TALKING FISHING BLUES
As recorded by Woody Guthrie, 1961.

I went down by the fishin' hole
An' I set down with my fishin' pole.
Som'n' grabbed my hook an' it got my bait
'N' it jerked me out in the middle o' the lake.
Some jump!
I got sunk.
Baptized on the credit.

Fishin' down on the muddy bank,
I felt a pull an' I give a big yank.
I hauled out three ol' rubber boots
An' a Ford radiator an' a Chevrolet coupe
Handed in for national défense.

Settin' in a boat with a bucket o' beer,
'N' I hadn't caught nothin' but I didn't much care,
I guess I's pretty well satisfied.
I had my little lady right by my side,
Takin' it easy,
Just a-waitin'.
Worm been gone off that hook for a couple hours.

You go a-fishin', I'll tell you what to do:
You go set down by the greasy slough,
Take a piece o' string an' tie it on your pole,
An' throw it way out in the middle o' the hole,
Find you a good shade tree,
An' then just set down an' go to sleep; forget all about it.

Jumped in the river an' I went down deep,
Was a hunnerd-pound catfish layin' there asleep.
Jumped on 'is back, rode 'im into town,
Saddled 'im up an' then I come to town.
People come a-runnin', lookin',
Dogs a-barkin', kids a-squallin'.

Stagnate water's a stinkin' thing,
Slick on top an' all turned green.
When the water goes bad, the fish all run,
Sit all day an' not catch a one,
'Cept mud-wallopers, jew-gars,
Few little suckers.

I waded out to a sandy bar,
'N' I caught myself a big alligator gar,
Brung 'im home across my back.
Tail was draggin' a mile an' a half,
Flippin' an' floppin'.
Sold 'im for a quarter.
Shot craps.
Got in jail.

Early one mornin' I took me a notion
To go out a-fishin' in the middle o' the ocean,
Throwed out my line, I caught me a shark.
I didn't get 'im hauled till way past dark.
He 'as a man eater,
Tough customer,
Just wasn't quite tough enough.

Late last night I had me a dream:
I's out fishin' in a whiskey stream,
Baited my hook with apple jack,
Threw out a drink, bring a gallon back.
Done pretty good till the creek run dry,
So I give the fish back to the finance comp'ny.

[Cisco Houston and Ramblin' Jack Elliott recorded very similar versions. I don't actually know who wrote it.]