Copper Kettle

A. F. Beddoe claims to have written this song in 1953 as part of the folk opera “Go Lightly, Stranger.” However Pete Seeger says he heard the song in 1946, sung by a tall stranger named Frank. Joan Baez learned the song from Bob Gibson and recorded it for her 1962 Vanguard album “Joan Baez In Concert, Part 1.” However in this article from FolkWorks.org Ross Altman, PhD did some detective work and concluded that A. F. Beddoe did write the song after all.

Here’s a little bootlegger story:
A government official came to the home of a known bootlegger to destroy his still. The son came to the door. The “revenuer” asked to see the boy’s father. “He’s working” said the son. The agent knew what that meant. He offered the boy ten dollars to take him to the father. Boy said “Ok, give me the money now.” Agent said he’d give it when they got back. Kid said “Mister, you ain’t coming back!”

Lyrics:
Capo on 1st fret in D position:
[D] Get you a [A] copper [D] kettle
[D] Get you a [A] copper [D] coil
[Bm] Fill it with new made corn mash
[Em] And never more you’ll [A] toil

[G] You’ll just lay there by the [Bm] juniper
[G] While the moon shines [Bm] bright
[G] Watch them jugs [Bm] a-filling
In the [A] pale [Bm] moonlight

Build you a fire with hickory
Hickory, ash, and oak
Don’t use no green or rotten wood
It’ll get you by the smoke

We’ll just lay there by the juniper
While the moon shines bright
Watch them jugs a-filling
In the pale moonlight

My daddy, he made whiskey
My granddaddy, he did too
We ain’t paid no whiskey tax
Since 1792

We’ll just lay there by the juniper
While the moon shines bright
Watch them jugs a-filling
In the pale moonlight