(The Curtains of Old Joe’s House)
My daddy made his living in a little southern town
And after school was over I would help him with his rounds
He'd sit there in his pick-up truck while I wore out my shoes
But he always walked beside me when I went up to Old Joe's
Like all the other kids in town I'd never seen his face
Though I used to leave his groceries at the back door of his place
And I knew somebody lived there 'cause next morning they'd be gone
But the curtains of Old Joe's house were always tightly drawn
They say that in his younger days he loved another man,
When that small town started talking his friend died by his own hands
There was whispering among the women, hard talk amongst the men
But the curtains of Old Joe's house were never pulled again
I could tell you where this happened 'cause I think you ought to know
That right there where you're living there are people like Old Joe
For each of us has secrets that we keep on the backroom shelves
Keep them hidden from our neighbours and often from ourselves
But everybody's got the right to be the way they are
If you're not hurting someone else then you've not gone too far
So before you start to criticise the lives that others lead
Take a good look in the mirror and be sure of what you see
They say that in his younger days he loved another man,
And what went on between them, no-one there could understand
There was whispering among the women, hard talk amongst the men
But the curtains of Old Joe's house were never pulled again
Si Kahn
Guitar chords for Old Joe
C G C
My daddy made his living in a little southern town
F C G
And after school was over I would help him with his rounds
F C
He'd sit there in his pick up truck, while I wore out my shoes
G C
But he always walked beside me when I went up to old Joe's
G C
Like all the other kids in town I'd never seen his face
F C G
Though I used to leave his groceries at the back door of his place
F C
And I knew somebody lived there 'cos next morning they'd be gone
G C
But the curtains of old Joe's house were always tightly drawn
G F C
They say that in his younger days he loved another man
G
When that small town started talking his friend died by his own hand
C F C
There was whispering among the women, hard talk amongst the men
G C
But the curtains of Old Joe's house were never pulled again
Now you all join hands and you circle the ring
Then you stop where you are, give your honey a swing
Swing the little girl behind you
Swing your own if she can come and look and find you
Turn by the left with the corner girl
Do-si-do your own
Then you all promenade with that sweet corner maid
Singing Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh
Land of the Silver Birch, home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose wanders at will
Blue Lake and Rocky Shore, I will return once more
Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, boom
My heart is sick for you here in the lowlands
I will return to you, hills of the North
Blue Lake and Rocky Shore, I will return once more
Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, boom
Swift as a silver fish, canoe of birch bark
Thy mighty waterways carry me forth
Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more
Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, boom
There where the blue lake lies I'll set my wigwam
Close to the water's edge, silent and still
Blue Lake and Rocky Shore I will return once more
Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, Boom diddy-i-di, boom
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent their pleading looks still say
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er
Though her voice would be merry she's sighing all the day
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave
'Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
'Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
Stephen Foster
All is still
Night doth fill
Dale and hill
Heath and rill
Mead and mill
Peace is here
Gone is fear
God is near
I asked my love to take a walk
To take a walk, just a little walk
Down beside where the waters flow
Down by the banks of the Ohio
And only say that you'll be mine
And in no other's arms entwine
Down beside where the waters flow
Down by the banks of the Ohio
I held a knife against her breast
As close into my arms she pressed
She cried, Oh Willie, don't you murder me
I'm not prepared for eternity
I took her by the lily white hand
And led her down by the water's strand
I picked her up and pitched her in
And watched her body floating by
And only say that you'll be mine
And in no other's arms entwine
Down beside where the waters flow
Down by the banks of the Ohio
I wandered home 'twixt twelve and one,
I cried My God, what have I done?
I've killed the only woman I loved,
Because she would not be my bride
And only say that you'll be mine
And in no other's arms entwine
Down beside where the waters flow
Down by the banks of the Ohio
Guitar chords for the Banks of the Ohio
C G
I asked my love to take a walk
G7 C
To take a walk, just a little walk
C7 F
Down beside where the waters flow
C G7 C
Down by the banks of the Ohi-o
C G
And only say that you'll be mine
G7 C
And in no others arms en-twine
C7 F
Down be-side where the waters flow
C G7 C
Down by the banks of the Ohi-o
They took us jolly sailor lads a-fishing for a whale
On the fourth day of August in eighteen sixty-four
Bound for Greenland we set sail, brave boys
Bound for Greenland we set sail
The lookout stood on the crosstrees high, the spyglass in his hand
Ther's a whale, there's a whale, there's a whale-fish, he cried
And she blows at every span, brave boys
And she blows at every span
The captain stood on the quarter deck and a sod of a man was he
Overhaul, overhaul, let your davit tackles fall
And we'll launch them boats to sea, brave boys
And we'll launch them boats to sea
Well the boats went down with the men aboard and the whale was in full view
Resolved, resolved was each whalerman bold
For to steal where the whalefish blew, brave boys
For to steal where the whalefish blew
We strapped that whale and the line played out but she gave a flurry with her tail
And the boat capsized, we lost seven of our men
And we never caught that whale, brave boys
And we never caught that whale
Well the losing of seven fine seamen, well it grieved our captain sore
But the losing of a bloody sperm whale
Oh it grieved him ten times more, brave boys
Oh it grieved him ten times more
Oh, Greenland is a dreadful place, a land that's never green
Where there's ice and there's snow and the whale-fishes blow
And the daylight's seldom seen, brave boys
And the daylight's seldom seen
Come gather round me children, a story I will tell
Of Pretty Boy Floyd, an outlaw; Oklahoma knew him well
It was in the town of Shawnee on a Saturday afternoon
His wife beside him in the wagon as into town they rode
A deputy sheriff approached them in a manner rather rude
Using vulgar words and language and his wife she overheard
Well Pretty Boy grabbed a logging chain and the deputy grabbed his gun
And in the fight that followed he laid that deputy down
Then he took to the trees and timber to live a life of shame
Every crime in Oklahoma was added to his name
Yes he took to the trees and timbers on the Canadian river shore
And the outlaw found a welcome at many a farmers door
Yes there's many a starving farmer the same story told
How the outlaw paid their mortgage and saved their little home
Others tell about the stranger who came to beg a meal
And underneath his napkin left a thousand dollar bill
It was in Oklahoma City, it was on a Christmas day
Came a whole carload of groceries and a letter that did say:
Well you say that I'm an outlaw and you say that I'm a thief
Well here's a Christmas dinner for the families on relief
Well, as through this world I've rambled I've seen lots of funny men
Some would rob you with a six-gun, some with a fountain pen
As through this world you wander, as through this world you roam
You'll never see an outlaw drive a family from their home
Woody Guthrie
Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd of Sallisaw, Oklahoma was convicted of bank robbery and murder but the folk made a hero of him.
The gypsy rover came over the hill
Down through the valley so shady
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady
Ah de doo, ah de doo dah day
Ah de doo, ah de day-o
And he whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady
She left her father's castle great
Left her own fond lover
Left her servants and her state
To follow the gypsy rover
Ah de doo, ah de doo dah day...
Her father saddled his fastest steed
And searched his valleys all over
Seeking his daughter at great speed
And the whistling gypsy rover
Ah de doo, ah de doo dah day...
At last he came to the castle gate
Along the river shady
And there was music and there was wine
For the gypsy and his lady
Ah de doo, ah de doo dah day...
He is no gypsy, my father, she said
But Lord of these lands all over
And I will stay till my dying day
With my Whistling Gypsy Rover
Ah de doo, ah de doo dah day
Ah de doo, ah de day-o
And he whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady
Guitar chords for The Whistling Gypsy Rover
C G7 C G7
The gypsy rover came over the hill
C G7 C G7
Down through the valley so sha-dy
C G7 C Am
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
C G C,F,C
And he won the heart of a la—dy
C G7 C G7
Ah de doo, ah de doo dah day
C G7 C G7
Ah de doo, ah de day-o
C G7 C Am
And he whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
C Am C,F,C
And he won the heart of a la—dy
Irene, good night, Irene, good night
Good night Irene, good night Irene
I'll kiss you in my dreams
I asked your mother for you
She told me you was too young
I wish to the Lord I'd never seen your face
I'm sorry you ever was born
Irene, good night, Irene, good night
Good night Irene, good night Irene
I'll kiss you in my dreams
Last Saturday night I got married
Me an' my wife settled down
Now me an' my wife are parted
Gonna take me a stroll uptown
Irene, good night, Irene, good night
Good night Irene, good night Irene
I'll kiss you in my dreams
You caused me to weep, you caused me to mourn
You caused me to leave my home
But the very last words I heard her say
Were, Please sing me one more song
Irene, good night, Irene, good night
Good night Irene, good night Irene
I'll kiss you in my dreams
Stop rambling and stop gambling
Quit staying out late at night
Go home to your wife and your family
Sit down by the fireside bright
Irene, good night, Irene, good night
Good night Irene, good night Irene
I'll kiss you in my dreams
I love Irene, God knows I do,
I love her till the sea runs dry
If Irene turns her back on me
I'm gonna take morphine and die
Irene, good night, Irene, good night
Good night Irene, good night Irene
I'll kiss you in my dreams
Sometimes I live in the country
Sometimes I live in the town
Sometimes I have a great notion
To jump into the river and drown
Irene, good night, Irene, good night
Good night Irene, good night Irene
I'll kiss you in my dreams
Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly) and John Lomax
Guitar chords for Irene
C G7 C
Irene, good-night Irene, Irene good-night
C7 F C G7 C
Good-night Irene, Good-night Irene, I'll kiss you in my dreams
C G7
I asked your mother for you
C
She told me you was too young
C7 F
I wish to the lord I'd never seen your face
C G7 C
I’m sorry you ever was born