The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #1804 Message #6312
Posted By: Gene Graham
05-Jun-97 - 08:13 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add/Origins: Conversation With a Mule^^^
Subject: Lyr Add: CONVERSATION WITH A MULE (Arthur Smith)^^
CONVERSATION WITH A MULE Recorded by Arthur Smith
(Spoken:) Old mule, you're the son of a donkey And I'm in the image of God Yet, here we work, hitched together Toilin' and tillin' the sod I wonder if you work for me Or I work for you, old mule At times I think it's a partnership Between a mule and a doggone fool.
When plowin', we go the same distance But I work harder than you You skim the ground on four good legs And I hobble along on two So, mule, mathematically speakin' You're four legs 'gainst my two I do twice the work per leg I do twice as much as you.
Now soon we'll be makin' the corn crop That crop'll be split three ways A third for you, a third for me And a third for the landlords' pay You take your third and eat it You're gettin the best and How! I split my third amongst the wife and eight kids The banker, six hens and a cow.
And right here mule, I might mention You only plow the ground I shock the corn and husk it While you're hee-hawin' around All Fall and part of the Winter Old mule, you know it's true I break my back with a cotton sack Tryin' to pay off the mortgage on you.
The only time I'm your better Is when election comes A man can vote and a mule cannot But that don't worry you none Because you're a wise old donkey You know what to worry about You knew politics wouldn't help you none And I'm just findin it out.
So, mule, confidentially speaking Would you change places with me Would you take up all my worries And still contented be Would you swap places, I'm askin' 'Course, you know we couldn't But would you, if you could, now tell the truth You're doggone right, you wouldn't.
CHORDS for all verses:
[G] Old mule, you're the son of a donkey [A] And I'm in the image of God [D7] Yet, here we work, hitched together Toilin' and tillin' the [G] sod [G] I wonder if you work for me [A] Or I work for you, old mule [D7] At times I think it's a partnership Between a mule and a doggone [G] fool.
Source: Country Music Hall of Fame - 200 years of American Heritage in Song.
Threads combined. Messages below are from a new thread. This song was added to the Digital Tradition in 2000. -Joe Offer-