Thursday, March 22, 2012

OLD JOE CLARK

This is one of the most singable songs in the English language, simple and straightfoward, with thousands of verses which can be improvised as the mood takes you. Even the chorus varies as we have hinted here. I include here only some of my favorite verses and two choruses that I know, among many others. Enjoy!


1) I went down to Old Joe's house
That no good lonesome pup
He made me wear the ball n chain 
And drank my likker up.

[Chorus]
Fare-thee-well Old Joe Clark
Fare-thee-well I say
I follow you 10,000 miles
To hear your banjo play
2) Old Joe Clark he had a house
Fifteen stories high
Every floor in Old Joe's house
Were filled with chicken pie

3) Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat
She would neither sing nor pray
Stuck her head in a buttermilk jar
And washed her sins away


4) Old Joe Clark, the preacher's son
Preached all over the plain
The only text he knew by heart
Was high low jack and the game
 (Last chorus)
Fare thee well Old Joe Clark
Fare thee well I'm bound
Fare thee well Old Joe Clark
Goodbye Betsy Brown



1 comment:

jesussilgado said...

Hola, David: Veo que sigues tan apuesto como cuando cantavbas en la "Washington Irving" en Madrid o vivias en cuatro caminos con tu guitarra y cantábamos.
Esta canción se la enseñaré a mi hija Candela, que forma parte de un Coro en la EMM Manuel de Falla de Alcorcón, donde vivo ahora, para ver si pueden mejorarla. Te hacía en USA, pero veo que en Canarias se debe estar mejor. Un gran abrazo. Jesús.