Lyr Req: New Cut Road (Guy Clark)

Subject: New Cut Road
From: harpgirl and friends
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 07:05 PM

Kind friends, We are looking for a song with these words:
"Coleman Bonner was a fiddle playing fool, a
backwoods rounder and a breaker of mules" I didn't do a forum search, please please forgive me Joe...harpgirl

Subject: RE: New Cut Road
From: Gene
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 09:18 PM

Bobby Bare recorded a version of New Cut Road
and Earl Johnson recorded
I lost my girl on New Cut Road

Subject: Lyr Add: NEW CUT ROAD (Guy Clark)
From: Les B
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 10:49 PM

Here are the words as I remember learning them a few years ago from a Bobby Bare single - good song, little done, because of the length. Sorry I don't know how to do the space breaks. Help, Joe ?1?


Coleman Bonner was a fiddle playin' fool,
He was a back woods rounder and a breaker of mules,
Coleman Bonner's got a wore out bow,
He's been pickin' two nights down the New Cut Road.

Coleman's little sister said "you'd better act right,
Daddy's gone to Louieville, he'll be back tonight,
He's gonna get a new wagon, and good pair of mules,
We gonna move to Texas, we been waitin' on you"

Coleman's daddy he pulled up in the yard,
He said "pack up your lives kids, it's gettin' too hard,
Kentucky's all right, but there's too many people,
Why just the other day I thought I saw a church steeple"

Coleman said "Daddy, you go on without me,
I'm gonna stay here in Kentucky 'til the day I die (dee)
I'm gonna drink that sour mash, I'm gonna race that mare,
Hey, I've got me a woman with that foxy red hair"

He said "You all been movin' West since the day you was married,
Well I'm gettin' off the wagon, I'm too old to be carried,
I'm gonna stay here in Kentucky where the bluegrass grows,
Gonna pick it all night down the New Cut Road."
(INSTRUMENTAL BREAK)

Well Coleman's daddy said "What's the world comin' to,
Young people these days are just stubborn as mules,
I can't make the boy go, he's too old for that,
It's that damned old fiddle and that bowler hat!"

Coleman's mama said "Let the boy stay,
He was raised up solid, he can find his own way,
But as for me honey, why I'm with you,
I always thought Kentucky was just passin' through"

Well Coleman's little sister, she started in to cryin'
His daddy shook his hand for the very last time,
Coleman's mama said "Somebody's got to do it,
There wouldn't be no Kentucky if you didn't stick to it!"

Now Coleman Bonner stood on the porch of that cabin,
Watched them all go to Texas in a covered wagon,
He pulled down his fiddle and he rosined up his bow,
And he played a little tune called the New Cut Road.

line breaks <br> added -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: New Cut Road
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 11:09 PM

Harpgal, it's a Guy Clark song.

Wish you'd asked for the chords. G & D7.

I wonder if I remember the words...but you've got the title right. Not much luck on the net (Alta Vista) so here goes my best effort.

Coleman Bonner was a fiddle playin fool,
A backwoods rounder and a breaker of mules
Coleman Bonner's got a wornout bow
He's been playing two days down the new cut road.

Coleman's daddy he pulled up in the yard
Said pack up your lives, kids, it's gettin too hard.
Kentucky's all right, but there's too many people
Why just the other day I thought I saw a church steeple

(I forget this verse. Coleman don't wanna go. Cause he's got him a girl and a fine fox hat. Makes me want to recycle a joke. Why you wearin that hat Coleman? He says, I told my gal I got a gig three days down the new cut road and she said, "wear da fox hat?")

Colemans' daddy said, what's it comin to?
Young people these days are just as stubborn as mules.
You can't make him stay, he's too old for that
It's the damned old fiddle and that bowler hat.

(o.k., I guess it wasn't a fox hat in the song, but aren't you glad I thought it was? No? Shee.)

Colemans momma said, let the boy stay.
He was raised up solid, he can find his own way
But as for me, honey, I'm with you
I always thought Kentucky was just passin through

Coleman's little sister, she started in a'cryin.
Coleman's daddy shook his head for the very last time.
Coleman's momma said, somebody's gotta do it.
There wouldn't be no Kentucky unless you didn't stick to it, Coleman

Coleman Bonner stood on the porch of that cabin
Watched them all go to Texas in a covered wagon
Then he pulled out his fiddle and he rosined up his bow
And he played a little tune called the New Cut Road.

That was fun to recall. Might have to try singing it now. Except you don't exactly sing it. It's somewhere between a song and a poem with chords.

Bill

Subject: RE: New Cut Road
From: Bill C again
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 11:18 PM

Hey thanks for the missing verses Les. Now I have no excuse!

I'm still pretty sure it's by Guy Clark.

Long? Long is gooooooooood.

To do a line break just type <br> where you want the line to end. To insert a blank line type <p>--but Mudcat seems to do this automatically so you just need the <br> tags.

Bill

Subject: RE: New Cut Road
From: Les B
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 12:16 AM

Yes, Bill, you're right about the "Coleman" at the end of "...stick to it," line. I forgot that. It's a brilliant song about family dynamics, I think.

Subject: RE: New Cut Road
From: Gene
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 01:02 AM

For: Bill C.

Guy Clark did indeed record
New Cut Road
RE: Guy Clark/The South Coast of Texas
1981 Warner Bros. BSK-3381

Subject: RE: New Cut Road
From: harpgirl
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 03:04 PM

Hey thanks guys. We really appreciate your efforts. Oddy has been looking for this song for three years.

harpgirl and Oddy

Subject: RE: New Cut Road
From: Dave T
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 07:59 PM

Since Guy Clark's one my favourites (see Greatest/Favorite Songwriters thread) I think I'll see which ones aren't in the database and post the missing ones that I have. Although I've never really tried playing New Cut Road (can't convince my daughter to try playing fiddle to it) it's always been one of many Guy Clark tunes I've liked. BTW if anyone wants a good sampling of his music try the 2 CD set "Craftsman" (Philo CD PH 1184/85). In addition to being a great collection of his songs, it has all the lyrics printed in the liner notes.
Dave T