Wish I Had Stayed in the Wagon Yard
I am a jolly farmer, last night I came to town.
To bring a bale of cotton, I'd worked the whole year round.
I put my team in the wagon yard and bought me a bottle of gin.
I went out to see the 'lectric lights and watch the cars come in.
I met a dude out on the street, that clock was strikin' nine.
He said come on old hayseed, take a drink, it's mine.
I must have bought a dozen drinks, 'cause it hit my pocketbook hard.
I wish I'd a bought me a half a pint and stayed in the wagon yard
cho: Listen to me, farmers, I'm here to talk with sense.
If you want to see them 'lectric lights, just look right over the fence.
Don't monkey with them city ducks, you'll find them slick as lard.
Just go and get you a half a pint, and stay in the wagon yard.
As I'm a deacon in a hard shell church, down near Possum Trot,
if the sisters hear about my spree, it's bound to make them hot.
I went out on a party, I led the pace that kills.
When I woke up, that gang had gone and left me all the
I found them over on the corner, near Soul Salvation Hall.
That drunken bunch was out there singing Jesus Paid It All.
They put me out in a dry goods box, Lord, my pillow was hard..
I wish I'd bought me a half a pint and stayed in the wagon yard.
note: as recorded by Lowe Stokes & His North Georgians, singing by
Arthur Tanner, accomp. by fiddle & guitar.The earliest version that
I am aware of was by Lowe Stokes and his North Georgians, c. 1930.
Lowe Stokes was a member of the Skillet Lickers as well. Some
historians think that even though he was not billed as such, that
he was the one doing the bulk of the lead fiddling on their recordings
rather than Gid Tanner or Clayton McMichen, who were better known.
Other more recent (but good) recordings are by Jay Unger and
Lyndon Hardy on Philo 1023 in 1975, by the Hot Mud Family on Vetco
503 in 1973, and Senator Robert Byrd (really!) on County 769 in 1978.
There are other recordings as well, but I will vouch for those three.
Lamentably, none of the recording are s
DR
APR99
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!