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 |