Orange Blossom Special

ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL

(Ervin T. Rouse)

Looky yonder comin' comin' down that railroad track

Hey looky yonder comin' comin' down that railroad track

It's the Orange Blosom Special bringin' my baby back whooo

[ harmonica ]

Well I'm goin' down to Florida and get some sand in my shoes

Or maybe Califorania and get some sand in my shoes

I'll ride that Orange Blossom Special and lose these New York blues uhhuh

[ sax ]

(Say man when you're goin' back to Florida)

When I go back to Florida I don't know don't reckon I ever will

(Ain't you worried bout gettin' your nourishment in New York)

Ah I don't care if I do die do die do die

Hey talk about the ramblin' she's the fastest train on the line

Take about the travelin' she's the fastest train on the line

It's that Orange Blossom Special rollin' down the Seabord Line uhhuh

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LONG BLACK VEIL

(Marijohn Wilkin - Danny Dill)

Ten years ago on a cold dark night

Someone was killed neath the town hall light

There were few at the scene but they all agreed

That the slayer who ran looked a lot like me

She walks these hills in a long black veil

She visits my grave when the night winds wail

Nobody knows nobody sees nobody knows but me

[ harmonica ]

The judge said son what is your alibi

If you were somewhere else then you won't have to die

I spoke not a word though it meant my life

For I'd been in the arms of my best friend's wife

Now the scaffold is high and eternity's near

She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear

But sometimes at night when the cold wind moans

In a long black veil she cries o'er my bones

She walks these hills...

Nobody knows nobody sees nobody knows but me

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IT AIN'T ME BABE

(Bob Dylan)

Go away from my window leave at your own chosen speed

I'm not the one you want babe I'm not the one you need

You say you're looking for someone who's never weak but always strong

To protect you and defend you whether you are right or wrong

Someone to open each and every door but it ain't me babe no no no

It ain't me babe it ain't me you're looking for babe

[ harmonica ]

Go lightly from the ledge babe go lightly on the ground

I'm not the one you want babe I'll only let you down

You say you're looking for someone who'll promise never to part

Someone to close his eyes for you someone to close his heart

Someone to die for you and more but it ain't me babe no no no

It ain't me babe it ain't me you're looking for babe

[ trumpet ]

You say you're looking for someone to pick you up each time you fall

To gather flowers constantly and to come each time you call

And will love you for your life and nothing more but it ain't me babe no no no

It ain't me babe it ain't me you're looking for babe

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WALL

(Harlan Howard)

There's a lot of strange men in cell Block 10 but the strangest of them all

Was a friend of mine who spent his time starin' at the wall

Starin' at the wall

In his hand was a note that his gal had wrote and it proves that crime don't pay

Was the very same gal he robbed and stole for name in her weddin' day

For name in her weddin' day

As he looked at the wall so strong and tall I could hear him softly curse

Nobody at all ever climbed that wall but I'm gonna be the first

I'm gonna be the first

Well a warden came by and said son don't try I'd hate to see you fall

Cause there ain't no doubt they'll carry you out if you ever touch that wall

If you ever touch that wall

Well the years gone by since he made his try but I can still recall

How hard he tried and the way he died but he never made that wall

He never made that wall

There's never been a man ever shook this can but I know a man who tried

The newspaper called it a jailbreak plan but I know it was suicide

I know it was suicide

**********

DON'T THINK TWICE IT'S ALL RIGHT

(Bob Dylan)

Well there ain't no use to sit and wonder why baby if you don't know by now

And there ain't no use to sit and wonder why baby it'll never do anyhow

When your rooster's a crowin' at the break of dawn

Look out your window and I'll be gone

You're the reason why I'm travelin' on but don't think twice it's all right

And there ain't no use in turnin' on your light babe the light I'll never know

And there ain't no use in turnin' on your light babe I'm on the dark side of the road

But I wish there was somethin' I could do or say

To try and make it change your mind and stay

We never did too much talkin' anyway but don't think twice it's all right

Well it ain't no use in callin' out my name gal like you never done before

It ain't no use in callin' out my name gal I can't hear you anymore

I'm a thinkin' and a wonderin' walkin' down the road

I've once loved a woman a child I'm told

I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul but don't think twice it's all right

So long honey babe where I'm bound I cannot tell

But goodbye's too good a word gal so I just kinda say fare thee well

Now I'm not sayin' that you treated me unkind

You could've done a lot better but I don't mind

You just kinda wasted my precious time but don't think twice it's all right

**********

YOU WILD COLORADO

(Johnny Cash)

Oh you wild raging river like my woman's lips you lure me

Pied piper of the desert roll on to the sea

You're the same at noon or midnight and I follow where you go

But you're planning no returning you wild Colorado

If I had no love of life I'd become part of your flow

But I fear the place you'd take me you wild Colorado

Oh you wild raging river from the fountains of the mountains

You ripple down the valleys growing wide and swift and deep

With what powed you cut your canyons how long ago

You're as wayward as my woman you wild Colorado

If I had no love of life...

**********

MAMA YOU BEEN ON MY MIND

(Bob Dylan)

When you wake up in the morning baby look inside your mirrow

I won't be next to you you know I won't be near

I'd be curious to know if your reflection is as clear

As the one that I've got on my mind mama you been on my mind

[ harmonica ]

Well perhaps it's the wind and the dark dark night that's covering

The crossroads that I'm at

And maybe it's the weather somethin' like that

Byt mama you been on my mind mama you been on my mind

[ sax ]

Well I don't need trouble please don't put me down or get upset

I am not pleading I won't say I'll forget

And I won't pace a floor bout down and bent but yet

Mama you been on my mind mama you been on my mind

[ sax ]

Even though my mind is hazy and my thoughts are kinda narrow

Where you been don't bother me or bring me down with sorrow

It don't matter to me where you'll be waking up tomorrow

Byt mama you been on my mind mama you been on my mind

**********

WHEN IT'S SPRINGTIME IN ALASKA

(Tillman Franks)

When it's springtime in Alaska it's forty below

I mushed from Port Barrol through a blizzard of snow

Been out prospecting for two years or so

Pulled into Fairbanks the city was a boon

So I took a little stroll to the Red Dog Saloon

(Yes he took a little stroll to the Red Dog Saloon)

When I walked through the door the music was clear

The prettiest voice I had heard in two years

The song she kept singin' would make a man's blood run cold

When it's springtime in Alaska it's forty below

(When it's springtime in Alaska it's forty below)

It was red headed Luie that was singin' so sweet

I reached down and took the snowpacks off of my feet

I reached for the gal who was singing the tune

We did the Escimo hop all around the saloon

(We did the Escimo hop all around the saloon)

Where the cariboo crawl and the grizzly bear hug

We did our dance on a Kodiac rug

The song she kept singing would make a man's blood run cold

When it's springtime in Alaska it's forty below

(When it's springtime in Alaska it's forty below)

I was as innocent as I could be

I didn't know that Luie was big Ed's wife to be

He took out his knife and he gave it a throw

When it's springtime in Alaska I'll be six feet below

(When it's springtime in Alaska he's six feet below)

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ALL GOD'S CHILDREN AIN'T FREE

(Johnny Cash)

I'd sing more about moral of this land but all God's children ain't free

I'd open up every door I can cause all God's children ain't free

I met a beaten broken man he shovels dirt but got no land

And he held out his hand to me all God's children ain't free

I'd sing along too a silly song but all God's children ain't free

I'm gonna sing the blues for the men they done wrong

Cause all God's children ain't free

Mister how bout the man you condemn to die

But taking everything that he's livin' by

And reject him from society all God's children ain't free

No reject him from society all God's children ain't free

[ harmonica ]

I'd be happy walking any street but all God's children ain't free

I'd have a smile for all I meet but all God's children ain't free

I'd whistle down the road but I wouldn't feel right

I'd hear somebody cryin' out at night

From a sharecropper shack or penitentiary all God's children ain't free

**********

10.

WILDWOOD FLOWER

(A.P. Carter)

Oh I'll twine with my mingles and waving black hair

With the rose so red and the lilies so fair

And the mirltes so bright with the emerald dew

The pale and the leader and eyes look like blue

I will dance I will sing and my laugh shall be gay

I will charm every heart in her crown I will sway

When I woke from my dreaming my idols were clay

All portions of love had all blown away

Oh she taught me to leve her and promised to love

And to cherish me over all others above

How my heart is now wondering no misery can tell

She left me no warning no words of farewell

Yes she taught me to love her and call me her flower

That was blooming to cheer her through life's dreary hour

Oh I long to see her and regret the dark hour

She's gone and neglected her pale wildwood flower

**********

11.

DANNY BOY

(Fred Weatherly)

Back about 1918 my father Ray Cash was in the army in France

Along about armistice day he was one of the proud men to stand inspection

By General John J Pershing

Less than a year later my dad was back on a cotton farm in Southwest Arkansas

And you know the way of life didn't change very fast back home

He rode a horse about ten miles every Sunday to see Miss Carrie Rivers

In those days when everyone in the country either rode a horse or wagon or walked

You were probably a stranger if you were five miles away from home or less maybe

Sometimes life was pretty tough so some of the people were tough too

That's why my dad had a Colt 45 stuck in his belt every Sunday

The first thing he always did was to lay his pistol on the mantle

Of the fireplace at grandpa Rivers

When my parents got married my mother Carrie Rivers was sixteen

After that it wasn't long till dady wasn't considered a stranger

So he made friends with most everybody around

Daddy tells about an Irish immigrant on a railroad where he worked

The cotton belt line whonever stopped talkin' about goin' back to Dublin

One of the first stories I ever remember my dad tellin'

Was one that the Irish immigrant told him

And according to that particular source of information

There's this boy named Daniel McKinney workin' in the fields one morning

And across the fields came his sweetheart Rosalee

She came crying with tears in her eyes

Later someone put down into a song some of the things that Rosalee told Daniel

She said Daniel there's a bloody war a ragin'

And I've come to tell you that they're wantin' you to fight

So fight for Ireland but come back to me Daniel I'll be witin'

Oh Danny Boy the pipes the pipes are calling

From glen to glen and down the mountain side

The summer's gone and all the roses falling

It's you it's you must go and I must bide

But come ye back when summer's in the meadow

Or when the valleys hushed and white with snow

I'll be here in sunshine or in shadows

I'll be here oh Danny Boy I miss you so

But if you fall as all the flowers are falling

And if you're dead as dead well you may be

I'll come and find the place where you are lying

And kneel and say and an Ave there for Thee

But come ye back...

**********

12.

AMEN

(Jester Hairston)

(Amen amen amen amen amen)

Little baby (amen) in the manger (amen) king Jesus (amen amen amen)

At the temple (amen) there they found him (amen)

Teachin' the elders (amen amen amen amen)

Poor Lazerus (amen) didn't bear it (amen) up a walkin' (amen amen amen)

Yeah amen amen amen amen amen amen

Lord Jesus (amen) up in heaven (amen) who'll be returnin' (amen amen amen)

Amen amen amen amen amen amen

Shout it children (amen) let me hear you (amen) hallelujah (amen amen amen)

Sing it children (amen) sing amen (amen) amen one more time amen amen amen

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