—Alton Delmore
Hard luck papa can't stand his ground,
He was a good papa, but he done gone down.
Lawd, Lawd, got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
Hard luck papa standing in the rain,
If the world was corn he couldn't buy grain.
Lawd, Lawd, he got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
Two old maids, playing in the sand,
Each one a-wishin' that the other'n was a man.
Lawd, Lawd, he got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
Two old maids done lost their style,
If you want to be lucky you've got to smile.
Lawd, Lawd, he got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
Hard luck papa countin' his toes,
You can smell his feet wherever he goes.
Lawd, Lawd, he got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
Hard luck papa can't do his stuff,
The trouble with him, he's been too rough.
Lawd, Lawd, he got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
Early to bed and early to rise,
And your girl goes out with other guys.
Lawd, Lawd, he got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
If you don't b'lieve it, try it yourself;
I tried it but I got left.
Lawd, Lawd, he got them Brown's Ferry Blues!
Verse (roughly):
| I | I | IV | IV |
| I | I* | V | V |
| I | I | IV | IV |
| I | V* | I | I |
*Gets extra beat singing, but not instrumental break
Doc's Lyrics:
Hard luck papa comin' down the lane
Mama give him back his walkin' cane
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
Thrown it away and he went to town
To see that woman and now he's down
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
Hard luck papa gettin' too tired
If he don't quit drinkin', he'll be high as a kite
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
He's drinkin' that block and tackle kind
He can walk a block and tackle a lion
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
I walked up to my girl's old man
And I asked him for my true love's hand
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
He said, "You la-la-little galoot"
And instead of her hand, I got his foot
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
Hard luck papa standin' in the rain
If the world was corn, he couldn't buy grain
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
He runs around in secondhand clothes
You can smell his feet wherever he goes
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
Revenue man took my gin
I hope they won't come back again
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
Took my sweetie with them too
'Cause she'd had a little drink or two
Lord, Lord, I got them Brown's Ferry blues
Said that's why he took her