RIVERS OF GEORGIA

(adapted from Rivers of Texas, presumably by Fred Park and Jenny Armstrong; transcribed from their tape, Wild Hog in the Woods, where this version is listed as Rivers of Texas)

I crossed the Hiwassee, forded the Yellow,
Swum the Chattahoochee and followed the Soquee
The Savannah runs muddy, the Nottely runs clear
Down by the Coosa I courted my dear

Chorus:
Li li li lee lee lee give me your hand (3x)
There's many a river that waters the land

The broad St. Mary's runs glossy and gliding
The crooked Tallulah runs weaving and winding
The Withlacoochee it courses the plains
But I never will walk by the Coosa again

She hugged me, she kissed me, she called me her dandy
The Chestatee is rocky, the Suwannee is sandy
She kissed me, she hugged me, she called me her own
Down by the Coosa she left me alone

Now the girls on the Broad they are plump and they're pretty
The slim Hazard too has many a beauty
The Ochlockonee flows slowly past girls by the score
So I never will walk by the Coosa no more


I was given a copy of Fred and Jenny's tape by my friend Carol Ormand; this version of the song is the only one I've ever heard. Transcribing it for a song circle, I came to the Mudcat looking for the river names and looked it up by "Rivers of Texas"--what a surprise to find the Pecos, the Brazos, the Colorado in the lyrics there!

They don't seem to use the "pole the boat on" version of the chorus, though I've added it to the version I'll bring to song circle.

Knowing that Fred and Jenny live in Georgia, I made a wild guess at which state these rivers came from, and I've been consulting atlases and websites for lists of Georgia rivers since to make sure that I got them right. I found all of them except the "Soquee" and the "Hazard", so if someone from Georgia wants to correct me, I'd be grateful!

Turtle