Stewball

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This is the original text of Stewball from an early printed version that appeared in an American song book dated 1829.

Sometime around 1790 a race took place on the curragh of Kildare (near Dublin) between a skewbald horse owned by Sir Arthur Marvel and 'Miss Portly', a gray mare owned by Sir Ralph Gore. The race seemed to take the balladmakers' fancies, and must have been widely sung.

Lyrics:
[G] Stewball was a good horse
He wore a high [Am] head
And the mane on his [D] foretop
Was fine as silk [G] thread

I rode him in England
I rode him in Spain
He never did lose, boys
He always did gain

So come all you gamblers
Wherever you are
And don't bet your money
On that little grey mare

Most likely she'll stumble
Most likely she'll fall
But you never will lose, boys
On my noble Stewball

As they were a-riding
'Bout halfway around
That grey mare she stumbled
And fell to the ground

And away out yonder
Ahead of them all
Came a prancin' and a dancin'
My noble Stewball

Twelve Days of Christmas, The

What is a ‘colly-bird’ in the context of the traditional English song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’?

‘On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me four colly-birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.’

The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary published the section covering ‘colly’ in October 1891. It reveals that ‘colly’ is, or was, an old English word meaning black, from ‘coal’. And, it says, a ‘colly-bird’ is the Blackbird.

Lyrics:
[D] On the (first) day of Christmas my [A] true love sent to [D] me
Twelve lords leaping
Eleven ladies dancing
Ten pipers piping
Nine drummers drumming
Eight maids milking
Seven swans swimming
Six geese laying
[D] Five [E] gold [A] rings
[A] Four colly birds
[A] Three French hens
[A] Two turtle doves and
A [D] partridge [A] in a pear [D] tree

Makes A Long Time Man Feel Bad

When I worked for Bobby Darin in 1962, he and I used to do this song. I would play my 12-string guitar doing this rather fast lick and Bobby always wanted it a little faster. Twin spotlights lit the center of the stage. Bobby was on the mic to my left. We performed this as a folk duo with me singing the high harmony.
Lyrics:
Dm C Dm

Makes a long time man feel bad

Dm C Dm

Makes a long time man feel bad

Dm C G F

Can’t get no letters, can’t even roam

Dm C Dm

Makes a long time man feel bad

Alberta let your hair grow long

Alberta let your hair grow long

Let it grow on down till it reaches the ground

Alberta let your hair grow long

I’d walk five hundred miles

I’d walk five hundred miles

I’d walk five hundred miles good Lord

If they’d let me go on home

Well sure my mama must be gone

Well sure my mama must be gone

Well sure my mama must be gone good Lord

Makes a long time man feel bad

Makes a long time man feel bad good Lord

Makes a long time man feel bad

© 2000 McGuinn Music / Roger McGuinn

Coffee Grows On White Oak Trees

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This is a Southwestern play-party song. Play party songs were designed to protect young people from the evil business of square dancing. Any number of couples would join hands and form a ring. The ladies would march around a single man and sing the first part of the song at a slow tempo. The man would chose a partner from the ring and the dancers would skip around them singing 'Two in the middle and I can't dance Josie.' This would continue until all couples were In the center. They would swing left and Right.
Lyrics:
[D] Coffee grows on white [Bm] Oak trees
[D] The river flows with [Em] brandy –O[A]
[D] Go choose someone to [Bm] roam with you
[Em] Sweet as lasses [A] candy –O
[D] Two in the middle and I [Bm] can't dance Josie
[D] Two in the middle and I [C] can't get [A] around
[D] Two in the middle and I [Bm] can't dance Josie
[G] Hello [A] Susan [D] Brown

Four in the middle and I can’t dance Josie
Four in the middle and I can’t get around
Four in the middle and I can’t dance Josie
Hello Susan Brown
[D] Railroad, [F#m] steamboat, [Bm] river and [G] canal
I lost my [Em] true love on that [A] ragin’ canal [D]
[D] O she’s gone, gone, gone,
O she’s gone, gone, gone, [A]
O she’s gone on that ragin’ [D] canal (X2)

Fiddler’s drunk and I can’t dance Josie
Fiddler’s drunk and I can’t get around
Fiddler’s drunk and I can’t dance Josie
Hello Susan Brown

Cow in the well and can't jump Josie
Cow in the well and can't get around
Cow in the well and can't jump Josie
Hello Susan Brown

Railroad, steamboat, river and canal
I lost my true love on that ragin' canal
O she's gone, gone, gone,
O she's gone, gone, gone,
O she's gone on that ragin’ canal
(X2)

Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase

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In the late 60's Peter Fonda would call me up and say, 'Jim, would you come over with your banjo, Justin wants to hear that song about Old Blue again.' I'd drive over the hill to Peter's house and jam a little, and play this song for his son.
Lyrics:
Well once upon a time there was a little boy.
And he wanted to go hunting with his pop and the
hound dogs. He said, 'Dad, can I go hunting with
you and the hound dogs?' Father said, 'No, son
I'm sorry but your legs are much too short. You
could never keep up with us. Awe the little boy
pleaded with his father, he said, 'Oh please dad,
can I go hunting with you and the hound dogs?'
'I'm sorry son, you're just too small to go with us.'
Well the little boy kept on pleading. He said, 'What
if I brought Old Blue along? That way if I got lost he
could come and find me.' Well his father thought about
it for a second, he said, 'OK son, you bring Old Blue,
then you can come along.' So they were off! Over
the hills and down through the meadow. Little boy
was keeping up pretty well too! And Old Blue was right
out there in front. Oh they started to get a little further away,
but the little boy wasn't worried, cause he had Old Blue with
him. And they got a little further away. Finally they were
so far off there that he could hardly hear 'em anymore.
So he pulled out his horn and called for Old Blue.
'Old Blue, where are you?'
But all he could hear were the
crickets, and an old bullfrog in the pond.
He tried one more time.
'Old Blue, where are you?'
Just the crickets, and the bullfrog.
It was getting cold outside now, he
wasn't sure what he was going to do, he tried one more time.

'Old Blue, where are you?'
And he thought he heard somethingway off in the distance. He wasn't sure what it was,
But it was Old Blue, and here they come!
Way away we're bound for the mountain
Bound for the mountain
Bound for the mountain
Over the hills the field and fountain
Today we chase away
Rover Rover see 'em see 'em
Rover Rover catch 'em catch 'em
Way away we're bound for the mountain
Today we chase away

The Cruel War

Lyrics:
[G] The cruel war is [Em] raging,
[Am] Johnny has to [G] fight I [C] long to be [Am]
with him, from [C] morning till [G] night

I want to be [Em] with him, it [Am]
grieves my heart [G] so Won’t you
[C] let me come [Am] with you?
[C] No, my love [G] no

Tomorrow is Sunday, Monday is the day
That your captain will call you and you must obey
Your captain will call you, it grieves my heart so
Won�t you let me come with you?
No, my love no
I’ll tie back my hair, men’s
clothing I’ll put on

I’ll pass for your comrade as we march along
I’ll pass for your comrade, no one will ever know
Won’t you let me come with you?
No, my love no

Oh Johnny,
oh Johnny, I feel you are unkind
I love you far better than all of mankind
I love you far better than words
can e�er express
Won’t you let me come with you?
Yes, my love yes

They marched into battle, she never left his side
‘Til a bullet shell struck her and love was denied
A bullet shell struck her, tears came to Johnny’s eyes
As he knelt down beside her, she silently died

Star Spangled Banner

One of the hardest songs in the world to sing!
Lyrics:
[C] Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early [G] light
What so [C] proudly we [G] hailed at the [F] twilight’s last [C] gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous [G] fight
O’er the [C] ramparts we [G] watched were so [F] gallantly [C] streaming

And the rockets’ red [Am] glare the bombs [G] bursting in air
Gave [C] proof through the [G] night that our [F] flag was still [G] there
O [C] say does that [F] star – spangled [Dm] banner yet [C]wa- [G]ve
O’er the [C] land of the free and the home [G] of the [C] brave

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes
What is that which the breeze o’er the towering steep
As it fitfully blows now conceals, now discloses

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam
N’ full glory reflected now shines on the stream
‘Tis the star spangled banner O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep’s pollution

No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave
And the star spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave

Willie Moore

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Drone in G, and play melody Video version HERE.
Lyrics:
Willie Moore was a King, his age twenty-one
Courted a maiden fair;
Her eyes were like two diamonds bright
Raven black was her hair, hmmm hmmm hmmm…
He courted her both day and night,
To marry him she did agree,
But when they went to get her parents' consent,
They said, 'This could never be,' hmmm, hmmm, hmmm…
'I love Willie Moore,' sweet Annie replied,
'Better than I love my life,
And l would rather die than weep here and cry,
Never to be his wife,' hmmm, hmmm, hmmm…
That very same night sweet Anne disappeared,
They searched the country 'round
In a little stream down by the cabin door,
The body of sweet Annie was found' hmmm, hmmm, hmm
Sweet Annie's parents they live all alone,
One mourns, the other cries,
In a little grave down by the cabin door
The body of sweet Annie now lies.
Willie Moore scarce spoke that anyone knew,
Soon from his friends did part;
And the last heard of him was he's on Montreal
Where he died of a broken heart.

Kilgary Mountain

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I first heard this song sung by Bob Gibson in the late 50’s. In 1961 I recorded it with the Chad Mitchell Trio. In April 2000, I recorded it again with Tommy Makem for my forthcoming CD ‘Roger McGuinn – Treasures from the Folk Den’ which will be released on Appleseed Recordings in the spring of 2001. This CD will contain duets featuring Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Tommy Makem, Jean Ritchie, Odetta, Judy Collins and many more wonderful folk artists, singing the best songs from the Folk Den with me.
Lyrics:
D Bm
As I was a-walkin’ over Kilgary Mountain

G D

I met with Capt. Pepper and his money he was countin’

D Bm

I rattled my pistols and I drew forth my saber

G D

Sayin’, ‘Stand and deliver, for I am the bold deceiver’

A

Musha rig um du rum da

D
Whack fol the daddy o

G
Whack fol the daddy o

D A D
There’s whiskey in the jar

I counted out his money, and it made a pretty penny

I put it in my pocket for to take it home to Jenny

She promised and she vowed she never would deceive me

But the devil’s in the women and they always lie so easy

When I was awakened between six and seven

The guards all around me in numbers odd and even

I flew to my pistols, but alas I was mistaken

For Jenny’s drawn my pistols and a prisoner I was taken

They put me into prison without judge or writin’

For robbing Capt. Pepper on Kilgary Mountain

But they didn’t take my fists so I knocked the sentry down

And bid a fond farewell to the jail in Limric town

I wish I’d find my brother, the one that’s in the army

I don’t know where he’s stationed, in Cork or in Kelarny

Together we’d go ramblin o’er the mountains of Kilkenny

I know he’s treat me better than my darlin’ sportin’ Jenny

Now some take delight in fishin’ and a-bowlin’

And others take delight in carriages a-rollin’

But I take delight in the juice of the barley

And courtin’ pretty maidens in the morning oh so early

Lilly of the West

I don’t know the origin of this song, but it has the same basic tune as The Buffalo Skinners. It’s a sad tale of betrayal and a crime of passion. In France, I’m told they have different penalties for such crimes. The photo is of a Bulgarian Bluegrass musician who’s named her latest CD after the title of this song. Click her picture to learn more.
Lyrics:
Am C G
When first I came to Louisville
F Am
Some pleasure there to find
C F G
A damsel there from Lexington
Am
Was pleasin’ to my mind
Am C G
Her ruby lips her rosy cheeks
Am
Like arrows pierced my breast
Am C G
The name she bore was Flora
F Am
The Lilly of the West

I courted lovely Flora
Some pleasure there to find
But she turned onto another man
Which sore distressed my mind

She stole away my liberty
Deprived me of my rest
Then go my lovely Flora
The Lilly of the West

Way down in yonder shady grove
A man of low degree
Conversin’ with my Flora there
It seemed so strange to me

The answer that she gave to him
It sore did me oppress
I was betrayed by Flora
The Lilly of the West

I stepped up to my rival
My dagger in my hand
I seized him by the collar
And I boldly bade him stand

Be mad to desperation
I pierced him in his breast
Then go my lovely Flora
The Lilly of the West

And then I had to stand my trial
I had to make my plea
They put me in the criminal box
And then commenced on me

Although she swore my life away
Deprived me of my rest
Still I love my faithless Flora
The Lilly of the West

Traditional / Arr. Roger McGuinn (C) 2000 McGuinn Music