Author: Jim

Leftover Biscuits

Jim,

—Harold D. Handy

Chorus:
Leftover biscuits, leftover ham
Leftover gravy in an old fryin' pan
Leftover coffee, leftover tea
Now I'm all alone 'cause she done left over me.

Well, I asked my wife if I could go out with the boys,
Just a little party over at Jimmy Roy's.
She said, "Yes, honey, you know that I don't care."
But what I didn't tell her it was a three—day affair.

Then we went to a party over at my neighbors' home,
Me and my neighbor's wife in the kitchen all alone.
She was makin' biscuits while I was makin' time.
Caught in the act by that little old wife of mine.

Now I'm all alone, 'cause she done left over me.

Chorus and Verse:

I II V I
I II V IV – I

 


Kentucky Waltz

Jim,

—Bill Monroe

We were waltzing that night in Kentucky
'Neath the beautiful harvest moon
And I was the boy who was lucky
But it all ended too soon

As I sit here alone in the moonlight
And I can see your smiling face
And I long once more for your embrace
In that beautiful Kentucky waltz

¾

Verse:

I I I V
V V V I
I I I – I7 IV
IV I – VI II – V I

 

Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning

Jim,

Troubles and trials are almost over X 3
See what my lord has done
Keep your lamp trimmed and burnin X 3
See what my lord has done

Heaven's journey is almost over X 3
See what my lord has done
Brother don't you worry
Don't you worry
Don't you worry
See what my lord has done

Two thousand years have come and gone X 3
See what my lord has done
Brother don't you worry
Don't you worry
Don't you worry
See what my lord has done
Sister don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
See what my lord has done.

Many are gone but not forgotten X 3
See what my lord has done
Keep your lamp trimmed and burnin X 3
See what my lord has done

Brother don't you worry
Don't you worry
Don't you worry
See what my lord has done
Brother don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
Sister don't stop prayin
See what my lord has done.

Keep your lamp trimmed and burning X 3
See what my lord has done
Keep your lamp trimmed and burning X 3
See what my lord has done

Verse:

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

 

Keep on the Sunny Side

Jim,

—Ada Blenkhorn & J. Howard Entwisle 1899, popularized by Carter Family

There's a dark and a troubled side of life
But there's a bright and a sunny side too
Though you meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side you also may view

Chorus:
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life

Though the storm and its furies rage today
Crushing hope that we cherish so dear
The cloud and storm will in time pass away
And the sun again will shine bright and clear

Let us greet with a song of hope each day
Though the moment be cloudy or fair
And let us trust in our Saviour always
He'll keep us everyone in His care

Verse:

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

Chorus:

I I IV I
I I V V
I I IV I
I – IV I – V I I

 

Katy Daley

Jim,

With her old man she came from Tipperary
In the pioneering days of '42
Her old man was shot in Tombstone City
For the making of his good old mountain dew

Chorus:
Oh Come on down the mountain Katy Daley
Come on down the mountain Katy do
Can't you hear us calling Katy Daley
We want to drink your good old mountain dew

Wake up and pay attention Katy Daley
For I'm the judge that's gonna sentence you
All the boys in court have drunk your whiskey
To tell the truth I like a little too

So to the jail they took poor Katy Daley
And pretty soon the gates were open wide
Angels came for poor old Katy Daley
Took her far across the great divide

Verse and Chorus:

I I I V
V V V I

 

Just a Closer Walk With Thee

Jim,

I am weak but Thou are strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, blessed Lord, close to Thee

Chorus:
Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it Jesus is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, blessed Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toils and snares
If I falter, Lord, who cares
None but Thee my burden bares
None but Thee, blessed Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o'er
Time for me will be no more
Guide me to that peaceful shore
Let me walk, blessed Lord, close to Thee.

Verse and Chorus:

I I V V
V V I I
I I7 V V
I V I V

 

June Apple

Jim,

—Jenkins, Jarrell & Cockerham

I wish I was a June apple
Hanging on that tree
Every time my true love passed
She'd take a little bite of me

Going across the mountain
I'm going in the spring
It's when I get on the other side
I'm gonna hear my woman sing

Can't you hear that banjo sing
I wish that girl was mine
Don't you hear that banjo sing
I wish that girl was mine

Charlie he's a nice young man
Charlie he's a dandy
Charlie he's a nice young man
Feeds the girls on candy.

Over the river to feed my sheep
Over the river Charlie
It's over the river to feed my sheep
Feed them on barley

I wish I had some sticks and poles
To build my chimney higher
Cos every time it rains and snows
It puts out all my fire

Fiddle Tune Verse:

I I VII VII
I I VII VII

Verse with Words:

I I I IV
I I V I

 

Journey's End

Jim,

—Noel and Padraig Duggan

Each night brings back my dreams of you
I cried and cry I feel so blue
You broke my heart so why pretend
The sign ahead reads journey's end

Chorus:
River's rolling along skies are turning gray
Clouds are moving in I've lost my way
I tried to smile but why pretend
The sign ahead reads journey's end

Remember the day when we first met
I loved you then, I love you yet
Nights when you kneel down in prayer
If God would will I'd be right there

Sitting all alone beneath the stars
I'm wondering where on earth you are
Thinking of the things that might have been
But the sign ahead reads journey's end

Verse:

I IV I V
I IV I-V I

Chorus:

IV I I V
I IV I-V I

 

John Henry

Jim,

John Henry, when he was a baby
Settin' on his mammy's knee
Picked up an hammer in his little right hand
Said, "Hammer be the death of me, me, me
Hammer be the death of me"

Some say he's born in Texas
Some say he's born up in Maine
I just say he was a Louisiana man
Leader of a steel-driving chain gang
Leader on a steel-driving gang

Well, the Captain said to John Henry
I'm gonna bring my steam drill around
Gonna bring my steam drill out on the job
Gonna whup that steel on down, down, down
Whup that steel on down

John Henry said to the Captain
You can bring your steam drill around
You can bring your steam drill out on the job
I'll beat your steam drill down, down, down
Beat your steam drill down

John Henry said to his Shaker
Shaker, you had better pray
If you miss your six feet of steel
I'll be your buryin' day, day, day
I'll be your buryin' day

Now, the Shaker said to John Henry
Man ain't nothing but a man
But before I'd let that steam drill beat me down
I'd die with an hammer in my hand, hand, hand
I'd die with an hammer in my hand

John Henry had a little woman
Her name was Polly Anne
John Henry took sick and was laid up in bed
While Polly handled steel like a man, man, man
Polly handled steel like a man

They took John Henry to the graveyard
Laid him down in the sand
Every locomotive comin' a-rolling by
Hollered, there lies a steel-drivin' man, man, man
There lies a steel-drivin' man

There lies a steel-drivin' man, man, man
There lies a steel-drivin' man

Verse:

I I I V
I I I I

 



John Hardy

Jim,

—The Carter Family

John Hardy was a desperate little man
He carried two guns every day
He shot down a man on that West Virginia line
You ought a seen John Hardy getting away
You ought to seen John Hardy getting away

John Hardy stood in that old barroom
So drunk that he could not see
And a man walked up and took him by the arm
He said Johnny, come and go along with me Poor boy
Johnny, come and walk along with me

John Hardy stood in his old jail cell
The tears running down from his eyes
He said I've been the death of many a poor boy
But my six—shooters never told a lie
No, my six—shooters never told a lie

The first one to visit John Hardy in his cell
Was a little girl dressed in blue
She came down to that old jail cell
She said Johnny, I've been true to you God knows
Johnny, I've been true to you

The next one to Visit John Hardy in his cell
Was a little girl dressed in red
She come down to that old jail cell
She said, Johnny, I had rather see you dead
Well, Johnny, I had rather see you dead

I've been to the East and I've been to the West
I've traveled this wide world around
I've been to that river and I've been baptized
So take me to my burying ground
So take me to my burying ground

John Hardy was a desperate little man
He carried two guns every day
He shot down a man on the West Virginia line
You ought to seen old John Hardy getting away
You ought to seen old John Hardy getting away

Verse:

IV I IV I
IV I V V