—Buzz Busby & Leon Morris
In the cool and silent dawn, Lord I travel here alone
And the wind sends back an echo of my cry
For I've seen the quiet dead and I've heard the living moan
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Chorus 1:
A song I seem to hear, it comes a winging to my ear
A hundred million voices soft and low
The dream, the hopes and fears of so many thousand years
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Each new born baby's cry is the hope of men grown old
For to change this world in lighter, brighter ways
But alas they hope in vain for it all remains unchanged
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Chorus 2:
For the time of death is long, and the grave lies icy cold
Man's last and long asleep when life is done
So I'll linger yet awhile, give out love, a song, and a smile
This world's no place to live in, but it's home

Verse

|:  I	I	IV	I
IIm	V	I	I  :|

Chorus

IIm	IIm	IV	I
IIm	IV	V	V
I	I	IV	I
IIm	V	I	I

 

—Buzz Busby

My love it died and I'm all alone
I'm lost, I'm lost in sin
The jug not wine it goes fast (past?) like mine
Oh where, oh where will this end

Chorus:
Where will this end, I ask, my friend
What is my destiny
My broken heart, it just won't mend
Oh where, oh where will this end

What will I do, where will I go
Will I ever love again
Oh heaven, I pray, show me the way
Oh where, oh where will this end

Chorus

¾

Verse:

I	IV – I	I	V
I	IV – I	I – V	I

Chorus:

IV	I	I	V
I	IV – I	I – V	I

 

—Lee Brothers Trio 1930

I've been to both sides of this old world,
Many's the sights I've seen,
I've been some places with a king,
And everywhere with a queen.

But you can't ride my mule,
No sir you can't ride my mule,
You can't ride my mule,
And treat me this old way.

I picked you up and you threw me down,
What makes you do me like this,
If you don't stop your rowdy ways,
Your greasy hair got twist.

Now, you can't ride my mule,
This mule won't ride today,
You can't ride my mule,
Till you do as I say.

You thought it smart to throw me down,
But I'll get even with you,
I'm going places and doing things,
I couldn't do with you.

You can't ride my mule,
This mule simply won't be rid,
You can't ride my mule,
Since you done the things you did.

You can't ride my mule,
I'm telling this to you
For this here mule will up and throw you down,
Your chum will be black and blue

Verse & Chorus:

VI	II	V	I
VI	II	V	I

 

—Hank Williams
You wore out a brand new trunk
Packin' an' unpackin' your junk
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
You're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

You're gonna change your way of livin'
Change the things you do
Stop doin' all the things that you oughtn't to
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
You're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

This ain't right and that is wrong
You just keep naggin' all the day long
It's gotta stop, I don't mean please
Now, you're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

The way to keep a woman happy
And make her do what's right
Is love her every mornin', bawl her out at night
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
Now you're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

Every time you get mad
You pack your rags and go back to dad
You tell him lies he don't believe
Now, you're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

You're gonna change your way of livin'
Change the things you do
Stop doin' all the things that you're oughtn't to
Your daddy's mad, he's done got peeved
You're gonna change or I'm a-gonna leave

Verse:

I	I	I	I
I	I	I*	I	V – I
IV	IV	I	I
I	I	I*	I	V – I

*only 6 beats; others=8.
 

—Virginia Stauffer & Bill Monroe
See that train come on around the bend
Carrying the one that I love
Her beautiful body is still here on Earth
But her soul has been called above

Refrain:
Body and soul, body and soul
That's how she loved me, with body and soul

Her beautiful hair was as pure as gold
Her eyes were blue as the sea
Her lips were the color of summer's red rose
And she promised she would always love me

Refrain

Tomorrow as the sun sinks low
The shadows will cover her face
Her last sun goes down as she's laid beneath the ground
And my teardrops are falling like rain

Refrain

Tag: That's how she loved me, with body and soul

Verse:

I	VII	I	I
I	VII	V	V
I	VII	I	I
I	V	I	I

Refrain:

I	VII	I	IV
I	I	V	I

 

—Jimmy Martin

I been to the doctor he says I'm all right
I know he's lying, I'm losing my sight
He should have examined the eyes of my mind
Twenty-twenty vision and walkin' 'round blind

Since she's gone and left me I feel so alone
I carry a heart that is heavy as stone
I knew that she cheated, I knew all the time
Twenty-twenty vision and walkin' 'round blind

With my eyes wide open I lay in my bed
If it wasn't for dying, I wish I was dead
But this is my punishment, death is too kind
Twenty-twenty vision and walkin' 'round blind

You just couldn't know her the way that I do
You say that she's wicked and maybe it's true
But one thing I do know, she's no longer mine
Twenty-twenty vision and walkin' 'round blind

I've lost her, I've lost her, oh what will I do
I bet you're not happy if she's there with you
The eyes of your heart will have trouble like mine
Twenty-twenty vision and walkin' 'round blind

Twenty-twenty vision and walkin' 'round blind

¾

Verse:

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

—Cal Veale

Well the cows gone dry the hens don't lay
And there's no place I can borrow
I give the landlord all the news
And the rent comes due tomorrow

There's lots of money in the bank
They say that's where they keep it
Not only wouldn't they loan me some
They wouldn't let me see it

Chorus:
So pick away on the old banjo
Keep that guitar strumming
Put more water in the soup
There's better times a-coming

Well Mary Lou could pull a plow
If only I would let her
She's twice as strong as any ox
But looks a little better

I didn't kiss that Mary Lou but once
And then I had to leave her
Made my collar get so tight
I start to burn with fever

Chorus

My rooster used to chase a hen
He just kept a gettin' thinner
He nearly run himself to death
So I brought him in for dinner

Cotton crops are mighty poor
The weeds are really growin'
I need a woman pretty fast
To help me with the hoein'

Chorus x 2

Verse & Chorus, Jimmy Martin version:

I	I	I	V
V	V	V	I   :|

 
Verse & Chorus, Jim & Jesse version::

I	I	I	V
I	IV	I – V	I   :|

 

1882 Thomas P. Westendorf

See that watermelon, she's smiling through the fence
I wish that watermelon it was mine
Those folks must be foolish, they got no common sense
Or they'd never leave it there upon the vine

*Chorus:
Apples are sweet, peaches are good
Rabbit is so very, very fine
But give me, oh give me, oh how I wish you would
The watermelon hangin' on that vine

You can talk about your apples, your peaches and your pears
And 'simmons growin' on a 'simmon tree
But bless your heart my honey, there's no other fruit for me
But that watermelon smilin' on the vine.

When moonbeams are shinin' that melon gonna cool
And then it'll eat so very fine
That's when I'm gonna fetch it, 'else I'd be a fool
If I left it there a-hangin' on the vine

I went to get that melon, it was on a starry night
The moon it had just begun to shine
And when I left that old man's field I left it on a run
But I didn't leave that melon on the vine

*J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers' chorus:
Oh, hambone and gravy, chicken is good
Rabbit is so very, very fine.
Etc…

—Harry and Jeanie West' (mostly) lyrics. First recorded: Skillet Lickers 1926

Verse:

I	IV   I	I	V
I	IV   I	I   V	I

Chorus:

IV	I	I	V
I	IV   I	I   V	I

Jeff Michael's first break (transposed to C)

 
If you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise
If you go down in the woods today, you'd better go in disguise
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic

Every teddy bear who's been good is sure of a treat today
There's lots of marvelous things to eat and wonderful games to play
Beneath the trees where nobody sees
They'll hide and seek as long as they please
That's the way the teddy bears have their picnic

Picnic time for teddy bears
The little teddy bears are having a lovely time today
Watch them, catch them unawares
And see them picnic on their holiday

See them gaily gad about
They love to play and shout
They never have any cares
At six o'clock their mummies and daddies
Will take them back home to bed
'Cause they're tired little teddy bears

If you go down in the woods today, you'd better not go alone
It's lovely down in the woods today, but safer to stay at home
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic

—Ernest Tubb

Chorus:
Thanks, thanks a lot
I got a broken heart that's all I've got
You made me cry and I cried a lot
I lost your love baby thanks a lot

You told our friend as I was passin' by
That you're not sorry that you made me cry
You said I deserve just what I got
Well if that's how you feel, honey thanks a lot

Chorus

You wanted a fool and I played the part
Now all I've got is a broken heart
We loved a little and laughed a lot
Then you were gone, honey thanks a lot

Chorus

Chorus & Verse:

I	VIm	I	VIm
I	IV	I – V	I