In live performances, Mike Cross frequently does some minor variations on his more popular tunes. In Elma Turl, the second verse often starts:

"Alice Green is a pretty little thing, and I'd love to have her for my wife."

Not much of a change, but it seems to me to "scan better," and avoids the identical repetition of the first bit from the first verse.

And in the last line I've heard several times:

"...your daddy ain't your daddy, 'though he thinks he is"

Also minor, but easier for me to sing - probably because that's how I heard it first.

Most of his songs appear on more than one of his CDs, and I haven't checked to see if this one varies on the ones we've got.

I do recall that the lyric for "The Great Strip Poker Massacre" is slightly different on two of his recordings that we have. "Shadow on her eye" vs. "Fuzz on her thigh."

Reminiscing:

In August 1985 at the Philly Folk Festival, there had been a lot of rain, and Mike composed, extemporaneously and on the spot, his special tribute to the folk at Philly: "I Survived the Philly Flood of '85"

In September 1985 at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield Kansas, there had been a lot of rain, and Mike composed, extemporaneoulsy and on the spot, just for us at WVA, his special tribute: "I Survived the Winfield Flood of 85."

Dang, you gotta admire that versatility. (Just kiddin' Mike.)

John