Author: Jim

Walls of Time

Jim,

—Peter Rowan

The wind is blowing 'cross the mountain
And down on the valley way below
It sweeps the grave of my darling
When I die that's where I want to go

Chorus:
Lord, send the angels for my darling
And take her to that home on high
I'll wait my time out here on earth love
And come to you when I die

Our names are carved upon a tombstone
I promised you before you died
Our love would bloom forever darling
When we rest side by side

I hear a voice out in the darkness
It moans and whispers through the pines
I know it's my sweetheart a calling
I hear her through the walls of time

Verse and Chorus:

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

 

Walkin' in My Sleep

Jim,

—Arthur Smith

Now, if you see that girl of mine, tell her if you please
When she bakes those biscuits, to roll up her sleeves

Chorus:
Walkin' in my sleep, baby, walkin' in my sleep
Up and down that Dixie line, walkin' in my sleep

Yonder comes my baby, how do you think I know
I know her by her pretty little curls, hanging down so low

Bake them biscuits baby, bake them good and brown
When I get my breakfast, I'm Alabama bound

Pain in my finger, pain in my toe
Pain in my ankle bone, I ain't a-gonna work no more

Verse and Chorus:

I I I V
V V V I

 



Kenny Baker's Break:


Wabash Cannonball

Jim,

—Williams Kindt, adapted by A.P. Carter

From the great Atlantic Ocean to the wide Pacific shore
From the green ol' Smoky Mountains to the south lands by the shore
She's mighty tall and handsome and she's known quite well by all
She's the regular combination of the Wabash Cannonball

Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodland through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear the lonesome hobos call
You're traveling through the jungles on the Wabash Cannonball

Our eastern states are dandy, so the people always say
From New York to St Louis with Chicago by the way
From the hills of Minnesota where the rippling waters fall
No changes can be taken on the Wabash Cannonball

Now here's to Daddy Claxton, may his name forever stand
And always be remembered through the courts throughout the land
His earthly race is over, now the curtains round him fall
We'll carry him home to victory on the Wabash Cannonball

Verse:

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

 

Used to Be

Jim,

Well you don't love me anymore my darling
I'm just a used to be to you
Those cold cold kisses that you gave me little darling
Proved to me you found somebody new

Chorus:
Tomorrow's just another lonesome day
And I know you'll want me far away
Well you don't love me anymore my darling
I'm just a used to be to you

Gone are the good old days that we spent together
And I don't know if I can stand the pain
Of knowing that you'll soon be gone forever
And I'll never know your love again

Verse:

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

Chorus:

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

 

Uncloudy Day

Jim,

—J.K. Atwood, 1885

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 of a home where my friends have gone,
Oh they tell me of that land far away,
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance through the unclouded day.

Oh, they tell me of a King in His beauty there,
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold
Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow
In the city that is made of gold.

Oh they tell me that He smiles on His children there
And His smile drives their sorrows all away
Oh they tell me that no tears ever come again
In that lovely land of uncloudy days

Verse:

I IV – I I V
I IV – I I V – I

Chorus:

I I I II – V
I IV – 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 called 'The Truck Driving Man'

The waitress then 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'

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'

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

When I get my call up to glory
They take me away from this land
I'll herd this old truck up to heaven
'Cause I'm a truck-driving man

Chorus

Verse 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