Author: Jim

Bringing in the Georgia Mail

Jim,

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

Verse:

I I V V
I I I-V I

 

Bring Your Clothes Back Home

Jim,

—John Hartford

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

Verse:

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

 

Blues in a Bottle

Jim,

—Prince Albert Hunt

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."

Verse:

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

 

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