Author: Jim

Blue Yodel #3

Jim,

—Jimmie Rogers

She's long she's tall she's six feet from the ground ( x2 )
She's tailor made Lord she ain't no hand me down
Yodel layee oh a layee oh alayee.

She's got eyes like diamonds and her teeth shine just the same ( x2 )
She's got sweet ruby lips and hair like a horse's mane
Yodel layee oh a layee oh alayee.

Every time I see you woman you're always on the street ( x2 )
You hang out on the corner like a police on his beat
Yodel layee oh a layee oh alayee.

Every time I need you mamma Lord I always find you gone ( x2 )
Listen here sweet mamma you better put your air brakes on
Yodel layee oh a layee oh alayee.

extra verses:

Won't you tell me mama, where you stayed last night ( x2 )
'Cause your hair's all tangled, and your clothes don't fit you right.
Yodel layee oh a layee oh alayee.

I ain't gonna tell you no stories, woman I ain't gonna lie ( x2 )
But the day you quit me woman, that's the day you die.
Yodel layee oh a layee oh alayee.

I hate to see this evenin' sun go down, Lord ( x2 )
'Cause it makes me think I'm on my last go around.
Yodel layee oh a layee oh alayee.

Verse:

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

 



Blue Ridge Cabin Home

Jim,

—Flatt and Scruggs

There's a well beaten path in the old mountainside
Where I wandered when I was a lad
And I wandered alone to the place I call home
In those Blueridge hills far away

Chorus:
Oh I love those hills of old Virginia
From those Blueridge hills I did roam
When I die won't you bury me on the mountain
Far away near my Blueridge mountain home

Now my thoughts wander back to that ramshackle shack
In those blue ridge hills far away
Where my mother and dad were laid there to rest
They are sleeping in peace together there

I return to that old cabin home with the sigh
I've been longing for days gone by
When I die won't you bury me on that old mountain side
Make my resting place upon the hills so high

Verse and Chorus:

I I IV IV
V V I I

 

Blue Railroad Train

Jim,

—the Delmore Brothers

Blue railroad train going down the railroad tracks
It makes me feel so doggone blue to listen to that old smokestack
Come back again let me hear the whistle blow
You're taking the sun and leaving the rain
And I hate to see you go

Blue railroad train leaving me far behind
Gimme back the good old days and let me ramble down the line
Blue railroad train leaving me her alone
You treat me good you treat me bad
You're making me think of home

I've got the blues I'm longing for your company
It's many miles from where I am to the only one for me
It's lonely here waiting for the manifest
I hope that engineer is kind enough to let me be his guest

I'm not as bad as you might think I am
I hobo here I hobo there I've traveled these states around
Blue railroad train a good old pal to me
You take me where I want to go and my transportation's free

Verse:

I I I I
IV IV IV I

 

Blue Night

Jim,

—Bill Monroe

Blue night I got you on my mind
Blue night I can't keep from crying
You met someone that was new
You quit someone that you knew was true
Blue night I got you on my mind

Blue night blue as I can be
I don't know what'll become of me
Where we used to walk I walk alone
With an aching heart because my love is gone
Blue night blue as I can be

Blue night 'cause I'm all alone
I used to call you on the telephone
I used to call and it made you glad
Now I call and it makes you mad
Blue night 'cause I'm all alone

Blue night all by myself
Since you put me on that shelf
There's just one thing that you must know
You're gonna reap just what you sow
Blue night, all by myself
Blue night, all by myself

Verse:

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

 

Blue Moon of Kentucky

Jim,

—Bill Monroe

Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining
Shine on the one that's gone and proved untrue
Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining
Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue

Chorus:
It was on a moonlight night
The stars were shining bright
And they whispered from on high
Your love has said good—bye
Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining
Shine on the one that's gone and said good—bye

3/4
Verse:

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

Chorus:

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

 

Blaze of Glory

Jim,

—Larry Keith, Johnny Slate, Danny Morrison

Chorus:
Let's go out in a blaze of glory.
All good things must end.
Like two heroes in a story,
let's go out like we came in
In a blaze of glory.

Here we are broken hearted.
We thought our love would never end.
We fell hard when we got started.
We're fallin' out like we fell in.

Let's don't lie and hurt each other.
That would be our worst mistake.
Once again let's act like lovers.
One more time for old time's sake

Chorus:

I I I V
IV I I V I

Verse:

I VII – I I V
I VII – I I – V I

 

Blackjack David

Jim,

—Incredible String Band version

Blackjack David is the name that I bear
Been alone in the forest for a long time
But the time is come, and when a lady I find
I will love her and hold her,
Singing through the green green trees

The skin on my hands is like leather, alright.
My face is so hard from the cold wind
But my heart's so warm with the song that I sing
Will charm a fair lady,
Singing through the green green trees

Fair Eloise rode out that day
From her fine fine home in the morning
In the flush of dawn, came a sound to her ear
Drifting, floating,
Singing through the green green trees

Last night she slept on a fine feather bed
Far far from Blackjack David
Tonight she'll sleep on the cold cold ground
And love him and hold him,
Singing through the green green trees

Saddle me up my fine grey mare
Cried the lord of the house next morning
My servants tell me that my daughter is gone
With Blackjack David,
Singing through the green green trees

Well he rode all day and he rode all night
But he never did find his daughter
But he heard from afar, come drift on the wind
Two voices, laughing,
Singing through the green green trees

Verse:

I IV – I I V
I IV – I IV I
I – V I

extra verses:

after "cold cold ground"
Now sixteen summers was all that she'd seen
And her skin was soft as velvet
But she's forsaken her fine fine home
And Blackjack David is
Singing through the green green trees

final verse
Oh, Blackjack David is the name that I bear
Been alone in the forest for a long time
But now I've found me a lady so fair
And I love her, hold her,
Singing through the green green trees

The Carter Family version:

Black Jack David came riding through the woods
And he sing so loud and gaily
Made the hills around him ring
And he charmed the heart of a lady, and he charmed the heart of a lady

How old are you my pretty little miss
How old are you my honey
She answered him with a silly smile
I'll be sixteen next Sunday, I'll be sixteen next Sunday

Come go with me my pretty little miss
Come go with me my honey
I'll take you across the deep blue sea
Where you never shall want for money, where you never shall want for money

She pulled off her high heeled shoes
They were made of Spanish leather
She put on her low heeled shoes
And they both went off together, and they both went off together

Last night I lay on a warm feather bed
Beside my husband and baby
Tonight I lay on the cold, cold ground
By the side of Black Jack David, by the side of Black Jack David

Black Eyed Susie

Jim,

—Traditional, early 18th C.

Black eyed Susie went to town
All she wore was a gingham gown

Refrain:
Hey, little black-eyed Susie,
Hey, little black-eyed Susie,
Hey, little black-eyed Susie,
Once more, or instrumental fill

Love my wife and love my baby
Love my biscuits sopped in gravy.

All I need to make me happy
Two little boys to call me pappy

One named Sam the other one's Davy
Sam likes ham and Dave likes gravy

Extra Verses:

I asked Susie to be my wife
She come after me with a Bowie knife

Black-eyed Susie went huckleberry pickin'
Came home late and took a lickin'.

I may get drunk I may get woozy
But I'm comin' home to black-eyed Susie

All I want in this creation
Is a pretty little gal and a big plantation

Up red oak and down salt water
Some old man gonna lose his daughter

Goin' back home with a pocket full of money
Somebody there gonna call me honey.

Black eyed Susie lives in a holler
She won't come and I won't call her

Hey old man I want your daughter
To chop my wood and carry my water

Black-Eyed Susie's long and lean,
Prettiest girl I ever seen.

I love the sea, I love the navy
But black-eyed Susie to do crave-y

I love the hills, I love the prairie
I love Jane, and I love Mary, but

I'm happy as a king got the world on a string
Can't ask for more I'm at heaven's door

I used to do a lot of teasin'
Changed my gals most every season

I love my pipe, I love tomatoes
I love candied sweet potatoes

Ooh! I love the trees, I love the flowers
Love to walk through April showers

Used to say I'd never wed
Those were foolish words I said

I used to be a guy who gambled
I had wanderin' shoes that always rambled

Cross my heart my ramblin' days are through
Pretty black-eyed Susie, I love you

Holy Modal Rounders' version:

My pretty little Susie's just half grown
Jumps on a man like a dog on a bone.

Refrain: Hey, black-eyed Susie,  
Hey, little black-eyed Susie,
Hey…(finish phrase instrumental)

Come little Susie, let's go to the loft
The hay up there's always warm and soft
Refrain

If your mommy knew she'd tan your hide
Your daddy would hunt me dead or alive
Refrain

I gave your little brother a big silver dollar
If he sees your daddy coming he'll let out a holler.
Refrain

The only thing I like to do better than my doodling
Is put my head between your legs and do a little yodeling
Refrain

 
Verse:

I IV I V

Refrain:

I I I I
I I V I


Bill Cheatham

Jim,

(usually a fiddle tune, but somebody wrote some words…)

My old dog went rollin' in the pig pen
She come in the house and stunk up the kitchen
Kicked her out but she just come back again
Lying round the livin' room scratching out the fleas.

I'm sneezin' and a wheezin' from the hair in the air
She's crappin' in the corner and peein' everwhere
She's knocking down the baby and sleepin' on the stair
I yell and I holler but the dog don't care.

Verse:

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

Chorus:

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

Bile Them Cabbages Down

Jim,

Went up on the mountain
Just to give my horn a blow
Thought I heard my true love say
Yonder comes my beau

Chorus:
Bile them Cabbage down
Turn them hoecakes round
The only song that I can sing
Is bile them cabbage down

There's gold up in them there hills,
I know it for the truth,
For my gal fell up there
And lost her new front tooth.

Wisht I had a nickel,
Wisht I had a dime,
Wisht I had a pretty little girl
To love me all the time.

I went up to my girlfriend,
I went up kind of sneakin',
I missed her mouth and kissed her nose
And found out that it was leaking.

She wore a see-through nighty,
Walked 'tween me and the light,
Oh Jesus lord almighty
What a wondrous sight.

Wish I had a needle and thread,
As fine as I could sew.
I'd sew that girlie to my coat,
And down the road I'd go.

Never marry an old man,
I'll tell you the reason why,
His lips are all tobacco juice
And he never zips his fly!

A few more verses:

Took my gal to the blacksmith shop
To have her mouth made small
She turned around a time or two
And swallowed shop and all

Possum in a Simmon tree
Raccoon on the ground
Raccoon says you son—of—a—gun
Shake some Simmon's down

Someone stole my old 'coon dog
Wish they'd bring him back
He chased the big hogs through the fence
And the little ones through the crack

Met a possum in the road
Blind as he could be
Jumped the fence and whipped my dog
And bristled up at me

Once I had an old gray mule
His name was Simon Slick
He'd roll his eyes and back his ears
And how that mule would kick

How that mule would kick
He kicked with his dying breath
He shoved his hind feet down his throat
And kicked himself to death

Raccoon up the 'simmon tree,
'Possum up the gum.
Never did see a pretty girl,
But what I love her some.

Raccoon on the rail fence,
waitin for the sun
Long eared hounds coming down the road
Old racoon better run.

Verse & Chorus:

I IV I V
I IV I – V I