Doc Watson: Tom Dooley

Each verse is followed by a short instrumental refrain, not all of which are identical.

[Verse 1 and chorus]
Hang your head, Tom Dooley, hang your head and cry
You killed poor Laurie Foster and you know you're bound to die
You left her by the roadside where you begged to be excused
You left her by the roadside, then you hid her clothes and shoes

[Chorus]
Hang your head, Tom Dooley, hang your head and cry
You killed poor Laurie Foster and you know you're bound to die

[Verse 2]
You took her on the hillside for to make her your wife
You took her on the hillside and there, you took her life
You dug the grave four feet long and you dug it three feet deep
You rolled the cold clay over her and tromped it with your feet

[Chorus]
Hang your head, Tom Dooley, hang your head and cry
You killed poor Laurie Foster and you know you're bound to die

[Verse 3]
Trouble, it's trouble a-rollin' through my breast
As long as I'm a-livin', boys, they ain't a-gonna let me rest
I know they're gonna hang me, tomorrow I'll be dead
Though I never even harmed a hair on poor little Laurie's head

[Chorus]
Hang your head, Tom Dooley, hang your head and cry
You killed poor Laurie Foster and you know you're bound to die

Extra beat on instrumental refrain

[Verse 4]
In this world and one more, then reckon where I'll be
If it wasn't for Sheriff Grayson, I'd be in Tennessee
You can take down my old violin and play it all you please
For at this time tomorrow, boys, it'll be no use to me

[Chorus]
Hang your head, Tom Dooley, hang your head and cry
You killed poor Laurie Foster and you know you're bound to die

[Verse 5 and chorus]
At this time tomorrow, where do you reckon I'll be?
Away down yonder in the holler, hangin' on a white oak tree
Hang your head, Tom Dooley, hang your head and cry
You killed poor Laurie Foster and you know you're bound to die

[Instrumental refrain/outro]

The train that carried my girl from town

Doc Watson version

V1
There goes the train that carried my girl from town
If I knowed her number, Lord, I'd flag her down
Wish to the Lord that the train would wreck
Kill that engineer and break the fireman's neck

C
Hey, the train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

V2
Where was you when the train left town?
I's standin' on the corner with my head hung down
If I had my gun I'd let the hammer down
Lord, I'd shoot that rounder that took my girl from town

C
Hey, that train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

V3
Rations on the table and the coffee's getting cold
And some dirty rounder took my jelly roll
Hello, Central, give me six-o-nine
I want to talk to that woman of mine

C
Hey, that train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

V4
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust
Can you show me that woman that a man can trust
There goes my girl, somebody bring her back
'Cause she got her hand in my money sack

C
Hey, that train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

---

---

Burnett Sisters version

V1
Where was you when the train left town?
I's standin' on the corner with my head hung down
If I had my gun I'd let the hammer down
Lord, I'd shoot that rounder that took my girl from town

C
Hey, that train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

V2
There goes the train that carried my girl from town
If I knowed her number, Lord, I'd flag her down
Wish to the Lord that the train would wreck
Kill that engineer and break the fireman's neck

C
Hey, the train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

V3
Rations on the table and the coffee's getting cold
And some dirty rounder took my jelly roll
Hello, Central, give me six-o-nine
I want to talk to that woman of mine

C
Hey, that train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

V4
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust
Can you show me that woman that a man can trust
There goes my girl, somebody bring her back
'Cause she got her hand in my money sack

C
Hey, that train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

Instrumental outro and chorus tag

C
Hey, that train that carried my girl from town
Hey, hey, hey, hey

Waylon. Amanda

[Verse 1]
I've held it all inward, God knows I've tried
But it's an awful awakenin' in a country boy's life
To look in the mirror in total surprise
At the hair on my shoulders and the age in my eyes

[Chorus]
Amanda, light of my life
Fate should have made you a gentleman's wife
Amanda, light of my life
Fate should have made you a gentleman's wife

Short guitar bridge

[Verse 2]
It's a measure of people who don't understand
The pleasures of life in a hillbilly band
I got my first guitar when I was fourteen
Now I'm over thirty, still wearing jeans

[Chorus]
Amanda, light of my life
Fate should have made you a gentleman's wife
Amanda, light of my life
Fate should have made you a gentleman's wife

Instrumental outro

---

Songwriter: Don Williams

Lost Highway. Hank Williams

I'm a rollin' stone, all alone and lost
For a life of sin, I have paid the cost
When I pass by, all the people say
There goes another boy, down the lost highway

Just a deck of cards, and a jug of wine
And a woman's lies makes a life like mine
For the day we met, I went astray
I started rolling down that lost highway

BREAK
I was just a lad, nearly 22
Neither good nor bad, just a kid like you
And now I'm lost, too late to pray
Lord, I take a cost, on the lost highway

Now boys don't start your ramblin' round
On this road of sin, or you're sorrow-bound
Take my advice or you'll curse the day
You started rollin' down that lost highway

Robbins, Cash, Petersens. Big Iron

[Verse 1]
To the town of Agua Fria
Rode a stranger one fine day
Hardly spoke to folks around him
Didn't have too much to say
No one dared to ask his business
No one dared to make a slip
The stranger there among them
Had a big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 2]
It was early in the morning
When he rode into the town
He came riding from the south side
Slowly looking all around
"He's an outlaw loose and running"
Came the whisper from each lip
"And he's here to do some business
With the big iron on his hip"
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 3]
In this town there lived an outlaw
By the name of Texas Red
Many men had tried to take him
And that many men were dead
He was vicious and a killer
Though a youth of twenty-four
And the notches on his pistol
Numbered one and nineteen more
One and nineteen more

[Verse 4]
Now the stranger started talking
Made it plain to folks around
Was an Arizona Ranger
Wouldn't be too long in town
He came here to take an outlaw
Back alive, or maybe dead
And he said it didn't matter
He was after Texas Red
After Texas Red

[Verse 5]
Wasn't long before the story
Was relayed to Texas Red
But the outlaw didn't worry
Men that tried before were dead
Twenty men had tried to take him
Twenty men had made a slip
Twenty-one would be the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 6]
The morning passed so quickly
It was time for them to meet
It was twenty past eleven
When they walked out in the street
Folks were watching from the windows
Everybody held their breath
They knew this handsome Ranger
Was about to meet his death
'Bout to meet his death

[Verse 7]
There was forty feet between them
When they stopped to make their play
And the swiftness of the Ranger
Is still talked about today
Texas Red had not cleared leather
'Fore a bullet fairly ripped
And the Ranger's aim was deadly
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[Verse 8]
It was over in a moment
And the folks had gathered round
There before them lay the body
Of the outlaw on the ground
Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[Outro]
Big iron, big iron
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

There's a higher power. Louvin Bros.

When burdens seem to overcome there's a higher power
Who's faithful and refuses none there's a higher power
Then why ask men to help you through there's a higher power
They're helpless pilgrims just like you there's a higher power

Let's sing it shout it walk it talk it there's a higher power
Lay down your soul cause Jesus bought it there's a higher power
Amen amen there's a higher power amen amen there's a higher power

Bridge I
Go tell them people lost in sin there's a higher power
They need not fear the works of men there's a higher power
Believe in him who rests on high there's a higher power
Unless they do they'll surely die there's a higher power

Let's sing it shout it walk it talk it there's a higher power
Lay down your soul cause Jesus bought it there's a higher power
Amen amen there's a higher power amen amen there's a higher power

Bridge II
Those men have built these mighty guns there's a higher power
They've built these automobiles that run there's a higher power
But brothers and sisters mark this down there's a higher power
They can't build you no heavenly crown there's a higher power

Let's sing it shout it walk it talk it there's a higher power
Lay down your soul cause Jesus bought it there's a higher power
Amen amen there's a higher power amen amen there's a higher power

---

Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Charles Louvin / Ira Louvin There’s a Higher Power lyrics © Sony/atv Acuff Rose Music

Solomon Burke. You're good for me

Intro
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

You're a bad little girl, it's true
But I'm not gonna walk out on you
They say you're a good for nothin' girl
But I'll stand up and tell the world

You're good for me, oh, yes, you are
You're good for me, oh
Like the honey is good for the bee
You're good for me, mmm

You do two wrongs for every right
You put salt in my coffee just for spite
You're no good for yourself
You're no good for nobody else

But you're good for me, oh
You're good for me, oh
Sugar dumpling, can't you see
You're good for me, let me tell you 'bout it

Short bridge
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, oh, oh

I was down on my sick bed
It was the end for me, everyone said
Doctor Jones did all he could
Only your love did me some good

You're good for me, oh, yes, you are
You're good for me, oh
Like the sugar is good for the tea
You're good for me, and that's all I'm living for is you, darlin'

Outro
Yeah, yeah, yeah
You make me wanna moan sometimes
Oh, let me tell you 'bout it, baby, one more time, now
Yeah, yeah, yeah

---

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Don Covay / Horace Ott
You're Good for Me lyrics © Cotillion Music Inc., Vonglo Music