Howdy John (and folks concerned with what's on DT),

Here's the version of Come Along Home from the Oak Publication songbook "Ramblin' Boy and other songs" by Tom Paxton with a 1965 copyright and ISBN 8526-0007-3.

Considering all the discussion in other strands about which songs should be included in this forum of DT, I'd like to add a couple of remarks, and I do them here as I submit a song by a contemporary singer-songwriter.

I came into folk and traditional music because I was attracted by the songs of the folk revival singer-songwriters, not because I felt an urge to do the more traditional songs. My personal performing repertoire is still mostly made up of songs written by singer-songwriters going from the present and going back 40 (and up to 70 or more) years. But when I jam and perform with other folks, I use mostly more traditional material (and will soon publish my fourth public domain songbook using these songs). If it had not been for the material of the singer-songwriters of the great folk scare, I might never have learned (and shared) more folk music with others than what was available in elementary school music programs (and there are less of those these days with education funding cuts).

I often introduce people to folk-style music and begin to build some excitement in them for it, but continued exposure is needed. I see DT as a valuable vehicle for getting people exposed to this music and for keeping them excited about it. But there has to be a reason for them to look at DT to begin with, or we're only preaching to the converted (to overuse an overused expression). Thus, I will continue to help folks here with words to songs by singer-songwriters -- if I know them -- or to popular songs from whatever era -- if I know them (which isn't really likely) -- or to traditional and public domain songs. After all, many public domain songs that we think of as traditional these days are the popular songs of another era.

I've gone through just about every posting ever done here (and expect to keep doing so), and I haven't become too bogged down with inappropriate requests yet. Since I want the music to continue to live, I feel that it's worth our while to stay friendly and open to occasional other requests with the hope that we'll sometimes introduce others to the great stuff that is here. But I also think we should continue the effort to get all strands properly identified with title (and performer) first so that our purists won't have to waste time with songs they care nothing about (or don't even think of as music). Thanks for letting me make my thoughts known -- here's the song.

COME ALONG HOME
(Tom Paxton)

Last [G] night I heard a [C] sweet voice [G] callin'.
Come along, won't you [D7] come along [G] home.
Wind on the river and the [C] all [G] bawlin'.
Come along, won't you [D7] come along [G] home.

Chorus:
[G] Come along, won't you [C] come along [G] home now.
Night is fallin' and the [C] path is [D7] steep.
[G] Come along, won't you [C] come along [G] home now.
Water's runnin' and the [D7] river is [G] deep.

Wind goes "Whoosh!" And the trees are sighin'.
Come along, won't you come along home now.
Somebody's born and somebody's dyin'.
Come along, won't you come along home now. CHORUS

Every night the voice gets bolder.
Come along, won't you come along home now.
Song gets sweeter as I grow older.
Come along, won't you come along home now. CHORUS

Allinkausay,
Bill

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 29-May-02.