The Mosam Skiffle Train
Back Water - Lyrics
Jesse James
(Trad.)
Jesse James was a lad
Who killed many men
He robbed the Glendale train
He stole from the rich
And gave it to the poor
He had a hand and a heart and a brain
Poor Jesse had a wife
who moaned for his life
Three children they were brave
But that dirty little coward
That shot mister Howard
Has laid Jesse James in his grave
It was on a Wednesday night
And the moon was shining bright
They robbed the Glendale train
And the folks from miles around
They say without a doubt
It was robbed by Frank and Jesse James
Well on a Saturday night
When Jesse was at home
Just talking to his family brave
Along came Robert Ford
Like a thief in the night
And he laid Jesse James in his grave
Refr.
All the people held their breath
As they heard of Jesse’s dead
And wondered how poor Jesse came to die
Well it was one of his gang
Called little Robert Ford
That shot Jesse James on the sly
New burrying ground
(Trad.)
Come on and let’s go burry him 2x
Way over, over in the new burrying ground
Well I can hear the hammer ringing, on somebody’s coffin 3x
Way over, over in the new burrying ground
Lord it must’ve bin my captain as the people was a burrying him 3x
Way over, over in the new burrying ground
Lord, Lord it was Lazarus, as the people was a burrying him 2x
Lord it must’ve bin Babalua-e as the people was a burrying him
Way over over in the new burrying ground
The blood done sign our name
(Trad.)
Ain’t you glad, ain’t you glad, His Blood done sign your name 3x
His blood done sign your name
In my hand, in my hand, His blood done sign your name 3x
His blood done sign your name
Everybody’s waiting for Jezus
‘Cause His blood done sign your name
On the wall, on the wall, His blood done sign your name 3x
His blood done sign your name
And there’s a lot of good Melassis in the heaven
And plenty milk and honey, and a lot of good looking woman
In the heaven, in the heaven, His blood done sign your name 3x
His blood done sign your name
Everybody is crying for freedom
‘Cause His blood done sign your name
In the book, in the book, His blood done sign your name 3x
His blood done sign your name
Ham ’n eggs
(Trad.)
Ham and eggs, pork and beans
I would ‘ve had more boy, but the cook was so mean
I’m gonna roll, rolling in a hurry, hurry hurry
To make it on the side of the road
If I’d a-knowed my capt’n was mean
I never woulda left St. Augustine
I’m gonna roll rolling in a hurry hurry hurry
To make it on the side of the road
If I’d a-had my weight in lime
I woulda whooped that capt’n till he went stone blind
I’m gonna roll rolling in a hurry, hurry hurry
To make it on the side of the road
Delia´s gone
(Trad.)
Johnny shot his Delia, on a Christmas-night
The first time he shot her, she hang her head and died
Now Delia’s gone one more round 4 x
I’ve sent for the doctor, doctor came too late
I’ve sent for the minister, to lay out my Delia’s grave
Now Delia’s gone one more round 4 X 2x
I woke up this morning, had a wrong lay inside
Only the devil, chasing Delia on the ground
Now Delia’s gone one more round 4 x 3x
Delia, oh Delia where have you bin so long
Everybody’s told me that poor Delia’s dead and gone
Now Delia’s gone one more round 4 x 4x
Never ending love
(Bramlett)
I’ve got a never ending love for you
From now on that’s all I wanna do
From the first time we met I knew
I have a never ending love for you
After all the time of being alone
We can love one and other, feel for each other
From now on, feel so good I hardly stand it
Never ending love for you
From now on that’s all I wanna do
From the first time we met I knew
I have a never ending love for you
Roll down the line (Younder comes my darling)
(Trad.)
Way back younder in Tennessee they leased the convicts out
They worked them in the coal mines against free labour stout
Free labour rebelled against it to win it took some time
But while the lease was in effect they made ‘m rise and shine
Every Sunday morning they got ‘em out on time
Marched them down to lone rock said to look into that mine
March you down to lone rock said to look into that hole
Very last word the captain said: “You better get your coal.”
Won’t you roll down the line
Won’t you roll down the line
Younder comes my darling rolling down the line
The beans they are half done the bread is not so well
The meat it is burned up and the coffee is black as hell
But when you get your task done you’re glad to come to call
For anything you got to eat it tastes good done or raw
The bank boss is a hard man a man you know all well
If you don’t get your task done he’s going to get you hell
Carry you to the stockade it’s on the floor you’ll fall
Very next time they call on you you’ll bet you’ll have your coal
Rock Island Line
(Trad.)
Well here’s another story of the Rock Island Line
It’s what my grandfather told me
The Rock Island Line is a railroad line and it never ran to New Orleans, like good old Lonnie Donegan tried to let us believe.
In the early days the Rock Island Line ran from Chicago to Council Bluffs. And on her way the train passed the Mississippi River.
And before she passed the border, near the Mississippi Bridge, there was a big tollgate.
And all the trains that passed the gate, well they had to pay some tax to the state of Iowa.
But if you got certain things on board, you’re o.k. You can just get on through and have to pay the man nothing.
That’s what my grandfather told me.
Now we got a train, she’s passing down the line and when she got near the bridge, the train slows down.
And when the train is close enough to the gate, the depot holder shouts: “What do you got a-board?”
And the driver said: “I got pigs, I got cows, I got sheep, I got horses. I got all life stock.”
Well said the depot holder: “You’re o.k. You can get on through. You have to pay me nothing at all.”
And the train gets on through. And when she got through the gate the train gets up a little bit of steam, and a little bit of speed.
And when the driver thinks he’s safely on the other side, he turns his head and shouts back to the man and says: “I fooled you, I got big iron.”
Well said the man: ”I’m gonna get you boy.”
Well the Rock Island Line is a mighty good line
Rock Island Line is a road to ride
Rock Island Line is a mighty good line
If you wanna take a ride you got to ride it like you find it
Get a ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
Hallelujah I’m saved from sin; the good Lord is coming to see me again.
A,b,c,w,x,y,z. The cat’s on the cupboard but you don’t see me
New York Town
(Guthrie)
I was standing down in New York one day 3x
Singing hey hey hey hey
I was broke and down, did not have a dime 3x
Singing hey hey hey hey
Now every good man gets a little bad luck some day 3x
Singing hey hey hey hey
I’m gonna catch the early morning train 3x
Singing hey hey hey hey
I never coming back to this man’s house again 3x
Singing hey hey hey hey.
The sunshine of your smile
(Ray/Cooke)
Dear face that holds so sweet a smile to me
Were you not mine how dark this world would be
I know no light above that could replace
Love’s raised in sunshine at your lovely face
Give me your smile, the lovelights in your eyes
That could not hold a sweeter paradise
Give me the right to love you all the time
My world forever the sunshine of your smile
Shadows may fall across the land and sea
Sunshine from all the world may it be
But I shall see no clouds across the sun
Your smile shall light my life, till life is done
Stagger Lee
(Trad.)
Well old Stagger Lee was a bad man, as everybody knows
He spent about a hundred dollars to buy one suit of clothes
He was a bad man, that mean old Stagger Lee
There was old Stagger Lee and a fellow named Billy the Lions
They where fighting down there on the dancehall floor
When Old Stagger Lee pulled the trigger of his smoking forty – four
He was a bad man, that mean old Stagger Lee
Well old Billy the Lions he said to Stagger Lee: ”Please don’t take my life
‘cause you know I got two little babies and a real darling of a wife
And you’re a bad man, your name is Stagger Lee”
Well old Stagger Lee said: “What do I care ‘bout your little babies
What do I care ‘bout your darling of a wife
You know Billy, you stole my Stetson hat and where I come from
I’m bound to take your life
‘Cause I’m a bad man, my name is Stagger Lee.”
Well old Stagger Lee went on ahead and killed Billy. So they took him down to the jailhouse,
Put him in there and let him cool off a while, and then they took him to court and this is what the judge told him:
The judge said mister Stagger Lee, mister Stagger Lee
I’m gonna hang your body up and set your spirit free
‘Cause you’re a bad man, your name is Stagger Lee
Last time I saw him, well he was standing up there by the gallow
His head held way up high
‘round twelve ‘o clock we killed him and I was so glad to see him die
‘Cause he was a bad man, that mean old Stagger Lee
Wondering
(Innemee/Peters)
Wondering wondering who’s kissing you
Wondering wondering if you are wondering too
Every hour of the day since you’ve bin away
I’m wondering if you are still wondering too
I’m so blue just thinking of you
It seems that the sun will never shine
I hope and pray you come and say
You will forever be mine
I pray every night to the good Lord above
That He sent back the madam queen that I really love
Every hour of the day that she’s bin away
I’m wondering if she is still wondering too
Tom Dooley
(Trad.)
Hang down your head Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head Tom Dooley
Poor boy you’re bound to die
I met her on the mountain
There I took her life
Met her on the mountain
Stabbed her with my Bowie knife
This time tomorrow
Reckon where I’ll be
If there hadn’t been a Laura Foster
I’d be in Tennessee
This time tomorrow
I can tell you where I should be
I’ll be down on the hanging ground
Hanging on a wild oak tree
The dustman
(Trad., Arr: Innemee/Donegan/Buchanan)
Now here’s a little story, to tell it is a must
About an unsung hero, that moves away your dust
Some people make a fortune, others earn a mint
My old man don’t earn much, in fact he’s flippin’ skinned
1.2.3. (washboard)
Oh my old man’s a dustman, he wears the dustman’s hat
He wears God blimey trousers and he lives in a council flat
He looks a proper nana in his great big cocknail boots
He´s got such a job to pull him up that he calls them daisy roots
Some folks give tips for Christmas and some of them forget
So when he picks their bins up he spills them on the step
Now one old man got nasty and to the council wrote
Next time my old man was ‘round there he punched him up the throat
Refr.
I say I say Mat, I found a police dog in my dustbin
Well how did you know he’s a police dog
He had a policeman with him
Though my old man’s a dustman, he’s got a heart of gold
He got married recently, though he’s eighty-six years old
We said hey, hang on dad. You’re getting passed your prime
He said: Well when you get my age, it helps to pass the time
Refr.
Hey Maddi, do you know the difference between a dustbin and a boiler
No idea
Don’t ever asked me to diner at your place man
One day whilst in a hurry he missed a lady’s bin
He hadn’t gone but a few yards when she chased after him
What game you think you’re playing she cried right from the yard
You missed me, am I too late, No jump right on the car.
Refr.
I say, I say I say
Oh it’s you again
Once I found a Prussian in my dustbin
How did you know it was a Prussian
‘cause his mouth was bigger than the lid of the dustbin
He found a tiger’s head one day, nailed to a piece of wood
The tiger looked quite miserable, and I suppose he should
Just then from out a window, a voice began to wail
She said Oi where’s my tiger’s head
Four Feet from its tail
Refr.
Nex time you see a dustman, looking all old and sad
Don’t kick him in the dustbin, it may be my old dad
Nobody’s child
(Trad.)
When I was slowly passing an orphans home one day
I stopped for just a little while to watch the children play
Alone a boy was standing and when I asked him why
He turned with eyes that couldn’t see and he began to cry
I’m nobody’s child, I’m nobody’s child
Just like a flower I’m growing wild
I got no mammy’s kisses I got no daddy’s smile
Nobody wants me, I’m nobody’s child
No mammy’s arms to hold me or sooth me when I cry
Sometimes I feel so lonesome, I wish that I could die
I’d walk the streets in heaven were all the blinds can see
And just like all the other kids, there’ll be a home for me
People are coming for children to take them for their own
I hope they take me but I’m left here all alone
They say they like my curls of gold, they like my eyes so blue
But they always take another child and I’m left here alone
Sure you are
(Trad.)
I’m wild about her (sure you are)
Mad without her
Crazy about her
Lost without her
Hey little girl come on home, try I’m gonna treat you right
I’m hot about her (sure you are)
Sad without her
Looney about her
Down without her
Hey little girl come on home, try I’m gonna treat you right
Here Rattler (O’Riley)
(Trad.)
This is a story of a lifer who was working on the cane fields of the Brasos River.
He tried to escape on a Sunday morning by running through the river to hide his traces for the bloodhounds. The guy’s name was Paddy O’Riley and this is what happened:
O’Riley walked through water, in them long hot summer day
O’Riley done gone like a turkey through the corn Lordy “Hear Rattler here” 2 x
Here Rattler, here Rattler, hear Rattler here 2x
O’Riley done gone on a Sunday morning “Here Rattler here”
O’Riley done gone and he don’t give a warning “Here Rattler, here"
O’Riley done gone but he ain’t gone long Lordy, “Here Rattler, here” 2x
O’Riley must gone in a merry morning Lordy “Here Rattler, here” 2x
O’Riley done gone with the hounds on his track “Here Rattler, here" 2x
O’Riley, he ain’t gone long