Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Doc. Blowin' Down This Road
(I Ain't A-Gonna Be Treated This Way)


Short instrumental intro
I'm blowin' down this old dusty road,
I'm a-blowin' down this old dusty road,
I'm a-blowin' down this old dusty road, Lord, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this a-way.

I'm a-goin' where the water tastes like wine,
I'm a-goin' where the water tastes like wine,
I'm a-goin' where the water tastes like wine, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

I'm a-goin' where the dust storms never blow,
I'm a-goin' where them dust storms never blow,
I'm a-goin' where them dust storms never blow, blow, blow,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

Very brief instrumental break
They say I'm a dust bowl refugee,
Yes, they say I'm a dust bowl refugee,
They say I'm a dust bowl refugee, Lord, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

I'm a-lookin' for a job at honest pay,
I'm a-lookin' for a job at honest pay,
I'm a-lookin' for a job at honest pay, Lord, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

Very brief instrumental break
My children need three square meals a day,
Now, my children need three square meals a day,
My children need three square meals a day, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

It takes a ten dollar shoe to fit my feet,
It takes a ten dollar shoe to fit my feet,
It takes a ten dollar shoe to fit my feet, Lord, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

Your two dollar shoe hurts my feet,
Your two dollar shoe hurts my feet,
Yes, your two dollar shoe hurts my feet, Lord, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

I'm a-goin' down this old dusty road,
I'm blowin' down this old dusty road,
I'm a-blowin' down this old dusty road, Lord, Lord,
And I ain't a-gonna be treated this way.

Instrumental outro
http://www.protestsonglyrics.net/Great_Depression_Songs/Blowing-Down-This-Road.phtml
First recorded on the Victor record 26619-B, April 26, 1940, by folk protest singer Woody Guthrie.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Carters. Where Moses Stood


Crying Holy unto the Lord
Crying Holy unto the Lord
Oh in that day when the bells don't toll
Crying Holy unto the Lord

Crying Holy unto the Lord
           [Holy unto the Lord]
           [Holy unto the Lord]
Crying Holy unto the Lord
           [Holy unto the Lord]
           [Holy unto the Lord]

Oh, if I could, I surely would
Stand on the rock
(Praise God)
where Moses stood

BREAK

Sinners, run unto the Lord
Sinners, run unto the Lord
Now please don't let this harvest pass
And lose your soul at last

Crying Holy unto the Lord
           [Holy unto the Lord]
           [Holy unto the Lord]
Crying Holy unto the Lord
           [Holy unto the Lord]
           [Holy unto the Lord]

Oh, if I could, I surely would
Stand on the rock
(Praise God)
where Moses stood

SHORT BREAK

Crying Holy unto the Lord
Crying Holy unto the Lord
The four and twenty elders bowing all around the altar
Crying Holy unto the Lord

Crying Holy unto the Lord
           [Holy unto the Lord]
           [Holy unto the Lord]
Crying Holy unto the Lord
           [Holy unto the Lord]
           [Holy unto the Lord]

Oh, if I could, I surely would
Stand on the rock
(Praise God)
where Moses stood

OUTRO

Oh, if I could, I surely would
Stand on the rock
(Praise God)
where Moses stood

Sunshine Superman



INTRO

Sunshine came softly through my a-window today
Could've tripped out easy a-but I've a-changed my ways
It'll take time, I know it but in a while
You're gonna be mine, I know it, we'll do it in style

'Cause I've made my mind up you're going to be mine

I'll tell you right now
Any trick in the book now, baby, all that I can find
Everybody's hustlin' just to have a little scene
When I say we'll be cool I think that you know what I mean
We stood on a beach at sunset, do you remember when

I know a beach where, baby, a-it never ends
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine

[Optional:] Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm

I'll pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind

'Cause I've made my mind up you're going to be mine

I'll tell you right now
Any trick in the book now, baby, that I can find

BREAK

Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me
I can make like a turtle and dive for your pearls in the sea, yeah
A you-you-you can just sit there a-thinking on your velvet throne
'Bout all the rainbows a-you can a-have for your own

When you've made your mind up forever to be mine

Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm

I'll pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine
I'll pick up your hand
I'll pick up your hand

Rockin' pneumonia. Johnny Rivers


LONG INSTRUMENTAL INTRO
I wanna jump but I'm afraid I'll fall
I wanna holler but the joint's too small
Young man rhythm got a hold of me too
I got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu

Want some lovin' babe and that ain't all
I wanna kiss her but she's way too tall
Young man rhythm got a hold of me too
I got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu

Wanna squeeze her but I'm way too low
I would be runnin' but my feets too slow
Young man rhythm got a hold of me too
I got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu


LONGISH BREAK
I wanna squeeze her but I'm way too low
I would be runnin' but my feets too slow
Young man rhythm got a hold of me too
I got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu

Baby comin' now I'm hurryin' home
I know she leavin' cause I'm takin' too long
Young man rhythm got a hold of me too
I got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu

OUTRO
Nice instrumental run with fadeout

Bear Tracks = Ol' Slew Foot


High on the mountain, tell me what you see
Bear tracks, bear tracks looking back at me
Better get your rifle, boy, before it's too late
'Cause a bear's got a little pig and headed thru the gate

He's big around the middle and he's broad across the rump
Running ninety miles an hour, taking thirty feet a jump
Ain't never been caught, he ain't never been treed
Some folks say he look a lot like me

I saved up my mon' and I bought me some bees
And they started making honey way up in the trees
Cut down the tree, but my honey's all gone
Ole Slew-Foot's done made himself at home

He's big around the middle and he's broad across the rump
Running ninety miles an hour, taking thirty feet a jump
Ain't never been caught, he ain't never been treed
Some folks say he look a lot like me

Winter's coming on and it's twenty below
And the river's froze over, so where can he go?
We'll chase him up the gulley then we'll run him in the well
And shoot him in the bottom just to listen to him yell

He's big around the middle and he's broad across the rump
Running ninety miles an hour, taking thirty feet a jump
Ain't never been caught, he ain't never been treed
Some folks say he look a lot like me

Hills of Roane County


In the beautiful hills, way back in Roane County
There's where I roamed for many long years
There's where my heart's been tending most ever
That's where the first step of misfortune I made

I was thirty years old when I courted and married
Amanda Gilbraith I then called my wife
Her brother stabbed me for some unknown reason
Just three months later I'd taken Tom's life

For twenty-five years this whole world I rambled
I went to old England to France and to Spain
But I thought of my home way back in Roane County
I boarded a steamer and come back again

I was captured and tried in the village of Kingston
Not a man in that county would speak one kind word
When the jury came in with the verdict next morning
A lifetime in prison was the words that I heard

BREAK
When the train pulled out poor mother stood weepin'
And sister she sat alone with a sigh
And the last words I heard was Willie God bless you
Was Willie God bless you, God bless you, good bye

No matter what happens to me in Roane County
No matter how long my sentence may be
I'll love my old home way back in Roane County
It's way back down in old East Tennessee

Sweet Martha was grave but Corey was better
There's better and worse, although you can see
Boys when you write home from the prison in Nashville
Place one of my songs in your letter for me


ORIGINAL LYRICS?
The following are as close to the original lyrics as researchers can get:

In the beautiful hills, in the midst of Roane County,
There's where I have roamed, for many long years;
There's where my poor heart's been tending most ever,
There's where my first steps of misfortune I made.

I was thirty years old when I courted and married,
Amanda Galbreath was then called my wife.
Her brother stabbed me for some unknown reason;
Just three months later, I'd taken Tom's life.

For twenty years this old world I rambled;
I went to old England, old France, and old Spain.
I thought of my home way back in Roane County;
I boarded a steamer and came back again.

I was captured and tried in the village of Kingston.
Not a man in that county would speak a kind word.
When the jury came in with the verdict next morning,
a lifetime of prison were the words that I heard.

The train it pulled out; poor Mother stood weeping.
And sister, she sat all alone with a sigh.
The last words I heard were: "Willie, God bless you;
Willie, God bless you, God bless you; goodbye."

The train left the shed at about eleven thirty;
The chains they did rattle, the handcuffs were tight
When Sonny Gibson took the throttle
The engine one-thirty was soon out of sight.

In the scorching hot sun I've been toiling;
Just working and worrying my poor life away.
You can measure my grave on the banks of old Cumberland
After I've finished the rest of my days.

No matter what happened to me in Roane County;
No matter how long my sentence may be,
I love my old home way back in Roane County,
Way back in the hills of East Tennessee."

OTHER LYRICS
In the beautiful hills, way back in Roane County
There's where I roamed for many long years
There's where my heart's been tending most ever
That's where the first step of misfortune I made

I was about thirty years when I courted and married
Amanda Gilbraith I then called my wife
But her brother stabbed me for some unknown reason
Just three months later I'd taken Tom's life

For twenty-five years this whole world I rambled
I went to old England, to France and to Spain
But I thought of my home way back in Roane County
I boarded a steamer and came back again

I was captured and tried in the village of Kingston
Not a man in the county would speak one kind word
When the jury came in with the verdict next morning
A lifetime in prison was the words that I heard

When the train pulled out poor mother stood weeping
And sister she sat alone with a sigh
And the last words I heard was "Willie God bless you"
Was "Willie God bless you, God bless you, goodbye"

The train left the shed at about eleven-thirty
The chains they did rattle, the handcuffs were tight
When Sonny Gibson took the throttle
The engine one-thirty was soon out of sight

In the scorching hot sun I've been toiling
Just working and worrying my poor life away
You can measure my grave on the banks of old Cumberland
After I've finished the rest of my days

No matter what happens to me in Roane County
No matter how long my sentence may be
I'll love my old home way back in Roane County
It's way back down in old East Tennessee

Sweet Martha was grave but Corey was better
There's better and worse, although you can see
Boys, when you write home from the prison in Nashville
Place one of my songs in your letter for me.
These lyrics, which have a number of variants, are widely attributed to Willis Maberry and have been performed by the Stanley Brothers and the Blue Sky Boys, among others.

Grandpa Jones has a fine voice, excellent delivery. But I dislike the sing-songy quality. Ralph Stanley's version, in particular, subsumes what I call the "sine wave" sound.

See this link for a historical account of the song by Willis Maberry, convicted of killing his brother in law.

Tonight the bottle let me down. Haggard




INSTRUMENTAL INTRO

VERSE1
Each night I leave the bar room when it's over
Not feeling any pain at closing time
But tonight your memory found me much too sober
Couldn't drink enough to keep you off my mind

CHORUS 1
Tonight the bottle let me down
And let your memory come around
The one true friend I thought I'd found
Tonight the bottle let me down

SHORT BREAK

V2
I've always had a bottle I could turn to
And lately I've been turnin' every day
But the wine don't take effect the way it used to
And I'm hurtin' in an old familiar way

C2
Tonight the bottle let me down
And let your memory come around
The one true friend I thought I'd found
Tonight the bottle let me down

TAG
Tonight the bottle let me down

Doc. Blowin' Down This Road<br> (I Ain't A-Gonna Be Treated This Way)

Short instrumental intro I'm blowin' down this old dusty road, I'm a-blowin' down this old dusty road, I'm ...