pickin' time

Subject: pickin' time
From: pastor Chuck
Date: 25 Nov 98 - 11:56 AM

I was wondering if any one knows the lyrics to this old song, "Pickin" Time." I know it was recorded in the late 50's or early 60's by Johnny Cash, but I don't know who wrote it. I t is a song about rural poverty/ faith in God. Some of the lines I do remember... ...a jug of coal oil costs a dime, Gonna stay up late come pickin time... Any help will be warmly appreciated.

Subject: RE: pickin' time
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 25 Nov 98 - 12:35 PM

Pastor Chuck--

Johnny Cash recorded this tune in 1959 on an album titled "The Fabulous Johnny Cash." I can't find any data on the writer at the BMI site or the ASCAP site. I'll keep looking around.

Subject: RE: pickin' time
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 25 Nov 98 - 12:43 PM

back again-- Cash wrote the song himself, but I can't find lyrics on any of the sites devoted to him. Sorry. Good luck in your search.

Subject: RE: pickin' time
From: Nathan
Date: 25 Nov 98 - 06:32 PM

Pickin¹ Time

­­Johnny Cash ca. 1958

I got cotton in the bottom land

It¹s up, and it¹s growin¹, and I gotta good stand

My good wife and them kids of mine

Gonna get new shoes come pickin¹ time

Get new shoes come pickin¹ time

Every night when I go to bed

I thank the Lord that my kids are fed

They live on beans eight days or nine

But I¹ll get Œem fat come pickin¹ time

Get Œem fat come pickin¹ time

The corn is yellow and the beans are high

The sun is hot in the summer sky

The work is hard till layin¹ by

Layin¹ by till pickin¹ time

Layin¹ by till pickin¹ time

It¹s hard to see by the coal oil light

And I blow it out pretty early at night

A jug of coal oil costs a dime

But I¹ll stay up late come pickin¹ time

Stay up late come pickin¹ time

My ol¹ wagon barely gets me to town

I patched the wheels and I watered Œem down

I keep her in shape so she¹ll be fine

To haul my cotton come pickin¹ time

Haul my cotton come pickin¹ time

Last Sunday mornin¹ when they passed the hat

It was still nearly empty back where I sat

But the preacher smiled and he said, ³That¹s fine,

The Lord will wait till pickin¹ time.²

The Lord will wait till pickin¹ time.

Subject: RE: pickin' time
From: BSeed
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 06:57 PM

Nathan, I've found that when I post here from a word processor document, I get the numbers in place of quotation marks and apostrophes also, so after I've placed them here, I go through the document and delete the numbers and retype the quotes and apostrophes. It takes a few minutes but is worth it. --seed

Subject: RE: pickin' time
From: Nathan
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 11:13 PM

Thanks, this is the first time it's happened (to me). I forgot to put it in a font with "straight" quatation marks and didn't notice the problem till after it posted. At that point I didn't know how to change it. I'll be more careful in the future.