Spoken intro to the song, Nonnie Presson, 1974

This was during the depression years of 1930. I don't think there are many people living but what would remember that year. And we was showing in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and there was a terrible drought there that year, and everything was dried up, even to the little apples on the trees. So we couldn't collect any money on our show dates. We stayed with some people by the name of Youngs in Lincoln, Arkansas. We couldn't pay them one penny of board while we were staying there, because we were making so little, we were barely making our gas and car expenses. So when we finally got ready to leave, I wrote this song for these people; they were so wonderful. I wrote this song, Take Me Back To Lincoln. (NOTE: Lincoln, Arkansas is approximately 20 miles west of Fayetteville, near the Oklahoma border. Idle observation ~~ I just checked Peoplefinder, there are no people with listed phones named Youngs in Lincoln at present, only six listed for all of Arkansas ~~ two each in Pocahontas and Jasper, one each in Fort Smith and Siloam Springs. There are two numbers listed for Young (no s) in Lincoln.

TAKE ME TO LINCOLN
Nonnie Presson, 1930
as recorded by the Perry County Music Makers (Nonnie Presson-zither, Bulow Presson-guitar, Virginia Clayborne-harmony vocal) on Sunset Memories, Davis Unlimited 33009, 1974

Some folks like Texas, some Tennessee
But I am diff'rent, Arkansas for me
Up on a mountain, in a little town
Where the early sunbeams chase you round and round

Chorus
Take me to Lincoln, take me to stay
Back to the good folks, far, far away
Oh, how I miss them, each lonely day
Oh, how my memories back to them stray

Once a stranger far from my home (I think they may actually be saying whence)
Sadly I wandered, sadly I roamed
All broken hearted, what could I do
These friendly people came to my rescue

Chorus

Oh, how I lingered when we said good-bye
Oh, how the teardrops filled my weeping eyes
Some say I'll meet them in a land so fair
Where there are no troubles, hear my honest prayer

Chorus