Author: Jim

Fare Thee Well Blues

Jim,

—Joe Callicott and Vol Stevens 1930

Told me early fall, you never had no man at all
Fare thee, baby, fare thee well
Told me early fall, you never had no man at all
Well you got more men than a two ton truck can haul

Told me to my face there's a good man in my place
Fare thee, baby, fare thee well
Told me to my face there's a good man in my place
Fare thee, baby, fare thee well

Told me this early spring when the birds began to sing
Fare thee, baby, fare thee well
Told me early spring when the birds began to sing
Well this the last chance, kid, to be round here with me

I told you early in June when the flowers began to bloom
Fare thee, baby, fare thee well
I told you early in June, when the flowers began to bloom
You can't do no better, then a good girl can take your room

When I asked you when I'll let your curtain down
Fare thee, baby, fare thee well
When I asked you when I let your curtain down
Well you kept tellin' me, please don't joke around

Go on, put on your nightgown, baby, lets we go lie down
Fare thee, baby, fare thee well
Go on, puttin' on your nightgown, baby, let's a—go lie down
Well it's the last chance shakin' in the day with you

Verse:

I I7 IV I
I I V V
I I7 IV I
I V I I

 

Everything is Broken

Jim,

—Bob Dylan

Broken lines, broken strings, broken threads, broken springs
Broken idols, broken heads, people sleeping in broken beds
Ain't no use jivin', ain't no use jokin', everything is broken

Broken bottles, broken plates, broken switches, broken gates
Broken dishes, broken parts, streets are filled with broken hearts
Broken words are never meant to be spoken, everything is broken

Seems like every time you stop and turn around
Someone else has just hit the ground

Broken cutters, broken saws, broken buckles, broken laws
Broken bodies, broken bones, broken voices on broken phones
Take a deep breath, feel like you're chokin', everything is broken

Every time you leave and go off some place
Things fall to pieces in my face

Broken hands on broken plows, broken treaties, broken vows
Broken pipes, broken tools, people bending broken rules
Hound dog howlin', bullfrog croakin', everything is broken

Verse:

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

Bridge:

V V IV IV

 

Every Humble Knee

Jim,

—Traditional

There seems in a heaven a father
Once more and again
I'll be your handmaid servant
Bowed down before thee
Put your loving arms all around me
Prop every leanin' side
Every humble knee surely must bow,
Surely must bow.

Hear this, heavenly father
Once more and again
I'll be your handmaid servant
Bowed down before thee
Put your loving arms all around me
Prop every leanin' side
Every humble knee surely must bow
Surely must bow.

I wouldn't bow for form or fashion
That side showed to the world
I'd bow down before you
According to your holy word
Put your loving arms all around me
Prop every leanin' side
Every humble knee surely must bow.

Well you said you'd be a mother
For the motherless
You said you'd be a father
For the fatherless too
You said if I would serve you
You'd be my father too
Put your loving arms all around me
Prop every leanin' side
Every humble knee surely must bow.

Verse:

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

 


Eight More Miles to Louisville

Jim,

—Louis "Grandpa" Jones

I've traveled o'er this country wide seeking fortune fair
Up and down the two coast lines I've traveled everywhere
From Portland East to Portland West back along the line
I'm going now to the place that's best that old hometown of mine

Eight more miles and Louisville will come into my view
Eight more miles on this old road and I'll never more be blue
I knew some day that I'd come back I knew it from the start
Eight more miles to Louisville the hometown of my heart

There's bound to be a gal somewhere that you like best of all
Mine lives down in Louisville she's long and she is tall
But she's the kind that you can't find a traveling through the land
I'm on my way this very day to win her heart and hand

Now I can picture in my mind a place we'll call our home
A humble little hut for two we'll never want to roam
The place that's right for that love sight is in those bluegrass hills
Where gently flows the Ohio by a place called Louisville

Verse:

I-V I-IV I-V I
I-V I-IV I V
IV I I V
I-V I-IV I-V I

Chorus:

I I IV I
I I II V
IV I I V
I-V I-IV I-V I

 

East Virginia Blues

Jim,

—The Carter Family

I was born in East Virginia
North Carolina I did go
There I courted a fair young maiden
But her age I did not know

Oh her hair was dark and curly
And her cheeks were rosy red
On her breast she wore a lilly
Where I longed to lay my head

Molly dear, go ask your mother
If you my bride might ever be
If she says no, come back and tell me
And I'll run away with thee

No I'll not go ask my mother
Where she lies on her bed of rest
In her hand she holds a dagger
To kill the man that I love best

The ocean's deep and I can't wade it
And I have no wings to fly
I'll just get some blue—eyed boatman
For to row me o'er the tide

I'll go back to East Virginia
North Carolina ain't my home
I'll go back to East Virginia
Leave old North Carolina alone

I don't want your green back dollar
I don't want your watch and chain
All I want is you my darling
Say you'll take me back again

For you know I'd like to see you
At my door you're welcome in
At my gate I'll always greet you
For you're the girl I tried to win

Verse:

I I IV I
IV I V I

 




Early This Morning

Jim,

Early this morning my baby made me sore (X2)
She said I'm leaving you papa, I don't need you any more.

Tell me pretty mama where did you sleep last night (X2)
She said none of your business baby, if I do you right.

I said I love you mama, yeah that ain't no lie (X2)
And the day that you quit me, mama that's the day you die..

Just because you see me sleeping don't you think I'm drunk (2X)
I got one eye on my pistol and the other on your trunk

Verse:

I IV I I7
IV IV I-IV I-VI
II V I-IV I

 

Driving Nails in My Coffin

Jim,

—Ernest Tubb

My sweetheart has gone and I'm so lonesome
She said that she and I were through
So I started out drinkin' for pasttime
Drivin' nails in my coffin over you

Chorus:
I'm just drivin' nails in my coffin
Every time I drink a bottle of booze
I'm just drivin' nails in my coffin
Lordy, drivin' those nails over you

Ever since the day that we parted
I've been so sad and so blue
I'm always thinkin' of you love
And I just can't quit drinkin' that old booze

Now you turned me down, you don't want me
There's nothin' now I can lose
I'm just drivin' those nails in my coffin
And worryin' my darlin over you

Verse and Chorus:

I I I V
I I I-V I

 

Drink Up and Go Home

Jim,

—Johnny Bond & Joe Maphis

You sat there a crying crying in your beer
You say you got troubles my friend listen here
Don't tell me your troubles I got enough of my own
Be thankful you're living drink up and go home

I'm fresh out of prison six years in the can
Lost my wife and family no one to call friend
Don't tell me your troubles I got enough of my own
Be thankful you're living drink up and go home

Now there stands a blind man a man that can't see
Yet he's not complaining why should you or me
Don't tell me your troubles I got enough of my own
Be thankful you're living drink up and go home

¾

Verse:

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

 

Drifting Too Far From the Shore

Jim,

Out on the perilous deep
Where danger silently creeps
And storms so vio—lent—ly sweep
You're drifting too far from the shore

Chorus:
Drifting too far from the shore
Drifting too far from the (peaceful) shore
Come to Jesus today, let him show you the way
You're drifting too far from the shore

Today the tempest rolls high
And clouds overshadow the sky
Sure death is hovering nigh
You're drifting too far from the shore

Why meet a terrible fate.
Mercies abundantly wait.
Turn back before it's too late.
You're drifting too far from the shore.

¾

Verse:

I V I I V V I I
I I7 IV IV I V I I

Chorus:

IV IV I I V V I I
I I I7 IV IV I V I

 


Down Where The River Bends

Jim,

It's hard to keep the tear out of my eyes
For this might be our last goodbye
Your country calls you to defend this great land
So do your part just like a man

Chorus:
Down where the river bends
With God's help we'll meet again
Under the same old sycamore tree
Proud of each other in the land of the free

I'll go down to the ocean blue
And get just as close as I can to you
Though the ocean wide may keep us apart
It won't keep you dear from out of my heart

If the worst should happen, and the poppies should wave
Over your far distant lonely grave
All the rest of my life I'll spend in prayer
I'll meet you in heaven, there'll be no wars there

Verse and Chorus:

I IV I V
I IV I-V I