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Lyrics by Joel Mabus

Flatpick & Clawhammer

(Fossil 793 -- originally on tape as Fossil 491c & Fossil 693c)

All songs on this page are public domain arranged and adapted by Joel Mabus

Scroll down or click on title to read the lyrics.

To learn more about this CD, click here
To order this or any album, click here

I'm Getting Ready To Go
The Butcher's Girl
Somewhere, Somebody's Waiting For You
Groundhog
Pretty Little Pink
Henhouse Door
Darling Cory

I'm Getting Ready To Go
(from the singing of Riley Puckett)

I had me a dream the other day
I'm getting ready to go
Dreamed the devil come and took me away
I'm getting ready to go
I always heard that place was hot
I asked him if it was or not
He didn't say yes or no or what
I'm getting ready to go

[chorus]
Sweet home - loving heaven heaven
Sweet home - can't you hear me moaning low 
Sweet home - loving heaven heaven
Hold the gates wide open
I'm getting ready to go

They put me down in old Hades
I'm getting ready to go
Fell in the brimstone up to my knees
I'm getting ready to go
You ought to seen the little devils prance
But I showed them a brand new dance
When a pitch fork caught me right in the pants
I'm getting ready to go

[chorus]

I asked him when I'd get out again
I'm getting ready to go
He just looked at me with a devilish grin
I'm getting ready to go
The way he laughed I thought I'd croak
He said, "Now I'll tell you a joke -
When you leave here you go out in smoke!"
I'm getting ready to go

[chorus]

Now, about that awful dream I had
I'm getting ready to go
It left me feeling mighty bad
I'm getting ready to go
So I got me a bible and a mouth full of cheese
Fell right down on my sinful knees
I got more religion than a dog's got fleas
I'm getting ready to go

[chorus]

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The Butcher's Girl
(traditional, arranged by Joel Mabus)

He went upstairs to make his bed
And not a word to his mother said

His mother she went up there too
Saying, son, what's troubling you?

Mother, mother, I can not tell
That butcher's girl I loved so well

She courted me my life away
But now with me she will not stay

There is a house down in the town
Where she goes to hang around

Takes other men down on her knee
Tells them things that she won't tell me

His father, he came home from work
Said where's my son - he looks so hurt

He went upstairs to give him hope
Found him hanging from a piece of rope

He took his knife and cut him down
On his body these words he found

Go dig my grave both wide and deep
Put a stone at my head and feet

And on my breast put a stone white dove
To tell the world that I died for love

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Somewhere, Somebody's Waiting For You
(Words by Vincent Bryan, Music by Al Gumble 1906, 
adapted and arranged by Joel Mabus)

In a cool shady nook, by the side of a brook
Two maidens were fishing one day
They talked as they fished, and the younger girl wished
A sweetheart would soon come her way
The other girl said, with a toss of her head
Cheer up - you've no need to be blue
Patience, my pet - your time is not yet
There is somebody waiting for you

Somewhere, somebody's waiting for you, you, you.
Somewhere, somebody's waiting whose smile is true
And someday, you'll find somebody who loves you too
Somewhere, somebody's waiting for you, you, you.

Then a boy passing by heard the maiden's reply
And he joined in their chat, having fun
He said, "If its true someone's waiting for you
Then perhaps I am the one!"
She paused for a while then said with a smile
"You might be the one it is true -
But if you are wrong, then you won't worry long
For there's somebody waiting for you

Somewhere, somebody's waiting for you, you, you.
Somewhere, somebody's waiting whose smile is true
And someday, you'll find somebody who loves you too
Somewhere, somebody's waiting for you, you, you.

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Groundhog
(traditional, arranged by Joel Mabus)


Shoulder up your gun & whistle up your dog
Shoulder up your gun & whistle up your dog
Off to the woods to catch a groundhog - groundhog

Run here, pal, with a ten foot pole
Run here, pally, with a ten foot pole
Twist that whistle-pig out of his hole - groundhog

Skin that pig just quick as you can tear (2x)
Meat'll do to eatin' and the hide'll do to wear - groundhog

Meat'll do to eatin' and the hide'll do to wear (3x) -- I like to say that

Meat's in the cupboard and the butter's in the churn (2x)
If that ain't groundhog, I'll be durn - groundhog

Look at them fellers, they's about to fall (2x)
Eat 'til their britches don't button at all - groundhog

Little piece of cornbread layin' on the shelf (2x)
You want any more you can make it yourself - groundhog

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Pretty Little Pink
(traditional, arranged by Joel Mabus)


Fly around my pretty little pink
Fly around my daisy
Fly around my pretty little pink
Damn near drive me crazy

Peaches in the summertime
Apples in the fall
If I can't have my own true love
Won't have none at all

Every time I go that road
Always dark and cloudy
Every time I see that gal
Always tell her howdy

Fly around my pretty little pink
Fly around my daisy
Fly around my pretty little pink
Damn near drive me crazy

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Henhouse Door
(traditional, arranged by Joel Mabus)

Well, a hen and a rooster went out west
The hen told the rooster, I love you best
Rooster told the hen - you're a pop-eyed liar
I saw you in the alley with the big Shanghai

Who broke the lock - I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Now my old hen's a good old hen
But she ain't laid a egg since I don't know when
Old hen cackle, cackling a lot
Next time she cackle, gonna cackle in the pot

Who broke the lock - I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

My old rooster's mighty old
All the things he done just can't be told
Toes curled up can't hardly scratch
But the little hens say his eggs still hatch

Who broke the lock - I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

Down in the henhouse on my knees
I thought I heard a chicken sneeze
It was only my rooster saying his prayers
And giving out hymns to the hens upstairs

Who broke the lock - I don't know
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door
I'll find out before I go
Who broke the lock on the henhouse door

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Darling Cory
(traditional, arranged by Joel Mabus)

Wake up, wake up darling Cory
What makes you sleep so sound
The revenue officers are coming
Gonna tear your playhouse down

The first time I seen darling Cory
She was standing by the deep blue sea
Had a forty four buckled around her
And a banjo on her knee

(she was playing something like this…)

Last time I seen darling Cory
Had a dram glass in her hand
Passing away her troubles
With some no good gambling man

Get up, get up darling Cory
Go fetch me my gun
Cause I ain't no man for trouble
But I'll die before I run

Dig a hole dig a hole in the meadow
Dig a hole in the cold cold ground
Dig a hole dig a hole in the meadow
Gonna lay darling Cory down

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