—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

 

—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

 

—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 :|

 

—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