Author: Jim

She's No Angel

Jim,

—Wanda Ballman and J.W. Arnold

You see her there at the bar cross the room
She looks like an angel with her paint and perfume
You'd like to meet her your conscience says no
Obey your conscience turn around and go

Chorus:
She's no angel, no angel, her wings are not real
She'll ruin your life if your heart she can steal
She'll tell you tales to bring tears to your eyes
But don't you believe them for they're only lies

You think if only she could be your own
You'd be more contented than a king on his throne
You'd better not trust her it's wrong if you do
She's broken many hearts and she'll break yours too

Verse:

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

Chorus:

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

 


She's More to Be Pitied

Jim,

—Carter Stanley

She's there at the bar every evening
Face powdered and cheeks painted red
Her beauty has faded too early
Brought on by the fast life she led

She's more to be pitied than scolded
She needs to be loved, not despised
Too much beer and wine, too many good times
The lure of the honky tonk wrecked her young life

She once was the belle of the ballroom
She'd made some man a sweet wife
But too many parties, the wrong kind of pals
Ruined her happy young life

Done

¾

Verse:

I I I V
I I I-V I

Chorus:

IV I I V
I I V-I I
I V – I I

 

She Ain't No Good

Jim,

—Mississippi Sheiks early 1930's

I had a girl, she was just that kind
I thought I would make her mine
But when I looked the matter through,
she was the worst of kind.

Chorus:
She ain't no good, Oh, she ain't no good
When I come to find her out,
I found she was no good.

Some men like the country girl,
Mine's girl lives in town
A towns girl will be lovin' you,
When the country girl messes around.

Chorus:
She ain't no good, Oh, she ain't no good
When you see 'em brother, lives in the woods,
You know she ain't no good.

A town girl gets one man,
And always treat him well
But a country girl will get her ten men,
And give them all hell.

Chorus:
She ain't no good, Oh she ain't no good
She once left a man in the neighborhood,
you know she ain't no good.

A yeller cow drinks the corn whiskey,
Browns can't do the same
The country girl get her two'a brown meal,
But she's getting drunk just the same.

Chorus:
She ain't no good, Oh, she ain't no good
She left a man in the neighborhood,
You know she ain't no good.

I went to the country girl's house,
And only one night I spent
I got up the next morning, and come back home,
Been runnin' ever since.

Chorus:
Oh, she ain't no good, Oh, she ain't no good
Deliver me, from a country girl,
because she ain't no good.

Verse:

I I I V
I I V I

Chorus:

IV IV I I
V V V I

 

Shady Grove

Jim,

—Traditional

Garcia/Grisman Version

Peaches in the summer time, Apples in the fall
If I can't have the girl I love, I don't want none at all

Chorus:
Shady Grove, my little love, Shady Grove, I know
Shady Grove, my little love, I'm bound for Shady Grove

I wish I had a banjo string, Made of golden twine
Every tune I'd play on it, I wish that girl were mine

I wish I had a needle and thread, As fine as I could sew
I'd sew that pretty gal to my side, And down the road I'd go

Some come here to fiddle and dance, Some come here to tarry
Some come here to fiddle and dance, I come here to marry

Every night when I go home, My wife, I try to please her
The more I try, the worse she gets, Damned if I don't leave her

Chorus and Verse (minor):

Im VII Im Im
III VII Im – VII Im
More lyrics:

Doc Watson Version

Chorus:
Shady Grove, my little love, Shady Grove I say
Shady Grove, my little love, I'm a bound to go away

Cheeks as red a a blooming rose, And eyes are the prettiest brown
She's the darling of my heart, Sweetest little girl in town

I wish I had a big fine horse, And corn to feed him on
And Shady Grove to stay at home, And feed him while I'm gone

Went to see my Shady Grove, She was standing in the door
Her shoes and stockins in her hand, And her little bare feet on the floor

When I was a little boy, I wanted a Barlow knife
And now I want little Shady Grove, To say she'll be my wife

A kiss from pretty little Shady Grove, Is sweet as brandy wine,
And there ain't no girl in this whole world, That's prettier than mine

Bill Monroe Version

Coffee grows on white oak trees, The river flows with brandy
The rocks on the hill all go where they go, And the girls love 'lasses candy

Chorus:
Shady Grove, my little miss, Shady Grove my darlin'
Shady Grove, my little miss, I'm goin' back to Harlan

Oh I guess you think my pretty little miss, I can't live without you
I'll let you know before I go, If I hear a little about you.

Every time I go that road, It's always dark and cloudy
Every time I see that girl, I always tell her howdy

Chorus and Verse (Major):

I I I I
I I V I

 


Shackles and Chains

Jim,

—Jimmie Davis

Chorus:
And at night through the bars I will gaze at the stars
And dream of your kisses in vain
A piece of stone I will use for my pillow
While I'm sleeping in shackles and chains

On a long lonesome journey I'm going
Oh darling please don't you cry
In these shackles and chains they will take me
To a prison to stay 'til I die

Put your arms through the bars once my darling
Let me kiss those sweet lips I love best
For in heartache you're my consolation
In sorrow my haven of rest

Chorus and Verse:

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

 

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

Jim,

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

 




Salty Dog

Jim,

Standing in the corner with the low down blues
Great big hole in the bottom of my shoes
Honey let me be your salty dog

Chorus:
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't by your man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog

Listen here Sal I know you
Run down stocking and a worn out shoe
Honey let me be your salty dog

Down in the wildwood sitting on a log
Finger on the trigger and my eye on a hog
Honey let me be your salty dog

I pulled the trigger and the gun said go
The shot fell over in Mexico
Honey let me be your salty dog

Chorus and Verse:

|: I–VI II V I :|

 

Sally Goodin

Jim,

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.

Sad and Lonesome Day

Jim,

—The Carter Family

Oh they carried my mother to the burying ground ( x3 )
And watched the pallbearers let her down

Chorus:
Oh today has been a lonesome day ( x3 )
And tomorrow's gonna be the same old way

Did you ever hear a church bell toll ( x3 )
You may know by that she's dead and gone

Oh dig my grave with a silver spade ( x3 )
And mark the place where I must lay

There's one kind favor I ask of you ( x3 )
That's to see that my grave is kept green

Red Allen's version:

Oh they carried my girl to the burying ground ( x3 )
I cried oh Lord they lowered her down

Chorus:
Today has been a (long) lonesome day ( x3 )
Tomorrow's gonna be the same old way

Go dig my grave with a silver spade ( x3 )
And mark the spot where I must lay

Did you ever hear those church bells toll ( x3 )
That means by then I'm dead and gone

Verse:

I – V I IV I
IV I I – V I

 



Roving Gambler

Jim,

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