I've sung this song, but I'll sing it again, Of the people I've met and the places I've seen. Of some of the troubles that bothered my mind And a lot of good people that I've left behind, saying:
So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh. What a long time since I've been home, And I've gotta be driftin' along.
The sweethearts they sat in the dark and they sparked. They hugged and they kissed in that dusty old dark. They sighed and they cried and they hugged and they kissed, But instead of marriage they talked like this: Honey,
----------------------------------------------------------------- Written by Woody Guthrie. Copyright 1940, 1950, 1951, 1968, 1977 by Folkways Music Publishers, Inc. The melody in the verse is taken from "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" and the chorus is a variant of Huddie (Leadbelly) Ledbetter's "Goodnight Irene." But Woody turned and twisted both verse and chorus until they had achieved the rakish angle appropriate this his own jaunty lyrics.
NOTE (RG): Above is Weavers version. Woody's (older) song goes:
I've sung this song, and I'll sing it again Of the place where I lived, on the wild windy plain In a month called April, a county called Gray Here is what all of the people there say: (Well, it's...)
cho: So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh. But this dusty old dust is a-gettin' my home And I've gotta be driftin' along.
Well the dust storm came, it came like thunder It dusted us over, it dusted us under; It blocked all the traffic and blocked out the sun, And straightway for home all the people did run (singin'...)
The sweethearts sat in the dark and they sparked, They hugged and they kissed in that dusty old dark; They sighed and they cried and they hugged and they kissed But instead of marriage, they were talkin' like this: (Honey,...)
The telephone rang. It jumped off the wall, That was the preacher, a-makin' his call. He said, "Kind friends, this may the end You have your last chance at salvation from sin!"
Well, the churches was jammed and the churches was packed, But that dusty old dust storm it blew so black That the preacher could not read a word of his text, So he folded his specs, took up a collection, (Sayin'...)
FURTHER NOTE: Homer and Jethro, C&W parodists (who were once described as "the Stone Age Smothers Brothers", produced a version with the verses:
I went down to the barn, as has been my rule; Went down to milk, had a pail and a stool. The cow tossed her head and she swished 'round her tail And planted her left hind foot smack in the pail. I said, "Listen here, Bossy, stop pawin' the ground. I had a hard night, I was slippin' around." She looked at me with her eyes big and brown And said "You just hang on, boy, I'll jump up and down." (I said...)
Copyright Ludlow Music, Inc. Recorded by Weavers (also by Woody on Stinson, I think) filename[ SOLONGIT TUNE FILE: SOLONGIT CLICK TO PLAY DC RG
sj