Author: Jim

Don't Let Your Deal Go Down

Jim,

—Charlie Poole
Now I've been all
Around this whole wide world
Down to Memphis, Tennessee
Any old place I hang my hat
Looks like home to me

Now I left my
Little girl crying
Standing in the door
Throwed her arms around my neck
Saying 'honey, don't you go'

Now I've been all around
This whole wide world
Done most everything
I've played cards
With the king and the queen
Discard the ace and the ten

Chorus:
Oh it's don't let your deal go down
Don't let your deal go down
Don't let your deal go down
Before my last gold dollar is gone

Now where did you get them
High top shoes?
Dress you wear so fine?
Got my shoes
From a railroad man
And my dress from a driver in the mine

Who's gonna shoe your
Pretty white feet?
Who's gonna glove your hand?
Who's gonna kiss your
Lily white cheeks?
Who's gonna be your man?

Now papa may shoe my
Pretty white feet
Mama can glove my hand
She can kiss my
Lily white cheeks
'till you come back again

Verse and Chorus:

VI II V I
VI II V I

 


Do Re Mi

Jim,

—Woody Guthrie

Lots of folks back East, they say, is leavin' home every day,
Beatin' the hot old dusty way to the California line.
Cross the desert sands they roll, gettin' out of that old dust bowl,
They think they're goin' to a sugar bowl, but here's what they find
Now, the police at the port of entry say,
You're number fourteen thousand for today.

Chorus:
Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi, folks, you ain't got the do re mi,
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see;
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi.

You want to buy you a home or a farm, that can't deal nobody harm,
Or take your vacation by the mountains or sea.
Don't swap your old cow for a car, you better stay right where you are,
Better take this little tip from me.
'Cause I look through the want ads every day
But the headlines on the papers always say…

Verse:

I IV V I
I IV V I
V V V V7

Chorus:

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

 

Dixie Darlin'

Jim,

—by A.P. Carter

Chorus:
My Dixie darlin', listen to the song I sing
Beneath the silver moon, with my banjo right in tune
My heart is ever true, I love no one but you,
My Dixie darlin', my Dixie queen.

Way down below the Mason-Dixie line
Down where the honeysuckles are entwined
There's where the southern winds are blowing
There's where the daisies growing

The girls of the North in the gay fin-e-ree
Whirling around in so-ci-e-tee
Singin' the song of Dixie darlin'
Where I long to be

Goin' down South to have a big time
To see my girl in old Caroline,
I'll drink my booze and do as I please
For all those girls I long to squeeze

Singin' the song of Dixie darlin'
There's where I long to be goin'
Down where the jelly roll's rolling
With my Dixie queen

Chorus:

I I I I
I V I I
I I I I
I V V I

Verse:

I I I I
I I I I
V V V V
I I I I

 

Dink's Song (Fare Thee Well)

Jim,

—Recorded by Alan Lomax 1909. Dink was the woman who sang it.

If I had wings like Noah's dove
I'd fly the river to the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

I had a man who was long and tall
He moved his body like a cannon ball
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

I remember one evening in the pouring rain
And in my heart was an aching pain
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

Muddy river runs muddy and wild
You can't give a bloody for my unborn child
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

Just as sure as the birds fly high above
Life ain't worth living without the one you love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

tag: Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

Nina Simone verse:

If I had listened to what my mama said
Wouldn't have so much confusion in my aching head
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

Verse:

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


Diddie Wah Diddie

Jim,

—Blind Blake

There's a great big mystery,
And it sure is worryin' me.
It's the Diddie Wah Diddie,
It's the Diddie Wah Diddie.
I sure wish someone would tell me what
Diddie Wah Diddie means!

This little girl's about four feet four,
Come here to papa and give me some more.
It's the Diddie Wah Diddie,
It's the Diddie Wah Diddie.
I sure wish someone would tell me what
Diddie Wah Diddie means!

I went out and walked around,
Somebody yelled look who's in town.
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie,
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie.
I sure wish someone would tell me what
Diddie Wah Diddie means!

Ran to church put my hat on the seat,
Ladies said sugar daddy you sure is sweet!
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie,
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie.
I sure wish someone would tell me what
Diddie Wah Diddie means!

I said sister I'll soon be home,
Just give me that thing you said you own.
My Diddie Wah Diddie,
My Diddie Wah Diddie.
I wish somebody would tell me what
Diddie Wah Diddie means!

Man I got right out of church,
Because they talk about Diddie Wah Diddie too much.
It's the Diddie Wah Diddie,
It's the Diddie Wah Diddie.
I wish someone would tell me what
Diddie Wah Diddie means!

Verse:

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

 

Deep River Blues

Jim,

Let it rain, let it pour,
let it rain a whole lot more
'Cause I got them deep river blues
Let the rain drive right on,
let the waves sweep along
'Cause I got them deep river blues

My old gal's a good old pal
and she walks like a water fowl
When I get them deep river blues
Ain't no one to cry for me
and the fish all go out on a spree
When I get them deep river blues

Give me back my old boat,
I'm gonna sail it if she floats
'Cause I got them deep river blues
I'm going back to mussel shoals,
times are better there I'm told
'Cause I got them deep river blues

If my boat sinks with me
I'll go down, don't you see
'Cause I got them deep river blues
Now I'm going to say goodbye
and if I sink just let me die
'Cause I got them deep river blues

Verse:

I I° I IV
I I V V
I Iº I IV
I V I I

 

Deep Elem Blues

Jim,

—originally Black Bottom Blues by The Georgia Crackers, 1927

When you go down in Deep Elem just to have a little fun
Have your ten dollars ready when that policeman comes

Chorus:
Oh sweet mama Daddy's got them Deep Elem blues
Oh sweet mama Daddy's got them Deep Elem blues

If you go down in Deep Elem put you money in your shoes
Women in Deep Elem got them Deep Elem blues.

When you go down in Deep Elem put you money in your pants
Cause them redheads in Deep Elem never give a man a chance

When you go down to Deep Elem put your money in your socks
Them Deep Elem women they will throw you on the rocks

I used to know a preacher preached the Bible through and through
He went down to Deep Elem now his preachin' days are through.

Now once I had a sweetheart she meant the world to me
She went down to Deep Elem she ain't what she used to be.

Verse:

I I I I7

Chorus:

IV IV I I
V V I I

alternate verses:

Her papa's a policeman, and her mama walks the street;
Her papa met her mama when they both were on the beat.

Well, I went down to Deep Elum just to get a little booze,
And now I'm on the chain gang, wearing them brogan shoes.

If you've got a good little woman, better keep her by your side,
That old __ take your baby and ride.

 

Deadheads & Suckers

Jim,

—Crockett Ward

Chorus:
Oh its Deadheads and Suckers, how can you live
How can you live, darling, how can you live
Deadheads and Suckers, how can you live
When there's good men dying every day

Oh I'm going round the mountain, I'm bound to leave you now
Bound to leave you now, darlin', bound to leave you now
Oh I'm going round the mountain, I'm bound to leave you now
And darlin', I don't know what to do

Light in the graveyard that outshines the sun,
Outshines the sun, darlin', outshines the sun,
Light in the graveyard that outshines the sun,
And darlin' I don't know what to do.

High Sheriff and police running after me
Running after me, running after me
High Sheriff and police running after me
And Lordy, I don't know what to do

Mighty happy meeting, and don't you want to go
Don't you want to go, don't you want to go
Mighty happy meeting, and don't you want to go
Yes, We'll all go

Verse and Chorus:

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

 

Darling Corey

Jim,

(Dig a Hole in the Meadow)

Chorus:
Dig a hole, dig a hole in the meadow
Dig a hole in the cold ground
Dig a hole, dig a hole in the meadow
Gonna lay darling Corey down

Well the first time I seen darling Corey
She was standing by the sea
Had a forty-four strapped across her bosom
And a banjo on her knee

Wake up, wake up, darling Corey
What makes you sleep so sound?
The revenue officers are coming
Gonna tear your still house down

Wake up, wake up, darling Corey
And go get my my gun
I ain't no man for trouble
But I'll die before I run

Go away, go away, darling Corey
Quit hanging around my bed
Bad liquor ruined my body
Pretty women gone to my head

Can't you hear them bluebirds singing
Don't you hear that mournful sound
Preachin' darlin' Corey's funeral
It's the lonesome graveyard ground

Verse and Chorus:

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

 

Dark Hollow

Jim,

—Joe Val

I'd rather be in some dark hollow
Where the sun don't never shine
Than to be here alone just knowin' that you're gone
It would cause me to lose my mind

Chorus:
So blow your whistle freight train
Blow it far on down the track
I'm going away, I'm leavin' today
I'm going but I ain't comin' back

I'd rather be in some dark hollow
Where the sun don't never shine
Than to be here in some big city
In a small room with you on my mind

Verse and Chorus:

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