This is the song that Farvit referred to back on 28-Oct-2001. My transcription from Spotify:


THE GHOST AND HONEST JOE
As recorded by Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys, with vocalist Gene Stewart, 1949. Reissued on "Country Cowboy Classics"

1. While I was pickin' cotton way down in Lou'sian',
I met the 'fraidest, scaredest kind of cotton-pickin' man.
One night as he passin' by the graveyard of the dead,
He thought he saw a ghost jump out, and Joe jumped up and said:

CHORUS: "O Lord, help your wayward child," old Honest Joe did moan.
"Don't leave me here with this here ghost; I'd rather be alone.
It ain't that I'm afraid, but you know, I ain't havin' no fun.
My head tells me to stay right here but my feet tells me to run.

2. "Look here; I ain't done nothin'; I just as honest as can be.
You go and crawl back in your grave; don't pull no pranks on me.
You just tryin' to haunt old Honest Joe; come on, now; you go away."
But the ghost just stood in the middle of the road and old Joe began to pray: CHORUS

3. "Now whose ghost is you?" old Joe cried. "Could you be old Bill Cross?
If that's you, Bill, y'ought to know, I didn't steal your hoss.
I only borrowed that old nag; so come on, give old Joe a break."
But the ghost just stood in the middle of the road and old Joe began to shake. CHORUS

4. "I know you now," old Joe cried out; "You's my good friend Rufus Brown.
I didn't want your chickens; they just followed me aroun'.
Now, go on back where you belong before you gets upset."
But the ghost just stood in the middle of the road and Joe's knees began to sweat. CHORUS