Category: Song Lyrics

Down in the willow gardens
Where me and my love did meet;
There we sat a-courting
My love dropped off to sleep.

I had a bottle of burglar’s wine
That my true love did not know.
And there I poisoned my own true love
Down under the banks below.

I drew my saber through her
Which was a bloody knife.
I threw her in the river,
Which was a dreadful sight.

My father always taught me
That money would set me free.
If I would murder that pretty little miss
Whose name was Rose Connally.

When you go down in Deep Elem,
Just to have a little fun.
Better have fifteen dollars,
When the policeman comes.

Chorus:
And it’s oh sweet mama,
Daddy’s got them Deep Elem blues.
Oh,  sweet mama,
Daddy’s got them Deep Elem blues.

When you go down in Deep Elem,
Put your money in your pants.
Those Deep Elem women,
They don’t give a man a chance. (Chorus)

When you go down to Deep Elem,
Put your money in your socks.
Them Deep Elem women,
They will throw you on the rocks. (Chorus)

I used to know a

Wake up, wake up, darlin’ Cory,
What makes you sleep so sound
When the revenours are comin’
Goin’ to tear your still house down?

Dig a hole, dig a hole in the meadow
Dig a hole in the cold, cold ground
Go and dig you a hole in the meadow
Gonna lay darlin’ Cory down.

Go away, go away, darlin’ Cory
Stop hangin’ around my bed
Bad liquor destroyed my body,
Pretty women’s gone to my head.

Don’t you hear them bluebirds a-singing’?
Don’t you hear their mournful sound?
They are preachin’ Cory’s funeral
In some lonesome graveyard

Away, away we’re bound for the mountain
Bound for the mountain, bound for the mountain
Over the mountain, the hills and the fountain
Away to the chase away.

Rover, Rover, see him, see him
Rover, Rover, catch him, catch him
Over the mountain, the hills and the fountain
Away to the chase away.

Now we’re getting right for the race
The hounds and the horses all in the pace
Over the mountain, the hills and the fountain
Away to the chase away.

All night long till the break of dawn
Merrily the chase goes on
Over

Lay down boys and take a little nap,
We’re all goin’ down to Cumberland Gap.

Lay down boys and take a little nap,
Snow knee-deep in Cumberland Gap.

Cumberland Gap’s a devil of a place;
Couldn’t find water to wash my face.

Me and my wife’s pap,
Walked all the way from Cumberland Gap.

Pretty little girl if you don’t care,
I’ll leave my demijohn a-sittin right there

If it ain’t there when I get back,
I’ll raise hell in Cumberland Gap.

Lay down boys and take a little rest,
We’ll all wake up in a whippoorwill’s nest.

I got a girl and she loves me,
She’s as sweet as sweet can be.

She’s got eyes of baby blue,
Makes my gun shoot straight and true.

Goin’ up Cripple Creek, goin’ on a run,
Goin’ up Cripple Creek to have a little fun
Goin’ up Cripple Creek, goin’ in a whirl
Goin’ up Cripple Creek to see my girl.

Cripple Creek’s wide and Cripple Creek’s deep,
I’ll wade old Cripple Creek before I sleep.

Roll my britches to my knees,
I wade old Cripple Creek when I please.

Cripple Creek’s wide and Cripple Creek’s muddy
I’m

Eighteen, nineteen, twenty years ago
Daddy worked a man called Cotton-Eyed Joe

Where did you come from,
Where did you go?
Where did you come from
Cotton Eyed-Joe

Cornstalk fiddle and a shoe string bow
Couldn’t play nothin’ but Cotton-Eyed Joe

Woulda been married a long time ago
Hadn’t a been for Cotton-Eyed Joe

Chicken in the bread pan peckin’ out dough
Grannie will your dog bite, no child no!

Eighteen feet of sleet and snow,
The roof caved in on Cotton-Eyed Joe.

Instruction on how to play this song can be found in Wayne Erbsen’s book:Clawhammer