My bills are all due and the baby needs shoes and I'm busted
Cotton is down to a quarter a pound, but I'm busted
I got a cow that went dry and a hen that won't lay
A big stack of bills that gets bigger each day
The county's gonna haul my belongings away cause I'm busted.
I went to my brother to ask for a loan cause I was busted
I hate to beg like a dog without his bone, but I'm busted
My brother said there ain't a thing I can do,
My wife and my kids are all down with the flu,
And I was just thinking about calling on you 'cause I'm busted.
Well, I am no thief, but a man can go wrong when he's busted
The food that we canned last summer is gone and I'm busted
The fields are all bare and the cotton won't grow,
Me and my family got to pack up and go,
But I'll make a living, just where I don't know cause I'm busted.
—Holy Modal Rounders, originally Charles E. Trevathan late 1800's
Have you heard about the bully that's just come into town?
He's rounding up the people and layin' their bodies down.
And I'm looking for the bully of the town.
I just got here from Tennessee, and I can't allow
No redneck rebel roustabout with me to raise a row
And I'm looking for that Bully to make him bow.
Chorus:
As I walk this levee round, round, round, round,
Every night I can't be found, found, found, found,
As I walk this levee round, just lookin' for that bully, and he must be found.
I'm goin' to the corner with my ax in my hand,
I'm gonna find that bully, and I'll sweep him off the land.
And I'm lookin' for that bully, to make him stand.
I'm goin' to the corner, to get my razor blade,
I'm gonna find that bully and lay him in the shade,
And I'm lookin for the bully of the town.
Chorus
Now when you see me comin' heist your window high,
And when you see me goin' hang your head and cry,
And I'm lookin' for that bully and he must die.
My madness keeps a—risin' I ain't gonna get left,
I'm gettin' so evil I'm scared of myself.
And I'm gonna put that bully on a shelf.
Chorus
Verse:
I
Ib
I
I – I7
IV
IV
IV
II7
V
V
I
I
Chorus:
I
I
V
V
V
V
I
I
I
I7
IV
IV
V
V
I
I
*Stringbean's version
I'm looking for that bully, the bully of your town
I'm looking for that bully, that bully can't be found.
I'm looking for that bully of your town
Chorus:
Oh out on the levee walkin' round, round, round
Every day I may be found, found, found,
When you see me walkin' this round
I'm looking for that bully of your town
When I met that bully way down in southern town
When I met that bully we both went round and round
I was put by the bully of your town
Chorus
Well I've been east and I've been west
And I've been all around
I'm huntin' for that bully, that bully can't be found
I'm looking for that bully of your town
Chorus
Repeat verse 1.
Among the many extra verses…
When I got done with that bully, a doctor and a nurse
Weren't no good to him, so they put him in a hearse,
A cyclone couldn't have tore him up much worse.
You don't hear 'bout that fella that treated folks so mean,
Go down to the levee and his face just won't be seen.
Now there's only one boss bully, and that one's me.
As I was walking down the street,
Down the street, down the street
A pretty little gal I chanced to meet
And we danced by the light of the moon.
Chorus:
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight
Come out tonight, come out tonight
Buffalo gals wont you come out tonight
And we'll dance by the light of the moon.
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And her knees was a-knockin' and her shoes was a'rockin'
I danced with a gal with a hole in her stocking
And we danced by the light of the moon
Now I got a gal with a wart on her chin
Toes turned out and her eyes turned in
Purtey good gal for the shape she's in
And we danced by the light of the moon.
She's the prettiest little gal I've seen in my life
Seen in my life, seen in my life
And I wished to the Lord she'd be my wife
And we danced by the light of the moon.
I got a gal at the top of the hill
Top of the hill, at the top of the hill
She's a moonshiner's daughter
And I love her still
Tell me won't you come out tonight
I asked her would she'd stop and talk,
Stop and talk, stop and talk,
Her feet covered up de whole sidewalk,
As she stood close to me.
See the engine puffing, boy she's making time
That old trains wearing out the rail, rail, rail
Heading for the mountain that she's got to climb
Bringing in the Georgia mail
Ninety miles an hour and she's gaining speed
Listen to the whistle moan and wail, wail, wail
Has she got the power I'll say yes indeed
Bringing in the Georgia mail
See the driver's travel watch her spin the track
Ought to put that engineer in jail, jail, jail
Has he got her rolling watch her ball the jack
Bringing in the Georgia mail
Rocking and a reeling spouting off the steam
Stoke the fire and hope the brakes don't fail, fail, fail
Serving all the people listen to her scream
Bringing in the Georgia mail
Mama killed a rooster, thought it was a duck
Put it on the table with its legs pokin' up
Oh, babe — 'bout to lose my mind
Bring your clothes back home and try me one more time
You know about kissing and loving on down
You're the dreamiest gal I've ever been around
Oh, babe — 'bout to lose my mind
Bring your clothes back home and try me one more time
She's coming down the stairs going "oop shoop a—doobie"
I'm looking up thinking 'bout that flip—flop—floobie
Oh, babe — 'bout to lose my mind
Bring your clothes back home and try me one more time
Blues in a bottle, blues in a bottle,
Where do you think you're at pretty mama,
Blues in a bottle, where do you think you're at?
You went and kicked my dog, and
Now you drowned my cat. (sat on my hat)
Going to Chattanoogy, Going to Chattanoogy,
See my ponies run, pretty mama.
Going to Chattanoody, to see my ponies run.
If I win a prize, going to give my baby some.
Rooster chews tobacco, rooster chews tobacco,
The hen uses snuff, pretty mama.
The rooster chews tobacco, and the hen uses snuff.
The baby chickens don't use nothing, they just strut their stuff.
Goin to a silly party, goin to a silly party
Sorry I can't take you, pretty mama.
Going to a silly party, sorry I can't take you.
I just can't abide no woman goes 'round sniffin' glue.
more verses:
Blues in a bottle, blues in a bottle,
Stopper in my hand, pretty mama.
Blues in a bottle, stopper in my hand.
I'm going back to Fort Worth, find me another man.
Dig your 'taters, go dig your 'taters,
It's 'tater digging time, pretty mama.
Go dig your 'taters, it's 'tater digging time.
Old man Jack Frost done and killed your vine.
Asked my baby, asked my baby,
Could she stand to see me cry, pretty mama.
Asked my baby, could she stand to see me cry.
Says, "Old black daddy, I can stand to see you die."
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.
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
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
