—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

 

—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

 

—Flatt & Scruggs

I tried to sail the sea of life,
I rode my boat alone
Your love meant nothin' to me dear,
my heart was made of stone

Til the harbor filled with loneliness
my little boat was moored
And on the day I first met you
I fell right overboard

Chorus:
Til the end of the world goes round
I'll keep on loving you
As long as the sun
comes up and comes down
and the big blue sky
comes down to the ground
As long as the world goes
round and round
I'll keep on loving you

Whenever you're around me dear
my heart just won't keep still
And when it comes to kissin' you
I'll never get my fill

They said I'd never settle down,
that I would always roam
I could never be the kind
for a lovin' wife and home

So now I know the way I felt
was only selfish pride
I thought my heart was fireproof
but you burned your way inside

Now tell me what I've got to do
and tell me how it stands
The cards are on the table dear,
my life is in your hands

Verse:

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

Chorus:

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

—Alan O'Bryant

Chorus:
Those memories of you still haunt me
Every night when I lay down
I'll always love you my little daring
Until the day they lay me down

In dreams of you my body trembles
I wake up and call your name
But you're not there and I'm so lonesome
Without your love I'd go insane

I close my eyes and you're there with me
Your kiss I feel, your face I see
It's not your lips now that drive me crazy
It's just your haunting memory

Chorus and Verse:

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

 

—Traditional

My honey dear I know you thought to ask
Just where I been since I saw you last
Well I been down to where the hammers clang
Yes I been down on the old chain gang.

They sent me up on a two year bid
I soon forgot what it was I did
They chained me down with a dozen men
I can't believe I'm in your arms again.

Night and day I got no rest
Just hold me tight to your loving breast
See where the chain on my ankle swang
Well that's the mark of the old chain gang.

You'll never dream what a life I led
On the old chain gang you're better off dead
I'll never forget those songs we sang
While breakin' rocks on the old chain gang.

The old chain gang it's a tough old crew
The boss is hard, I'm a tellin' you
He drug me out to the cellhouse door
And laid me out on the old stone floor.

The boss was off on a drunk one day
I drug my chain where the crow bar lay
I throwed her down and the lock she sprang
And said farewell to the old chain gang.

Verse:

I	I	IV	I
IV	I	V	I

 

—Ralph Stanley

I'm walking from one bar to another
I don't know where I'm going or where I've been
No one I meet realized
I'm trying when I know I can't win

Chorus:
The memory of your smile, it nearly drives me wild
Ain't nothing ever gonna ease my mind
I thought you'd true, I counted so on you
I'm lost from a love I'll never find

I wonder how this pain is going to wind up
It gets worse day by day since you're gone
If only you would come back and see me
You're my only chance from now on

My honey dear, I know you're goin' to ask
Just where I've been since I saw you last
Well I've been down where the hammers clang
Yes I've been down on the old chain gang.

Verse:

|: IV

I

V

I :|

Chorus:

|: I

I

I-V

I :|

—Charlie Monroe

You loving and hugging, your sweet little smile
And eyes of heavenly blue
You can't say you love me, it almost drives me wild
Well, that's what I like about you

As we stroll together down lovers lane,
hand in hand so true
It seems just like heaven to hear those love birds sing
That's what I like about you

The way you hold me in your lovin' arms
And tell me all those things you're going to do
My little heart beats faster than raindrops in a storm
'cause that's what I like about you

Dear we'll get married, just you wait and see
And (buy?) a cottage just we two
I'm sure we'll be happy, happy as can be
'cause that's what I like about you

Tag:
My little heart beats faster than raindrops in a storm
'cause that's what I like about you

Verse:

I	I	I	V
I	I	I-V	I