—Pope's Arkansas Mountaineers

I'm going down to Birmingham my darling
I'm going down to Birmingham my darling
I'm going down to Birmingham
Shoes and stockings in my hand
Sweet pea

Cow and dog they both were dead this morning
Cow and dog they both were dead this morning
Cow and dog they both were dead
Rode that devil to the promised land
This morning

Bully in town don't come alone this morning
Bully in town don't come alone this morning
Bully in town don't come alone
Walked all the way to the valley lo
This morning

This one's crooked!

I	I	I
I	I	I
I	I	IV	IV
I	I

—Charlie Poole

Little sweetheart, we have parted
From each other we must go
Many miles may separate us
From this world and care and woe

But I treasure of the promise
That you made me in the lane
When you said we'd be together
When the roses bloom again

Now this parting gives us sorrow
Oh, it almost breaks my heart
But say, darling, will you love me
When we meet no more to part?

Down among the budded roses
I am nothing but a stem
I have parted from my darling
Never more to meet again

Will this parting be forever?
Will there be no coming day
When our hearts will be united
And all troubles pass away?

Darling, meet me up in heaven
That's my true and earnest prayer
If you loved me here on earth, dear
I am sure you'll love me there

All:

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

 

—Leake County Revelers

I been to the east and been to the west, and I been to Alabama
Prettiest little gal I ever did see, lives down in Louziana

I been to the east and been to the west, and I been to Alabama
All the man give me for to eat was the leg of a yellow hammer
(alt: Toughest piece of meat I ever tried to eat was the back of a yellow hammer)

Prettiest little gal I ever did see, lived in Alabama
You wanna know her name, what her name must be, her name was Suzianna

Been to the east, been to the west, been to Alabama
Prettiest little gal I ever did see, lives in Alabama

Verse:

I	I	I-V	I
I	I	I-V	I  :|

Chorus (instrumental):

I	V	V	IV
IV	IV	IV – V	I

Notation: