Lyr Req: Wish I Had Stayed In The Wagon Yard

Subject: stayed in the wagon yard
From:
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 02:00 AM

looking for words and tune. to,.... something like "i wish I'ld bought a half pint and stayed in the wagon yard"

Jeff [e-mail]

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: harpgirl
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 02:41 PM

...you're in luck jeff...it's raining mullet and scallops in Tallahassee and I am home singing and playing...here's your song...
Wagon Yard

I am a jolly farmer, last night I came to town
With a wagon load of cotton I'd worked the whole year round
Well I put my team in the wagon yard and bought me a bottle of gin
I went out to see the 'lectric lights and watch the cars roll in
I met a dude out on the street the clock was strikin nine
He said come on here hayseed won't you have a drink just fine
Well I must have bought a dozen drinks it hit my pocketbook hard
I wished I'd bought me a half pint and stayed in the wagon yard
Now I'm a deacon in the hardshell church way down in possum trot
When the sisters hear about my spree it's bound to make 'em hot
I went out on a party I lived in haystack hill
When I got back that gang had gone and left me all the bills
I found them on the corner by the soul salvation hall
That drunken bunch was out there singing Jesus save us all
Well I made my bed in the wagonbox and lord that fiddle was hard
I wish I'd bought me a half pint and stayed in the wagon yard
Come listen to me farmers I come to talk with sense
If you want to see them 'lectric lights look right over the fence
Don't monkey with them city ducks you'll find them slick as lard
Just go and buy you a half pint and stay in the wagon yard...

harpgirl

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Les B
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 03:43 PM

Jeff & harpgirl: A great old song, I've heard a cowboy version somewhere but can't find the tape. I also sing this version, but with some slight word variations on a couple of the lines, ie. " I went out on a party, I led the pace that kills..." and "well I made my bed in a dry goods box, and lord my pillow was hard.."

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Dale Rose
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 03:57 PM

I know we had a discussion on this some time back, but I was not able to find the thread ~~ must be under some other name. I tend to favor the variations posted by Les, but as with any old song, there probably are just as many variations as there are singers.

Idle aside ~~ I wish the body enhanced search still worked. It has been broken for a long time. I think I could have found the thread with that.

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Les B
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 04:25 PM

Dale - now that you mention it, there was another thread on this. And yes, I wish that think would get fixed. We just got to find a bigger cyber-hammer!

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Les B
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 04:27 PM

oops! Should be thing, not "think" - a Freudian negligee!

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: JOField
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 06:38 PM

My old buddy Clay Jackson used to sing that song all the time. Who originally recorded it? My assumption would be Uncle Dave.

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 06:54 PM

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 07:00 PM

try again. I am pretty sure that the original version is Lowe Stokes and his North Georgians, which are first cousins to Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers. Given some time I bet I could find the original record #, but that's a little frustrating since you can't go out and order it. PETE

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: harpgirl
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 07:57 PM

Les B. I remember a discussion about this as well...

Hi Pete, How are you? Why haven't you written me? You are right about Lowe Stokes. I am so lazy I forgot to put that in my post...are you going to MLAG? E-Mail me or call...harpgirl

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Dale Rose
Date: 27 Jun 99 - 08:55 PM

Definitely Lowe Stokes. Other than the release on County LP 504, I am not aware of any other reissue. I have a few more "modern" versions by Jay Unger and Lyndon Hardy, The Red Clay Ramblers, Sen. Robert Byrd, Any Old Time String Band, The Spark Gap Wonder Boys and The Hot Mud Family. (my favorite version next to Stokes') Maybe some more, but those are the only ones I can think of. I don't think any of those have been reissued on CD either.

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: CarterNut
Date: 28 Jun 99 - 08:53 PM

The best (most lively) version of that song that I have ever heard came from Grandpa Jones. I have it on a cassette tape from CMH Recordings-they mostly deal in oldtime/bluegrass. John J.

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: Dale Rose
Date: 28 Jun 99 - 10:53 PM

After thinking about it a bit, I figured I had better check the corners of my brain and the internet to verify my comment about availablility. A double album by Any Old Time String Band is available from Arhoolie which contains the song. Here is a one minute RA sound clip, compliments of CDNow.

Subject: RE: stayed in the wagon yard
From: jeff
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 08:15 AM

thanks to all

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wish I Had Stayed In The Wagon Yard
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Nov 11 - 09:02 PM

Lyrics have been posted in another thread: WISH I HAD STAYED IN THE WAGON YARD as recorded by Lowe Stokes & His North Georgians.