1. |
Shake Sugaree
03:29
|
|||
|
Have a little song, won't take long
Sing it right, once or twice
Oh, lordy me
Didn't I shake that sugaree?
Everything I got is done and pawned
Pawn my watch, pawn my chain
Pawn everything that was in my name
Pawn my chair, pawn my bed
Ain't got nowhere to lay my head
Pawn my tobacco, pawn my pipe
Pawned everything that was in my sight
Pawn my farm
Pawn my plough
Pawned everything, even my cow
|
||||
2. |
East Virginia Blues
02:59
|
|||
|
I was born in East Virginia
North Carolina I did go
There I spied a fair young maiden
And her name I did not know
And her hair was dark and curly
And her cheeks were rosy red
Upon her breast she wore white lilies
Where I longed to lay my head
Molly dear, go ask your mother
If you my bride might ever be
If she says no, come back and tell me
And I'll run away with thee
No I'll not go ask my mother
Cause she lies on her bed of rest
In her hand she holds that dagger
She’ll kill the man I love best
I don't want your greenback dollar
I don't want your watch and chain
All I want is you my darling
Say you'll take me back again
I'd rather be in some dark holler
Where the sun refuse to shine
Than for you to be another man's darlin'
And to know you'll never be mine
|
||||
3. |
Wish I Was a Mole
02:50
|
|||
|
Wish I was a mole in the ground
Wish I was a mole in the ground
If I's a mole in the ground I could root that mountain down
Well I wish I was a mole in the ground
Emmy wants a nine dollar shawl
Emmy wants a nine dollar shawl
When I come up on the hill
With my 10 bill saying baby where you been so long?
Baby, where’d you stay last night?
Honey, where’d you stay last night?
Been round the bend with some rough and rowdy men, I’m never goin back again
Don't like them railroad man
I don't like them railroad man
Cause a railroad man, they could kill you when they can
They’d drink up your blood like wine
Wish I was a lizard in the spring
Wish I was a lizard in the spring
If I’s a lizard in the spring
I could hear my lover sing
Emmy let your hair fall down
Emmy let your hair fall down
Let your hair fall down, down to the ground
Emmy, let your hair fall down
|
||||
4. |
Green Rocky Road
03:26
|
|||
|
When I go by Baltimore
There ain’t no carpet on my floor
Grab your coat, wont you follow me
I know a man in Galilee
Hollerin’ Green green rocky road
Promenade in green
Tell me who ya love
Tell me who ya love
See that crow up in the sky
He don't walk no, he just fly
He don't walk no, he don't run
He keep flappin’ to the sun
Little Miss Jane you run into the wall
Don't you stumble, Don't you fall
Don't you think no don't you shout
When I sing come runnin’ out
Ooka-tooka soda cracker
Does your mama chew tobacco?
If your mama chews tobacco
Ooka-tooka, Ooka-tooka soda cracker
|
||||
5. |
||||
|
Would be better for us had we never
In this wide and wicked world never met
For the pleasures we've both have seen together
I am sure, love, I'll never forget
Oh, I'm thinking tonight of my blue eyes
Who is sailing far over the sea
Oh, I'm thinking tonight of my blue eyes
And I wonder if she ever thinks of me
And you told me once, dear, that you loved me
You swore that we never would part
But a link in the chain has been broken
Leaves me with a sad and aching heart
When that cold, cold grave shall enclose me
Will you come, dear, and shed just one tear
And say to the strangers around you
A poor heart you have broken lies there
|
||||
6. |
Railroad Bill
02:24
|
|||
|
Railroad Bill, mighty bad man
Shot the lantern from a brakeman's hand
Oh honey, it's ride, ride, ride
Railroad Bill, went out west
Shot all the buttons off a brakeman's vest
Well, it's ride, ride ride
Left Jacksonville, bout half past one
Got to Chattanoogy at the settin' of the sun
Well, it's ride, ride ride
Baby, darlin’ you needn't fret
I ain't a fool, Lord, at least not yet
Oh well it's ride, ride, ride
If the river was brandy, and I was a duck
I'd sink to the bottom and I'd never come up
Oh well it’s ride, ride, ride
Railroad Bill he took my wife
Didn’t take much, she didn’t say goodbye
Now I'm gonna ride, ride ride
|
||||
7. |
Cotton Mill Girls
02:13
|
|||
|
I worked in the cotton mill all my life,
I ain't got nothin' but a Barlow knife.
And it’s hard time cotton mill girls,
Hard time everywhere.
(Chorus)
And it's hard times cotton mill girls,
Hard times cotton mill girls,
Hard times cotton mill girls,
Hard times everywhere.
Nineteen-fifteen I heard it said
Go to cotton country and get ahead
But it's hard times, cotton mill girls,
Hard times everywhere.
Gilmer to Barlow's a long long way
Down Ellijay to Cartecay.
It's hard times, cotton mill girls,
Hard times everywhere.
Us kids worked twelve hours a day
For fourteen cents of measly pay
Hard times, cotton mill girls,
Hard times everywhere.
When I die, don't bury me at all,
Just hang my body on the spinning room wall,
Pickle my bones in alcohol,
It's hard times cotton mill girls.
|
||||
8. |
||||
|
Goin' down this road now feelin' bad, baby
Goin' down this road feelin' so low and bad
I ain't gonna be treated this-a way
I'm tired of eatin' your cornbread and beans, baby
I'm tired of eatin' your cornbread and beans, right now
I ain't gonna be treated this-a way
These two dollar shoes is killin' my feet, baby
Two dollar shoes is killin' my feet, right now
I ain't gonna be treated this-a way
Takes ten dollar shoes to fit my feet, baby
Ten dollar shoes to fit my feet, right now
I ain't gonna be treated this-a way
I'm goin' where the chilly wind don't blow, baby
I'm goin' where the chilly wind don't blow, no more
I ain't gonna be treated this-a way
I'm goin' where the weather suits my clothes, baby
I'm goin' where the weather suits my clothes, tomorrow
I ain't gonna be treated this-a way, no more
I ain't gonna be treated this-a way
|
||||
9. |
Saint James Infirmary
02:26
|
|||
|
I went down to St. James Infirmary
To see if my baby was there,
She was stretched out on a long white table,
So sweet, so cold, so fair.
Let her go, let her go God bless her
Wherever she may be
She done looked this whole wide world over
She'll never find another man like me
When I die, you can bury me in Frisco
You can buy me a $20 hat
Put a $20 dollar gold piece in my pocket
Let the fellas know I died standing up
Let her go, let her go God bless her
Wherever she may be
She done looked this whole wide world over
Never find another man like me
|
||||
10. |
Midnight Special
03:11
|
|||
|
Yonder comes Miss Rosie, how in the world do you know
I know about her apron and the dress she wore
Umbrella on her shoulder, a piece of paper in her hand
She’s gonna see the warden to turn loose her man
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine it’s ever loving light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine it’s ever-lovin' light on me
Well, you wake up in the mornin', and the big bell rings
Go marching to the table, you get the same damn thing
Knife and fork are on the table, ain’t no pork up in that pan
Better not complain, boy, you’ll have trouble with the man
If you ever go to Boston, boys you better walk right
You better not stagger, you better not fight
Or the sheriff will arrest you, and take you downtown
You can bet your bottom dollar, you're jailhouse bound
Well now jumpin ‘ little Juy
She was a mighty fine gal
She brought it jumpin
To the whole world round
She brought it in the morning
Turnin round my mind
She got me thinking
About my great long time
|
||||
11. |
Barbry Allen
03:10
|
|||
|
Twas in the merry month of May
When flowers were a-bloomin',
Sweet William on his deathbed lay
For love of Barbry Allen.
So he sent his servant to Scarlett town,
To the place where she was dwellin',
Saying, "You must come to my master, dear
If your name be Barbry Allen."
So slowly slowly she got up,
And slowly came beside him,
And all she said when she got there,
"Young man, I think you're dyin'."
So he turned his face unto the wall
And death was coming for him
"Goodbye, goodbye to my friends and all
Be good to Barbry Allen"
And when he died and laid the in grave
She heard those death bells callin
And every stroke to her did say
Why oh why Barbry Allen.
Oh mother, mother dig my grave
Make it long and narrow,
Sweet William died of love for me
And I will die of sorrow.
He was buried in the old churchyard
And soon she was laid beside him,
Above Sweet William there grew a rose
And out of hers a briar.
They grew and grew in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
Then they formed a true lover's knot
The rose around the briar.
|
||||
12. |
Mississippi River Blues
03:00
|
|||
|
Oh the Mississippi river, water so deep and wide
My thoughts of you keep rising just like an evening tide
I'm just like a seagull that's left the sea
Oh, your muddy waters, they keep on calling me
I'm gonna pack my grip and head that way
You'll see me hanging 'round again some day
'Cause I know that's the only way to lose
The Mississippi River blues
I've often ridden on your bosom from Memphis down to New Orleans
Dreaming over muddy waters flowing through familiar scenes
And when I hear the whistle of an old steamboat
Down that Mississippi River again I'm going to float
I'm gonna pack my grip and head that way
You'll see me hanging 'round again some day
'Cause I know that's the only way to lose
The Mississippi River blues
|
||||
13. |
Peggy-O
04:02
|
|||
|
As we rode out to Fennario
As we rode out to Fennario
Our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
And he called her by name pretty Peggy-O
Will you marry me, pretty Peggy-O
Will you marry me, pretty Peggy-O
Will you marry me, I’ll set your cities free
Free all the ladies in the area-O
I would marry you, sweet William-O
I would marry you, sweet William-O
I would marry you, but your guineas are too few
And I fear my mama would be angry-O
What would your mama think, pretty Peggy-O
What would your mama think, pretty Peggy-O
What would your mama think if she heard my guineas clink
And saw me marching at the head of my soldiers-O
If ever I return, pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return, pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return, your city I will burn
Destroy all the ladies in the are-O
Come steppin down those stairs pretty Peggy-O
Come steppin down those stairs pretty Peggy-O
Come steppin down those stairs combin’ back your yellow hair
Bid a last farewell to your William-O
Sweet William he is dead pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William he is dead pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William he is dead and he died for a maid
Now he’s buried in that old country-O
As we rode out to Fennario
As we rode out to Fennario
Our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
And he called her by her name pretty Peggy-O
|
||||
14. |
Pay Day
02:43
|
|||
|
Baby I did all I can do
Can't get along with you
Gotta take you to your momma on pay day
Pay day
Pay day
Take you to your momma, pay day
Well that rabbit in a log
I cant get no rabbit dog
I hate to see that rabbit get away
Get away
Get away
I hate to see that rabbit get away
Baby I did all I can do
Can't get along with you
Gotta take you to your momma on pay day
Pay day
Pay day
Take you to your momma, pay day
The hounds is on my track
Knapsack on my back
Gotta make it to my shanty 'for the day
'For the day
'For the day
I gotta make it to my shanty 'for the day
|
||||
Nicholas Edward Williams Chattanooga, Tennessee
Host of the music history podcast
"American Songcatcher", Nicholas is a 37 year-old multi-instrumentalist and
storyteller who is dedicated to playing it forward by preserving the songs and styles that have shaped America: ragtime, Piedmont blues, traditional folk, old time and early country. He's opened for Taj Mahal and The Wood Brothers.
“Beautifully uplifting and rootsy…” - Folk Radio UK
... more
If you like Nicholas Edward Williams, you may also like:
Sweet Old Religion
by Pharis & Jason Romero
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection.
go to album
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music.
go to album
Get In Union
by Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers
This album highlights traditional Black American folk and gospel songs from America’s coastal South.
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jan 19, 2024
go to album
Mind, Man, Medicine
by The Secret Sisters
The Alabama duo's fifth album exults in dusty Americana, showcasing rich vocal harmonies alongside blissful folk instrumentation.
go to album
More contemplative folk from the Minnesota singer-songwriter, sustained by raw full-band arrangements and philosophical lyrics.
go to album
Irish singer-songwriter Oisin Leech's acoustic folk music is characterized by its muted beauty and intimate, solitary quality.
go to album
