Traditional Song Lyrics

Many of Nick's songs have their basis in traditional songs. Listed here are the traditional lyrics to songs you may have thought were Nick's creations. Most of these are originally available at the Digital Tradition Folk Song Database at http://www.deltablues.com Thanks to Erik for the info!

Table of Contents:

Rye Whiskey

Nick's version is also available.

I'll eat when I'm hungry,
I'll drink when l'm dry,
If the hard times don't kill me,
I'll lay down and die.

Rye whisky, rye whisky,
Rye whisky, I cry,
If you don't give me rye whisky,
I surely will die.

I'll tune up my fiddle,
And I'll rosin my bow,
I'll make myself welcome,
Wherever I go.

Beefsteak when I'm hungry,
Red liquor when I'm dry,
Greenbacks when I'm hard up,
And religion when I die.

They say I drink whisky,
My money's my own;
All them that don't like me,
Can leave me alone.

Sometimes I drink whisky,
Sometimes I drink rum,
Sometimes I drink brandy,
At other times none.

But if I get boozy,
My whisky's my own,
And them that don't like me,
Can leave me alone.

Jack o' diamonds, jack o' diamonds,
I know you of old,
You've robbed my poor pockets
Of silver and gold.

Oh, whisky, you villain,
You've been my downfall,
You've kicked me, you've cuffed me,
But I love you for all.

If the ocean was whisky,
And I was a duck,
I'd dive to the bottom
To get one sweet suck.

But the ocean ain't whisky
And I ain't a duck,
So we'll round up the cattle
And then we'll get drunk.

My foot's in my stirrup,
My bridle's in my hand,
l'm leaving sweet Lillie,
The fairest in the land.
Her parents don't like me,
They say l'm too poor;
They say I'm unworthy
To enter her door.

Sweet milk when l'm hungry,
Rye whisky when l'm dry,
If a tree don't fall on me,
I'll live till I die.

I'll buy my own whisky,
I'll make my own stew,
If I get drunk, madam,
It's nothing to you.

I'll drink my own whisky,
I'll drink my own wine,
Some ten thousand bottles
I've killed in my time.

I've no wife to quarrel
No babies to bawl;
The best way of living
Is no wife at all.

Way up on Clinch Mountain
I wander alone,
l'm as drunk as the devil,
Oh, let me alone.

You may boast of your knowledge
An' brag of your sense,
'Twill all be forgotten
A hundred years hence.

(Negro Variant)
In my little log cabin,
Ever since I been born,
Dere ain't been no nothin'
'Cept dat hard salt, parched corn.

But I know whar's a henhouse,
De turkey he charve;
An, if ol' Massa don' kill me
I cain't never starve.

(Variant chorus)
Rye whisky, rye whisky,
You're no friend to me;
You killed my poor daddy,
Goddamn you, try me.

From American Ballads and Folk Songs, Lomax
Note: One of the more exhaustive texts.

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Black Betty

Nick's version is also available.

Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bam-ba-lamb,
Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bamhalamb,
Black Betty had a baby,
Bambalamb,
Black Betty had a baby,
Bambalamb.

Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bam-ba-lamb,
Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bam-ba-lamb,
It de cap'n's baby,
Bam-ba-lamb,
It de cap'n's baby,
Bam-ba-lamb.
Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bambalamb,
Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bambalamb,
But she didn' feed de baby,
Bambalamb,
But she didn' feed de baby,
Bambalamb.

Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bamhalamb,
Oh, Lawd, Black Betty,
Bambalamb,
Black Betty, where'd you come from?
Bambalamb,
Black Betty, where'd you come from?
Bambalamb.

From American Ballads and Folk Songs, Lomax
Note: Black Betty was the whip used in some southern prisons.

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Young Hunting

Traditional version of Henry Lee. Nick's version is also available.

It happened on one evening late,
As the maid was going to bed,
She heard a sound, a beautiful sound,
That made her heart feel glad.

She thought it was her brother John,
Returning from the cane;
But who should it be but Lord Henry,
Just from his wild hunting.

"Get down, get down, Lord Henry,
And stay all night with me;
For the very best lodging in Mulveren Town,
The best I'll give to thee."

"I won't get down, I shan't get down,
To stay all night with you;
For there's a prettier girl in the merry green lands,
That I love much better than you."

As he leaned o'er his milk-white steed
And kisses gave her three,
She held up a knife in her right hand
And pierced him heartily.

"O live, O live, Lord Henry,
Half an hour or more;
For the very best doctors in Mulveren Town,
You'll soon be in their care."

"O live, O live, how can I live,
How can I live you see,
When l can feel my own heart's blood,
Come trinkling o'er my knee?"

She called her waiting maids unto her
To view his body so fair,
Saying, "Of all this finery you see around here,
The finest you shall wear."

Some took him by his curly locks,
Some by his hands and feet,
And threw him in the cold, dark well,
Which was both cold and deep

"Lie there, lie there, Lord Henry,
Till the flesh rots off your bones!
That prettier girl in the merry green lands,
Shall mourn for your return."

There was a pretty parrot bird,
Sitting high upon a limb,
Saying, "You murdered Lord Henry,
And in the well threw him."

"Come down, come down, my pretty parrot bird,
And sit on my right knee;
Your cage shall be the finest gold,
And the door of ivory."

"I won't come down, I shan't come down,
To sit on your right knee;
For you have murdered Lord Henry,
And soon you'd murder me"

"I wish I had my bended bow,
My arrow and my string;
I'd pierce a dart so close your heart,
Those notes no more you'd sing."

"O if you had your bended bow,
Your arrow and your string,
I'd take my flight to the merry green lands
And tell what I'd seen."

Printed in Folk-songs of the South

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Down in a Willow Garden

Traditional version of The Willow Garden. Nick's version is also available.

Down in a willow garden
Where me and my love did meet,
'Twas there we sat a courting
My love dropped off to sleep.

I had a bottle of the Burglar's wine
Which my true love did not know,
And so I poisoned that dear little girl
Down under the bank below.

I stobbed her with a dagger,
Which was a bloody knife,
I threw her in the river,
Which was a dreadful sight.

My father often told me
That money would set me free,
If I would murder that dear little girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly.

And now he sits in his own cottage door,
a wiping his weeping eye,
And now he waits for his own dear son,
Upon the scaffold high.

My race is run beneath the sun,
Lo, hell's now waiting for me,
For I have murdered that dear little girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly.

From Folk Song USA, Lomax
Note: Tune is variant on Rosin the Beau

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Katy Cruel

Traditional version of When I First Came To Town. Nick's version is also available.

When I first came to town
They called me the roving jewel
Now they've changed their tune
They call me Katy Cruel
Oh diddle day, oh diddle lie o day

Oh that I was where I would be
Then I would be where I am not
Here I am where I must be
Go where I would, I can not
Oh diddle day, oh diddle lie o day

When I first came to town
They brought me the bottles plenty
Now they've changed their tune
They bring me the bottles empty
Oh diddle day, oh diddle lie o day

CHORUS

I know who I love
And I know who does love me
I know where I'm going
And I know whose going with me
Oh diddle day, oh diddle lie o day

CHORUS

Down the road I go
And through the boggy mire
Straight way cross the field
And to my heart's desire
Oh, diddle day, oh, diddle lie o day

CHORUS

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Oxford Tragedy

Traditional version of Knoxville Girl. Nick's version is also available.

From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Sharp. Collected from Mary Wilson and Mrs. Townley, Kentucky, 1917

Once there was a little tailor boy
About sixteen years of age;
My father hired me to a miller
That I might learn the trade.

I fell in love with a Knoxville girl,
Her name was Flora Dean.
Her rosy cheeks, her curly hair,
I really did admire.

Her father he persuaded me
To take Flora for a wife;
The devil he persuaded me
To take Flora's life.

Up stepped her mother so bold and gay,
So boldly she did stand;
Johnny dear, go marry her
And take her off my hands.

I went unto her father's house
About nine o'clock at night,
A-asking her to take a walk
To do some prively talk.

We had not got so very far
Till looking around and around,
He stooping down picked up a stick
And knocks little Flora down.

She fell upon her bended knees,
For mercy she did cry:
O Johnny dear, don't murder me,
For I'm not fit to die.

I took her by her lily-white hands
A-slung her around and around;
I drug her off to the river-side,
And plunged her in to drown.

I returned back to my miller's house
About nine o'clock at night,
But little did my miller know
What I had been about.

The miller turned around and about,
Said:" Johnny, what blooded your clothes?"
Me being so apt to take a hint:
By bleeding at the nose.

About nine or ten days after that,
Little Flora she was found
A-floating down by her father's house
Who lived in Knoxville town.

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How Long, How Long Blues

Leroy Carr

A traditional song which was a likely inspiration for The Train Song.

How long, how long, has that evenin' train been gone?
How long, how long, baby how long.

Heard the whistle blowin', couldn't see the train
Way down in my heart I had an achin' pain.
How long, How long, how long.

If I could holler like a mountain jack
I'd go up on the mountain and call my baby back.

I went up on the mountain, looked as far as I could see
The man had my woman and the blues had poor me.

I can see the green grass growin' on the hill
But I ain't seen the green grass on a dollar bill.

I'm goin' down to Georgia, been up in Tennessee
So look me over baby, last you'll see of me.

The brook runs into the river, river runs into the sea
If I don't run into my baby, a train is goin' to run into me.

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Mister Frog Went A-Courting

A traditional song which was a likely insiration for King Kong Kittchee Ki-Mi-O.

Mister frog went a-courting and he did ride
Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm
Mister frog went a-courting and he did ride
A sword and pistol by his side
Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm.

He went down to Missy Mousie's door
Where he had often been before.

He said, "Missy Mouse, are you within?"
"Yes kind sir, I sit and spin."

He took Missy Mouse upon his knee
And said "Missy Mouse, will you marry me?"

"Without my Uncle Rat's consent"
"I wouldn't marry the pres-I-dent."

Uncle Rat laughed and shook his fat sides,
To think his niece would be a bride.

When Uncle Rat gave his consent
The weasel wrote the publishment.

Where will the wedding supper be?
Way down yonder in a holler tree.

What will the wedding supper be?
Two green beans and a black-eyed pea.

The first guest in was a bumblebee
He danced a jig with a crook-backed flea.

The owl did hoot, the birds they sang
And through the woods the music rang.

They all went sailing 'cross the lake
And got swallered up by a big black snake

There's bread and cheese upon the shelf
If you want any more you can sing it yourself.

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Banks of the Roses

A traditional song which was a likely inspiration for Where The Wild Roses Grow. Nick's song is also available.

When I was a wee thing, I heard my mother say
That I was meant for rambling and would easy go astray
And before that I would work, I would rather sport and play
With my Johnny on the banks of red roses

On the banks of red roses, my love and I sat down
He took out his tuning box to play his love a tune
In the middle of the tune, his love got up and cried
Oh Johnny, lovely Johnny, would you leave me?

So they walked and they talked until they came upon a cave
Where the night before her darling had spent digging on her grave
Aye, the night before her darling had spent digging on her grave
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of red roses

Oh no, oh no, cried she, that grave's not meant for me
Yes, oh yes, my darling, that your bridal bed shall be
Yes, oh yes, my darling, that your bridal bed shall be
And he's made her to lie down on red roses

And all on his way homeward, his heart was filled with fear
Every maid he came upon, he thought it was his dear
Yes, every maid he came upon, he thought it was his dear
Who he made to lie down on red roses

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All The Pretty Little Horses

Traditional song that Nick used for the track he wrote on the Current 93 album All The Pretty Little Horsies. Nick's version is also available.

Hushaby, don' you cry
Go to sleepy little baby

When you awake you shall have cake
And all the pretty little horses.
Blacks and Bays, Dapples and Grays
Coach, and a six a little horses.

So hushaby, etc.

Way down yonda', down in the medder
There's a poor little lambie.
Bees an' the butterflies peckin' out his eyes
Poor lambie cried fo' his mammy.

But hushaby, etc.

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Stagalee

Three traditional versions of the song from Murder Ballads. Nick's version is also available. Further details (and the actual book Nick edited from) are also available.

Stagolee

Bad man Stagalee when he bad,
He bad wid a gun
Stagalee, Stagalee --- you must-a been a sinner
Ev'ry- Christmas eve they give Stagalee a dinner
Bad man Stagalee, when he bad
He bad wid a gun.

Don't you remember you remember
One dark stormy night
Stagalee and Bill O. Lion
Dey had dat noble fight.

Bill O. Lion tole Stagalee
Please don't take my life
I got three little children
And a dear lil' lovin'wife

Stagalee told Billy O. Lion
I don't care for your three lil' children
Or even your lovin' wife
You stole mah Stetson hat
And I'm goin to take yo'life

Stagalee pulled out his forty-four
It went boom boom boom
It wasn't long' fore Bill O. Lion
WVere layin'on de flo'

Stagalee's woman she went to her boss
Said, "Please give me some change.
Dey got my baby in de station house
An'mah business mus'be'ranged. "

Stagalee asked his woman
"How much change has you got?"
She run her han'in her stocking feet
And pulled out a hundred spot.
She had to get mo'money.

From Southern Folk Ballads, McNeill Collected from Vera Hall, AL 1947

Stagolee

Stagolee was a bad man,
Ev'rybody knows.
Spent one hundred dollars
Just to buy him a suit of dothes.

He was a bad man
That mean old Stagolee

Stagolee shot Billy de Lyons
What do you think about that?
Shot him down in cold blood
Because he stole his Stetson hat;

He was a bad man
That mean old Stagolee

Billy de Lyons said, Stagolee
Please don't take my life
I've got two little babes
And a darling, loving wife;

You are a bad man
You mean old Stagolee.

What do I care about your two little babes,
Your darling loving wife?,
You done stole my Stetson hat
I'm bound to take your life;

He was a bad man,
That mean old Stagolee.

The judge said, Stagolee,
What you doing in here?,
You done shot Mr. Billy de Lyons,
You going to die in the electric chair;

He was a bad man
That mean old Stagolee.

Twelve o'clock they killed him
Head reached up high
Last thing that poor boy said,
"My six-shooter never lied."

He was a bad man,
That mean old Stagolee.

Stagolee

chorus: Stagolee, Stagolee, he's the meanest man in town
When that boy starts gamblin', better lay your money down
Down in New Orleans where they got that Lyon's Club
Every step you step you're steppin' in Billy de Lyon's blood

I remember one September, on a cold and stormy night
Billy de Lyon and Stagolee, Lord, they had a great big fight
Billy shot a seven, and Stack he said he'd pass
Stack said to Billy de Lyon, "Brother,
You done shot your last"

The woman asked the sheriff, said "How can this be?
You got all them bad men, but you can't get Stagolee"
Deputies took their badges and they laid them on the shelf
"If you want to get that bad man, you get him by yourself"

Now send for the policemen, a hundred thousand come
Loaded down with rifles and a great big Gatling gun
On Friday we condemned him, the judge he lowered his head
On Saturday we hanged him, I was glad to see him dead

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Peace In the Valley

Erik wrote: "The theme is similar to the Nick's song New Morning. Note also that the line 'There'll be no sadness, no sorrow' also is in New Morning. Finally, the bright day versus black night antithesis is also the same.

Well, I'm tired and so weary but I must go along,
Till the Lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh, yes,
And the mornin's so bright and the lamb is the light,
And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh, yes.

CHORUS

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day,
There will be peace in the valley for me, dear Lord, I pray.
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I see,
There will be peace in the valley for me.

The bear will be gentle and the wolf will be tame,
And the lion shall lie down with the lamb, that's what it
says, And the beasts from the wild will be led by a child,
And I will be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh, yes.

CHORUS

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Wade In The Water

Printed in J. Silverman, American History Songbook. Nick has sung his version of this song live.

(Chorus)
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.

Jordon's water is chilly and cold.
God's gonna trouble the water.
It chills the body, but not the soul.
God's gonna trouble the water.

If you get there before I do.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Tell all of my friends I'm coming too.
God's gonna trouble the water.

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Oh, Happy Day

Written by Edwin R. Hawkins
Nick has performed a version of this song live (combined with Deanna). He also sung it on The Road to God Knows Where.

Oh happy day, oh happy day; When Jesus washed, oh when He washed
When my Jesus washed, He washed my sins away; Oh happy day.
He taught me how to walk, fight and pray, fight and pray
And in rejoicing, in rejoicing every, every day, every day.

Oh happy day, oh happy day; When my Jesus washed, oh when He washed
When my Jesus washed all the sins away Oh happy day, yeah.
You see He taught me how to watch, fight and pray fight and pray
And in rejoicing, in rejoicing every day, every day

Oh happy, happy day, oh happy, happy day
Oh it felt so good when Jesus, when Jesus washed,
When my Jesus washed my sins away.

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Cindy

Words and music by Kaye - Weisman - Fuller

"The Bad Seeds performed Cindy regularly in their live sets in 1990,and indeed on a TV appearance as well. I have a version of Elvis Presly doing this song, but I think it's a traditional, also known as 'I Wish I Was An Apple', or as 'Sydney'. I think The Bad Seeds often sang 'Come on home, Sydney Cindy' -Maurice

Wish I was an apple dangling from a tree
Every time you'd pass me by you'd take a bite of me
I wish I was a bluebird I'd never fly away
I'd sit up on your shoulder baby and sing to you all day

Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home Cindy Cindy
Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home to me

I wrote it in a letter, carved it on a tree
Told it to a honeycomb, told it to a bee
Told them that I love you, they all know its true
Say it till the cows come home until it gets to you

Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home Cindy Cindy
Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home to me

Need you in the morning to start the coffee pot
Need you in the afternoon to fan me when I'm hot
Need you in the evening when supper time is through
What I'm really tryin' to say is I can't get enough of you

Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home Cindy Cindy
Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home to me

If I were a musician I'd harp on just one thing
You should never play my harp the way you pluck a string
If only you would love me say it and tell me so
I need two charms about me baby to have the whole world
know

Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home Cindy Cindy
Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home to me

Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home Cindy Cindy
Come on home Cindy Cindy, Come on home to me

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Love Henry

Words and Music by Bob Dylan (1993 Special Rider Music)

Original version of Henry Lee. Nick's version is also available.

"Get down, get down, Love Henry," she cried,
"And stay all night with me.
I have gold chains, and the finest I have
I'll apply them all to thee."

"I can't get down and I shan't get down,
Or stay all night with thee.
Some pretty little girl in Cornersville
I love far better than thee."

He laid his head on a pillow of down.
Kisses she gave him three.
With a penny knife that she held in her hand
She murdered mortal he.

"Get well, get well, Love Henry, " she cried,
"Get well, get well," said she.
"Oh don't you see my own heart's blood
Come flowin' down so free?"

She took him by his long yellow hair,
And also by his feet.
She plunged him into well water, where
It runs both cold and deep.

"Lie there, lie there, Love Henry," she cried,
"Til the flesh rots off your bones.
Some pretty little girl in Cornersville
Will mourn for your return."

"Hush up, hush up, my parrot," she cried,
"Don't tell no news on me,
Or these costly beads around my neck,
I'll apply them all to thee.

"Fly down, fly down, pretty parrot," she cried,
"And light on my right knee.
The doors to your cage shall be decked with gold
And hung on a willow tree."

"I won't fly down, I can't fly down
And light on your right knee.
A girl who would murder her own true love
Would kill a little bird like me."

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Tupelo Blues

(John Lee Hooker 1959)

A song which was a likely inspiration for Tupelo. Nick's song is also available.

Tupelo Blues - John Lee Hooker (3:23) (from the album The Country Blues Of John Lee Hooker, Riverside 1959). Recorded several more times, issued as Vee Jay single "Tupelo (Backwater Blues) / Dusty Road", June 1960; also on 1962 Vee Jay album "The Folklore of John Lee Hooker" as "Tupelo". Also issued a live recording from Newport Folk Festival in the early 60s.

Did ya read about the flood?
Happened long time ago,
In Tupelo, Mississippi.
There were thousands o' lives,
Destroyed.

It rained, it rained,
Both night and day.
The poor people was worried.
Didn't have no place to go.
Could hear may people, cryin' "Lord!"
Have mercy!"
'Cause you're the only one,
That we can turn to"
Happened a long time ago.
A little town,
Way back in Mississippi,
In Tupelo

Hm-mm, Hm-mm, Hm-mm-mm,
Hm-mm, Hm-mm, Hm-mm-mm,
Hm- mm, Hm-mm-mm,
Hm-mm, Hm-mm, Hm-mm-mm,

There was women, and there was children,
They were screamin' an' cryin',
Cryin', "Lord, have mercy!
You're the only one now, that we can turn to."

Way back down in Mississippi, a little country town.
I know ya read about it,
'Cause I'll never forget it.
The mighty flood in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Been years ago.

Hm-mm, Hm-mm Hm-mm-mm,
Oh-hoh, Oh- hoh Oh-oh-oh
Hm-mm-mm
Oh-hmm, Lord, have mercy!
Wasn't that a mighty time? Tupelo's gone.

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I Rowed a Little Boat

John Lee Hooker - Vocal, Acoustic Guitar (Orpheum Music, 1959)

A traditional song similar to My Little Boat Is Empty. Nick's song is also available.

You know I rowed a little boat,
five miles 'cross the pond
You know I rowed a little boat,
'bout five miles 'cross the pond
I throwed my things in the little boat,
it rolled me right along

It was thunderin' and lightenin',
but it rolled me right along
It was thunderin', it was lightenin',
Oh yeah, it rolled me right along
There were thousands of people,
they didn't have no place to go, mmm

Little children they were screamin'
and cryin', Oh yeah
The wind was howlin',
they didn't have no place to go, mmm
There were thousands o' people,
they's goin' from door to door, mmm

My little boat kept rollin',
it kept on rollin',
You know it rolled me right along
Mmm-mmm, Kept on rollin,
Kept on rollin' Kept on rollin'
Kept on rollin', Rollin'

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