A song to sing
Well I'm a rake and a rambling boy
There's many a city I did enjoy
And now I've married me a pretty little wife
And I love her dear as I love my life.
Oh she as pretty, both neat and gay
Caused me to rob the broad highway,
Oh yes, I robbed it I do declare,
And I got myself ten thousand there.
Oh, when I die, don't bury me at all
Just place my bones in alcohol,
And at my feet place a white stone dove
To tell the world that I died for love.
Freight train, freight train runs so fast
Freight train, freight train runs so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
So they won't know what route I'm gone
When I die lord bury me deep,
Way down on old Chestnut street
So I can hear old number nine
As she comes rolling by
Freight train, freight train runs so fast
Freight train, freight train runs so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
So they won't know what route I'm gone
When I am dead and in my grave
No more good times ere I crave
Put a stone at my head and feet
And tell them all that I'm gone to sleep
Freight train, freight train runs so fast
Freight train, freight train runs so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
So they won't know what route I'm gone
C G Freight train, freight train runs so fast C Freight train, freight train runs so fast E7 F Please don’t tell what train I’m on C G C So they won’t know what route I’m gone
One of the most famous folk songs of all time, written by Elizabeth (Libby) Cotten.
She said she wrote it after listening to the freight trains passing her bedroom window. Many other versions exist.
(To the tune of Waltzing Matilda)
Once a jolly vagabond sat down by a lily pond
Under the shade of an old willow tree
And he sang as he sat and waited till his kettle boiled
Who'll come a-walking the Bulldog with me?
Walking the Bulldog, walking the Bulldog
Who'll come a walking the Bulldog with me?
And he sat and he sang as he waited till his kettle boiled
Who'll come a-walking the Bulldog with me?
Up came a hedgehog to drink at the Lily pond
Up jumped the vagabond and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he stuffed that hedgehog in his picnic hamper
Who'll come a-walking the Bulldog with me?
Walking the Bulldog, walking the Bulldog...
Up came the sergeant mounted on his bicycle
Up came the constables one, two, three
Saying where's that jolly hedgehog, that you've got in your picnic hamper?
Who'll come a-walking the Bulldog with me?
Walking the Bulldog, walking the Bulldog...
Up jumped the vagabond, jumped into the Lily pond
You'll never take me alive said he
And his ghost may be heard as you picnic by the Lily pond
Who'll come a-walking the Bulldog with me?
Walking the Bulldog, walking the Bulldog
Who'll come a walking the Bulldog with me?
And he sat and he sang as he waited till his kettle boiled
Who'll come a-walking the Bulldog with me?
Drink your whiskey, drink your rye
Turn your thoughts up to the sky
Things will happen by and by
If you keep on truckin' along
Drink your whiskey, drink your wine
Everything's gonna turn out fine
You do your thing and I'll do mine
And we'll keep on truckin' along
Truckin', truckin', truckin'
Truckin', truckin', truckin'
Truckin', truckin', truckin'
Keep truckin', keep on truckin'
Drink your whiskey, drink your booze
Some you win and some you loose
We've got them ol' Milwaulkee blues
But we'll keep on truckin' along
E7 G#7 Drink your whiskey, drink your rye A7 Turn your thoughts up to the sky E7 C#7 Things will happen by and by F#7 B7 E If you keep on truckin' a-long G#7 Truckin', Truckin', Truckin' C#7 Truckin', Truckin', Truckin', F#7 Truckin', Truckin', Truckin' B7 Keep truckin', keep on truckin'
Oh dear-o, Oh dear-o
Oh dear-o
Me husband's admired wherever he goes
And everyone looks well upon him
With his handsome features and well-shaped leg
But still he's got no courage in him
Oh dear-o, Oh dear-o
Me husband can dance and caper and sing
And do anything that's fitting for him
But he cannot do the thing I want
Because he's got no courage in him
Oh dear-o, Oh dear-o
All sorts of victuals I did provide
All sorts of meats that's fitting for him
With oyster pie and rhubarb too
But still he's got no courage in him
Oh dear-o, Oh dear-o
Every night when I goes to bed
I lie and throw me leg right o'er him
And me hand I clamp between his thighs
But I can't put any courage in him
Oh dear-o, Oh dear-o
Seven long years I've made his bed
And every night I've lain beside him
But this morning I rose with me maidenhead
For still he's got no courage in him
Oh dear-o, Oh dear-o
I wish me husband he was dead
And in his grave I'd quickly lay him
And then I'd find another one
That's got a little courage in him
Oh dear-o, Oh dear-o
Oh dear-o
Captain, don't you know me
Don't you know my name?
Captain, don't you know me
Don't you know my name?
Well the name is the same whatever the game
And the game's got the same old name
You're the same old rascal stole my watch and chain
That's the name of the game
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of a dark black night
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
On top of Old Smoky, all covered in snow
I lost my true lover, through courting too slow
Now courting's a pleasure and parting's a grief
But a false hearted lover is worse than a thief
A thief he will rob you and take what you have
But a false hearted lover will send you to the grave
The grave will decay you and turn you to dust
There's not one man in a million a poor girl can trust
He'll tell you he loves you and tell you more lies
Than the crossties on the railroad or the stars in the skies
He'll tell you he loves you to give your heart ease
But the moment your back's turned he'll court whom he please
Come all you young maidens and listen to me!
Don't hang your affections on a green willow tree
For the leaves they will wither and the roots they will die
And you'll be forsaken and never know why
Bury me on Old Smoky, Old Smoky so high
Where the wild birds in heaven can hear my sad cry
As I went down to the river, poor boy
To see the ships go by
My sweetheart stood on the deck of one
And she waved to me good-bye
Bow down your head and cry, poor boy
Bow down your head and cry
Stop thinking about that woman you love
Bow down your head and cry
I followed her for months and months
She offered me her hand
We were just about to get married, when
She ran off with a gambling man
Bow down your head and cry...
He came at me with a big jack knife
I went for him with lead
When the fight was over, poor boy
He lay down beside me, dead
Bow down your head and cry...
They took me to the big jail house
The months, the months rolled by
The jury found me guilty, poor boy
And the Judge said you must die
Bow down your head and cry...
And yet they call this justice, poor boy
Then justice let it be
I only killed a man that was
Just a-fixing to kill me
Bow down your head and cry, poor boy
Bow down your head and cry
Stop thinking about that woman you love
Bow down your head and cry
C G C C7 As I went down to the river, poor boy F C To see the ships go by My sweetheart stood on the deck of one G C And she waved me good-bye C G C C7 Bow down your head and cry, poor boy F C Bow down your head and cry Stop thinking about that woman you love G Bow down your head and cry
Why doesn't my goose
Sing as well as thy goose
When I paid for my goose
Twice as much as thine?