Author: Jim

Uncloudy Day

Jim,

(also Unclouded Day)

Oh they tell me of a home far beyond the sky
Oh they tell me of a home far away
Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
Oh they tell me of an uncloudy day

Chorus:
Oh the land of cloudless days
Oh the land of an uncloudy sky
Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
Oh they tell me of an uncloudy day

Oh they tell me that he smiles on his children there
And his smile drives the sorrows away
Oh they tell me that now clouds ever come again
In that lovely land of uncloudy days

Verse:

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

Chorus:

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

 


Uncle Pen

Jim,

—Bill Monroe

Oh the people would come from far away
They'd dance all night till the break of day
When the caller hollered "do-se-do"
You knew Uncle Pen was ready to go

Chorus:
Late in the evening about sundown
High on the hill and above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle lord how it would ring
You could hear it talk, you could hear it sing

He played an old piece he called "Soldier's Joy"
And the one called "The Boston Boy"
The greatest of all was "Jenny Lynn"
To me that's where the fiddle begins

I'll never forget that mournful day
When Uncle Pen was called away
They hung up his fiddle, they hung up his bow
They knew it was time for him to go

Verse:

I I I I
I I I I
I I I I
I I V I

Chorus:

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

 

Two Glasses Joe

Jim,

—Ernest Tubb

Set up two glasses, Joe
And turn the jukebox low
And let me sit and reminisce

While I pretend that she
Is sittin' here with me
The way she did not long ago

Bridge:
We used to paint the town red
And dance until two
Well, I don't paint it red no more
But I'm paintin' it blue

He's stole her love I know
But he can't stop me, Joe
From having just a dream or two

Set up two glasses, Joe
Maybe you didn't know
But there's a memory in the room

A memory that walks
A memory that talks
And haunts me everywhere I go

Bridge:
I'm just a fool who loves her
And will till I die
From the very first hello
Until the last goodbye

And this is it you know
So fill two glasses, Joe
Then leave me here alone to cry

Verse:

I II V I

Bridge:

IV I II V

 

True Life Blues

Jim,

—Monroe Brothers

I hate to see the sun sink low
Just for a cause you ought to know
For it's true love I can't forget
All of my sorrow you'll soon regret

You promised me love that was true
And I'm sorry to say that I believed in you
It's all turned out just like a dream
Left me so sad in the world it seems

There's dishes to wash and a house to clean
There's washing to do, oh it seems so mean
There's a million words I can't explain
Think of this girl, before you change your name

They'll go away and leave you at home
They never care if you're alone
They seem to forget they've got a wife
This story is sad, but it's a true life

Verse:

I IV I V
I I I-V I

 

Truck Driving Man

Jim,

—Terry Fell 1954

I stopped at a roadhouse in Texas,
It was a little place called Hamburger Dan's
And I heard that old jukebox a-playin',
A song about a truck drivin' man

Chorus:
Pour me another cup of coffee,
For it is the best in the land
I'll put a nickel in the jukebox,
And play The Truck Drivin' Man

The waitress just brought me some coffee
I thanked her but called her again
I said, "That ol' song sure does fit me
'Cause I am a truck drivin' man"

I climbed back on board my old semi
And then like a flash I was gone
I got them ol' truck wheels a-rollin
I'm on my way to San Antone

Vere and Chorus:

I IV I V
I IV V I

 


Trouble in Mind

Jim,

—Richard M. Jones

Trouble in mind, I'm blue,
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause the sun's gonna shine in my backdoor again

I'm gonna lay my head
On a lonesome railroad line,
And let the 2:19 pacify my mind

I'm all alone at midnight
And my lamp is burning low
Never had so much trouble in my life before

I'm gonna lay my head
On that lonesome railroad track,
But when I hear that whistle, lord, I'm gonna pull it back

You've been a hardheaded daddy
And you sure treat me unkind
I'll be a hardheaded mama—I swear I'll make you lose yout mind

I'm going down to the river,
Take along my rocking chair,
And if the blues don't leave me, I'll rock on away from here

Look-a here, sweet mama,
See what you have done;
Why you made me love you, now your regular man done come

Well, trouble, oh, trouble,
Trouble on my worried mind.
When you see me laughin', I'm laughin' just to keep from lyin'

Verse:

I V I IV
I VI II V I IV-I

 

Train 45

Jim,

—Bill Monroe (and others…)

Oh, I thought I heard that train-how lonesome did blow
She blowed like she'll never blow no more
Oh, you ought to been up town and see the train come down
You could hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

Oh, I'm walking these ties with tears in my eyes
I'm trying to read a letter from my home
If my woman says so, I'm never gonna work no more
I'm gonna sidetrack my train and go home

If this train runs me right, I'll see my woman Saturday night
I'm tired of living this'a way
Oh, I thought I heard that train-so lonesome she'd blow
She blowed like she'll never blow no more

Oh, I thought I heard that train–how lonesome did blow
She blowed like she'll never blow no more

Verse:

|: I I I I
I I V I :|

 

Toy Heart

Jim,

—Bill Monroe

Chorus:
Darlin' you toyed with a toy heart
I think I played the game right from the start
This toy heart was broken when parting words were spoken
Darlin' you toyed with a toy heart

You played with my poor heart like a toy
That toy broke and then we had to part
It never can be mended, I hope this romance ended
Darlin' you toyed with a toy heart

Now darlin' my time will come someday
Time alone will heart my broken heart
The clouds will roll away and the sun will shine someday
Darlin' you toyed with a toy heart

Now darlin' you know you done me wrong
Your love for me has passed and gone
I'll find somebody new, I hope that they'll be true
Darlin' you toyed with a toy heart

Chorus and Verse:

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

 

Tom Dooley

Jim,

—Doc Watson Version

Chorus:
Hang your head, Tom Dooley
Hang your head and cry;
You killed poor Laurie Foster
And you know you're bound to die

You left her by the roadside
Where you begged to be excused;
You left her by the roadside
Then you hid her clothes and shoes

You took her on the hillside
For to make her your wife;
You took her on the hillside
And ther you took her life

You dug the grave four feet long
And you dug it three feet deep;
You rolled the cold clay over her
And tromped it with your feet

Trouble, oh it's trouble
A-rollin' through my breast;
As long as I'm a-livin', boys
They ain't a-gonna let me rest

I know they're gonna hang me
Tomorrow I'll be dead
Though I never even harmed a hair
On poor little Laurie's head."

In this world and one more
Then reckon where I'll be;
If is wasn't for Sheriff Grayson
I'd be in Tennessee

You can take down my old violin
And play it all you please
For at this time tomorrow, boys
It'll be of no use to me."

At this time tomorrow
Where do you reckon I'll be?
Away down yonder in the holler
Hangin' on a white oak tree

Chorus and Verse:

I IV IV I
V V IV I

 

Tis Sweet to Be Remembered

Jim,

—Mac Wiseman

Chorus: 3/4
'Tis sweet to be remembered on a bright or gloomy day
'Tis sweet to be remembered by a dear one far away
'Tis sweet to be remembered remembered remembered
'Tis sweet to be remembered when you are far away

Verse: 4/4
As I travel over this world
Just to soothe my rovin' mind
And the messages I get
from a dear one left behind
They were filled with sweetest words
That so touched me when I heard
Ne'er oh ne'er can I forget
These are some things that she'd say

Sweetest flowers may on you smile
Birds may warble in the trees
But no other joy and tear
Are so cause your heart to ease
As that dear one by your side
When the evening sun goes down
When the stars beam down at you
And the moon beams all around

Verse:

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

Chorus:

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