Author: Jim

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

 

Rolling On

Jim,

—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

 

Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms

Jim,

—Lester Flatt

I ain't gonna work on the railroad
Ain't gonna work on the farm
Lay around the shack
Till the mail train comes back
And roll in my sweet baby's arms

Chorus:
Roll in my sweet baby's arms
Roll in my sweet baby's arms
Lay round the shack
Till the mail train comes back
And roll in my sweet baby's arms

Now where were you last Friday night
While I was lying in jail
Walking the streets with another man
Wouldn't even go my bail

I know your parents don't like me
They turn me away from your door
If I had my life to live over
Wouldn't go there any more

Mother's a beauty operator
Sister she can weave and can spin
Daddy has an interest in that old cotton mill
Just a watchin' how the money rolls in

Sometimes there's a change in the ocean
Sometimes there's a change in the sea
Sometimes there's a change in my own true love
But there'll never be a change in me

Verse and Chorus:

I I I V
I IV (I or IV) – V I

 


Rocky Top

Jim,

—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

 

Rocky Road Blues

Jim,

—Bill Monroe

Chorus:
Now the road is rocky, but it won't be rocky long ( x2 )
Another man has got my woman and gone

I've got those blues, I'm wearing out the soles of my shoes ( x2 )
My gal went away and left me she left me with the dog gone blues

You'll never miss your water til the well runs dry ( x2 )
You'll never miss your woman until she says goodbye

I wish to the Lord you'd bring my woman back home ( x2 )
I'm not so lonesome, just don't want to be alone

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

 



Rocky Island

Jim,

(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 :|

 

Reuben's Train

Jim,

Ol Reuben made a train & he put it on a track
He ran it to the Lord knows where
Oh me, oh my ran it to the Lord knows where

Should been in town when Reuben's train went down
You could hear that whistle blow 100 miles
Oh me, oh my you could hear the whistle blow 100 miles

Last night I lay in jail had no money to go my bail
Lord how it sleeted & it snowed
Oh me, oh my Lord how it sleeted & it snowed

I've been to the East, I've been to the West
I'm going where the chilly winds don't blow
Oh me, oh my I'm going where the chilly winds don't blow

Oh the train that I ride is 100 coaches long
You can hear the whistle blow 100 miles
Oh me, oh my you can hear the whistle blow 100 miles

I got myself a blade, laid Reuben in the shade,
I'm startin' me a graveyard of my own.
Oh, me, oh lordy my, startin' me a graveyard of my own.

Verse:

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

 

Red River Valley

Jim,

—James J. Kerrigan

From this valley they say you are goin'
I will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
For they say you are takin' the sunshine
That has brightened our pathway the while

Do you think of the valley you're leavin'
Oh how lonely and dreary it will be
Do you think of the fond heart you're breakin'
And the sadness you've cast over me

For a long time my dear, I've been waiting
For the words that you never would say
And alas my poor heart you are breakin'
For they tell me you're goin' away

As you go to your home by the ocean
May you never forget those sweet hours
That we spent in the Red River Valley
And the love we exchanged mid the flowers

Come and sit by my side if you love me
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
But remember the Red River Valley
And the one that has loved you so true

Verse:

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