Well there's one kind-a favor I'll ask of you ( x3 )
You can see that my grave is kept clean

And there's two white horses following me ( x3 )
Waiting on my burying ground

Did you ever hear that coughin' sound ( x3 )
Means another poor boy is underground

Did you ever hear them church bells tone ( x3 )
Means another poor boy is dead and gone

And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold ( x3 )
Now I believe what the bible told

There's just one last favor I'll ask of you ( x3 )
See that my grave is kept clean

Verse, roughly:

I	V	I	I
I	I	(V)	(V)
I	I	(IV)	(IV)
I	V	I	I

 

Had a piece of pie and I had a piece of puddin',
And I gave it all away just to see my Sally Goodin.

Well, I looked down the road and I see my Sally comin',
And I thought to my soul that I' d kill myself a-runnin'.

Love a 'tater pie and I love an apple puddin',
And I love a little gal that they call Sally Goodin.

And I dropped the 'tater pie and I left the apple puddin',
But I went across the mountain to see my Sally Goodin.

Sally is my doozy and Sally is my daisy,
When Sally says she hates me I think I'm goin' crazy.

Little dog'll bark and the big dog'll bite you,
Little gal'll court you and big gal'll fight you.

Rainin' and a-pourin' and the creek's runnin' muddy,
And I'm so drunk, Lord, I can't stand studdy,

I'm goin' up the mountain and marry little Sally,
Raise corn on the hillside and the devil in the valley.

Verse:

I

I

I

V-I

 

 

More verses from Woody Guthrie:

Looked down the road, seen my Sally comin'
Thought to my soul I'd kill myself a runnin'.

Watermelon, cantaloupe, peach tree puddin'
Ain't half as sweet as my little Sally Goodin.

Stove lid's on, flap jacks a cookin'
Stack 'em up high for my pretty Sally Goodin'.

Kiss you all day and hug you all night
Me and my Sally gonna make it all right.

Tell you stories and sing you songs
Marry me Sally and you can't go wrong.

Sally come a kissin' me on my cheek
I jumped over the Buckeye Creek.

I'm not a lyin' and I'm not a kiddin'
Crazy 'bout th' gal what you call Sally Goodin.

It's the truth, I'll tell you well,
If I can't have Sally, I'm bound for hell.

I am a roving gambler gambled all around
Whenever I meet with a deck of cards
I lay my money down
Lay my money down, lay my money down

I had not been in Frisco many more weeks than three
I met up with a pretty little gal
She fell in love with me
Fell in love with me, fell in love with me

She took me in her parlor, cooled me with her fan
Whispered low in her mother's ear
I love this gambling man
Love this gambling man, love this gambling man

Oh daughter oh dear daughter how can you treat me so
Leave your dear old mother
And with a gambler go
With a gambler go, with a gambler go

My mother oh my mother you can not understand
If you ever see me a coming back
I'll be with a gambling man
With a gambling man, with a gambling man

I left her there in Frisco and I wound up in Maine
I met up with a gambling man
Got in a poker game
Got in a poker game, got in a poker game

We put our money in the pot and dealt the cards around
I saw him deal from the bottom of the deck
And I shot that gambler down
Shot the gambler down, shot the gambler down

Well, now I'm in the jailhouse got a number for my name
The Warden said as he locked the door
You've gambled your last game
Gambled your last game, gambled your last game

Verse:

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

 

—Traditional, Charlie Monroe
I wish I was in the Southland sitting in a chair
With one arm around my old guitar
And the other one around my dear

Chorus:
I'm rolling on (I'm rolling on)
I'm rolling on (I'm rolling on)
I'm rolling on through life just rolling on

Sitting in the moonlight blue as blue can be
Strumming on my old guitar
To give my poor heart ease

Whether I'm in the country whether I'm in the town
My old guitar is near me
Whether I'm up or down

Maybe I will marry if I can find a girl
But I'll always love my guitar
As much as I love her

Verse:

I

I

I

I-I7

Chorus:

IV

I

V

I

 

—Felice and Boudleaux Bryant

Wish that I was on ole Rocky Top,
Down in the Tennessee hills.
Ain't no smoggy smoke on Rocky Top,
Ain't no telephone bills.

Once there was a girl on Rocky Top,
Half bear the other half cat.
Wild as a mink, sweet as soda pop,
I still dream about that.

Chorus:
Rocky Top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me.
Good ole Rocky Top,
Rocky Top Tennessee, Rocky Top Tennessee.

Once two strangers climbed on Rocky Top,
Lookin' for a moonshine still.
Strangers ain't come back from Rocky Top,
Guess they never will.

Corn won't grow at all on Rocky Top,
Dirt's too rocky by far.
That's why all the folks on Rocky Top
Get their corn from a jar.

Now I've had years of cramped up city life,
Trapped like a duck in a pen.
Now all I know is it's a pity life
Can't be simple again.

Rocky Top Tennessee, Rocky Top Tennessee.
Yeah Rocky Top Tennesee eee eee eee.

Verse:

I	I	IV	I
VIm	V	I	I

Chorus:

VIm	VIm	V	V
VII	VII	IV	IV
IV	IV	I	I
I	VII	I	I

 

(Ho Honey Ho)

Peaches in the summer time
Apples in the fall
If I don't get the one I love
I won't have none at all

Chorus:
I'm going to Rocky Island
Ho honey ho
To see my Candy darling
You know I love her so

Went up on the mountain
Sow a little cane
Make a barrel of sorghum
For little Liza Jane

Black clouds a risin'
Sure sign of rain
Get your old gray bonnet
See little Liza Jane

I can ride the big old mare
And you can ride the roan
If you get there before I do
You leave my girl alone

Went to see my gal last night
The dress she wore was red
Every time I look at her
I wish my wife was dead

Went up on the mountain
And I fell over on my knees
Thought I'd laugh myself to death
To hear that gander sneeze

Verse and Chorus:

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