UNDER THE CHICKEN TREE
Words by Irving Jones; music by Kerry Mills; ©1908.
As recorded by Earl McDonald Louisville Jug Band, Columbia 14206D, 3/30/27.

VERSE: I had a dream last night.
It almost turned me white.*
I dreamt that hens and roosters growed on trees.
I dreamt I owned a great big ranch.
On every hen-tree branch,
The eggs was just as thick as bumblebees.
I stepped out in the yard
And shook one tree right hard,
And about one hundred fowls come tumblin' down.
Just as soon as they had died,
I had them quickly fried
With the gravy oozing out all nice and brown.

CHORUS: It was under the chicken tree,
Under the big fricassee.
Eggs was droppin' from every blossom.
I lost all my taste for the meat they call possum.
Cows, hogs, ever' little thing
Looked like feather, chicken, and wing.
Eggs was droppin'.
Wings were floppin',
Under the chicken tree.


[* Maria Muldaur sings "It turned me ghostly white."]