Lyr Add: The Drunkard's Son (from Utah Phillips)

Subject: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: Art Thieme
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 09:33 PM

Here's a fine song I got from Bruce Utah Phillips in 1973. I sang it once to open a show and everyone left the room crying. From then on I hardly ever did it. Mostly I did it one-on-one for someone who wanted to hear it. And afterwards there was usually just total silence...

Art ___________________________________________________

THE DRUNKARD'S SON

Through the old dusty attic of a tenement house I happened to wander one day,
And there on a rafter, with shaving's and chips, a drunkard's poor little boy lay,
"Why are you laying here up in the cold--what makes you lie on this hard bed?"
"My daddy's a drunkard and he beat me today---my darling old mother is dead."

"I'm hiding from father and, please sir, don't tell--he beat me because I would not steal,
He said he would kill me the next time I failed--and I'm so afraid that he will."
"I'm leaving you here, son," I sadly replied, "I will be back right away."
But when I returned to the attic I found that Jesus had been there that day.

The chips and the shavings were there on the floor--the little boy lay on the bed,
With tears on his cheeks and his hands at his sides---the poor little fellow was dead,
A picture of mother lay close to his heart---a faint little note by his head,
As I opened the paper my eyes filled with tears and these are the words that I read:

"I'm hiding with Jesus across the divide,
With dear mother forever I'll dwell,
And thank you, dear mister, for your kindness to me,
And now it's alright if you tell!"

Subject: RE: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: Stoney
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 10:01 PM

I learned this from the singing of Hank Snow on the juke box in the fifties. Last month my son wanted me to sing it for his daughter but I couldn't seem to get the chords right - as I remember it somehow shifted between two keys. Would you mind posting the chord progression that you use. Much appreciated.

Subject: RE: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: Art Thieme
Date: 12 Oct 99 - 10:22 PM

I did it in "G"---and it does have that shift with an unusual couple of chords---but I can't recall how I did it. And I'm not able to play it these days. Even had to look up the words... Sorry.

Art

Subject: RE: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: kendall
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 12:17 AM

I also learned this from Hank Snow. If you do it in G, the chords are, g c g a d g c g d g and then the shift.. G7 c G7 c f c a7 d g c. then back to G if you want, you can do a sort of walk down riff from the c to the a7. Good luck

Subject: RE: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: Stoney
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 08:07 AM

That's it! Thanks Kendall. Great old song - right up there with "Over the Hills to the Poorhouse" and "Little Bessie."

Subject: RE: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: Art Thieme
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 12:05 PM

Just about the way I did it. Thank you Kendall. Sorry I couldn't help you with that...

Art

Subject: RE: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: kendall
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 12:37 PM

Hey, just being Art Thiem is good enough for me

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THE DRUNKARD'S SON (Hank Snow)
From: Gene
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 02:35 PM

Try this, Stoney
Via Art, Kendall and me

THE DRUNKARD'S SON
Recorded by: Hank Snow
Writer: Hank Snow

CAPO: 4th FRET/KEY: F#/PLAY: D
In an [1=D] old dusty attic of a tene-[4=G] ment house
I [1=D] happened to [27=E7] wander one [5=A] day
And [1=D] there on the rafter, midst [4=G] shaving's and chips
A [1=D] drunkard's poor [5=A] little boy [1=D] lay.

Oh! [17=D7] "Why are you lie-ing [4=G] up here up in the cold
What [17=D7] makes you lie on this hard [4=G] bed?"
"My [7=C] father's a drunkard and he [4=G] beat me to-[27=E7] day
My [5=A] darling old [1=D] mother is [4=G] dead." ... [back to 1=D]

"I'm a-[1=D] hiding from father and, please [4=G] sir, don't tell
He [1=D] beat me 'cause [27=E7] I would not [1=D] steal
He [1=D] said he would kill me the [4=G] next time I failed
And I'm [1=D] so afraid [A] sir, he [1=D] will."

"I'm leaving you here, son," I sadly replied
"But I will be back right away."
But when I returned to the attic I found
That Jesus had been there that day.

The chips and the shavin's were there as before
As the little boy lay on his bed
With tears on his cheeks and his hands at his side(s)
The poor little fellow was dead.

A picture of mother lay close to his heart
A faint little note by his head
As I opened the paper, my eyes filled with tears
And these were the words that I read:

"I'm a-hiding with Jesus across the divide
With dear mother, forever I'll dwell
And thank you, dear mister, for your kindness to me
And now it's alright if you tell!"

SOURCE:
THE ONE AND ONLY/HANK SNOW
1962 RCA CAS/722(e)

Subject: RE: Lyric add: Drunkard's Son--from Utah Ph
From: Stoney
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 02:47 PM

Thank you Gene! I even sing it in D. That song will be back in my repetoire within minutes.