Lyr Add: George Gudger's Overalls

20 Dec 99 - 02:10 AM (#151816)
Subject: Lyr Add: GEORGE GUDGER'S OVERALLS (Doc Watson)
From: Dale Rose

I transferred these from a generic request so that they can be easily found. I really don't know how close Doc Watson comes to Lawrence Hammond's originals, but I'd like to see them if anyone has them handy, just for curiosities sake.

GEORGE GUDGER'S OVERALLS
(Lawrence Hammond, Desert Jewel Songs BMI, 1973)
as sung by Lawrence Hammond on Coyote's Dream, Takoma 1047, 1976

As I walked out this mornin'
in the Alabama chill,
I saw two old friends hangin'
from a tree on Hobie's Hill.
By their tattered legs they dangled
drippin' down along the spine.
It was old George Gudger's overalls
a-drying on the line.

George Gudger, he's an honest cuss,
hard-workin' farmer man.
I'd long admired them overalls
that I held there in my hand.
My brand new pair was stiffer
than a starched-up Sunday suit.
But his could walk 'round by themselves
and plow the corn to boot!

The knees looked almost bloody
from the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers
had kept him kneelin' down all day.

Old George owes me money,
but I owe him my respect.
And if these overalls will fit me,
I'll forget about his debt.

I stepped into them big old legs
like fallin' down a mine.
Then I heard a ragged chuckle,
and there stood old George behind.
A smile of old tobacco juice
was tricklin' down his chin.
He said, "You might as well try walkin' round
in someone else's skin . . ."

"Yeah, but if you like them old friends of mine so much
I reckon I'll let 'em go
. See, I loaned 'em to my wife last year
when she was big with Little Joe.
And when she bent down in the fields one day
her big old belly split them tired old seams ...
And now she's gone and beat 'em half to death
on a rock down by the stream'

The knees looked almost bloody
from the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers
they kept him kneelin' down all day.

I walked home like a drunken man,
they almost made me fall.
They kept steerin' me towards Gudger's place,
Old George's overalls!

But at home before the mirror
I seemed to be a different man,
with two tired eyes a-starin'
at a farmed out patch of land.
So I took him back his overalls
and a month's supply of chaw,
I also left my brand new pair
and walked home in the raw.

The knees looked almost bloody
from the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers
they kept him kneelin' down all day.

I took him back his overalls
and a week's supply of food.
I also left my brand new pair
and sneaked home in the nude.

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20 Dec 99 - 03:56 AM (#151842)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: George Gudger's Overalls
From: Stewie

Dale,

There is no lyric sheet for the Watson album. Doc makes a few inconsequential textual changes and leaves out a few lines towards the end, but basically the versions are the same.

Stewie.

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22 Dec 99 - 03:41 AM (#152811)
Subject: RE: George Gudger's Overalls
From: Joe Offer

Gene says that you can find a recording of the song if you right-click here and choose "save target as..." Apparently, you just can't click on the link and play it any more. Companies who give free Websites have been setting things so you can't link direct to an item at one of their sites.
-Gene's Genie-

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22 Dec 99 - 10:50 AM (#152896)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: George Gudger's Overalls
From: Dale Rose

This works for me, too. When you get to the error message that you will get by clicking on the link Joe put up, just go back up to the Go to/Location bar, make sure the url is not highlighted, and hit return again ~~ easier than it sounds.

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09 Aug 06 - 02:26 AM (#1805027)
Subject: Lyr Add: GEORGE GUDGER'S OVERALLS (f/Doc Watson)
From: GUEST,Tux

not much more/less but this' what I got on a Doc Watson version:


GEORGE GUDGER'S OVERALLS
As recorded by Doc Watson on "Portrait" (1993) and "The Definitive" (2013)

As I walked out one mornin' in the Alabama chill,
I saw some old friends hangin' from a tree on Hobie's Hill.
By their tattered legs they dangled drippin' down along the spine.
It was old George Gudger's overalls a-drying on the line.

George Gudger, he's an honest cuss, and he loves to work his land,
And I'd long admired his overalls that I held there in my hand.
My brand-new pair was stiffer than a starched-up Sunday suit,
But his could walk around by themselves and plow the corn to boot!

Now the knees looked almost bloody from the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers had kept him kneelin' down all day.
Old George owes me money, but I owe him my respect.
If his overalls will fit me, boys, I'll forget about his debt.

I stepped in to them big old legs like fallin' down a mine.
Then I heard a ragged chuckle, and there stood old George behind,
A smile of old tobacco juice just tricklin' down his chin.
He says, "You might as well try walkin' round in someone else's skin.

"But son, but if you like them old friends of mine so much I guess I can let 'em go.
Had to lend 'em to me wife last year while she's carryin' Little Joe.
She bent down in the fields one day and split that tired old seam,
And now she gone and beat 'em half to death on that rock there by the stream."

Yeah, the knees looked almost bloody from the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers had kept him kneelin' down all day.
You know, I walked just like a drunken man; they dang-near made me fall.
They kept steerin' me towards Gudger's place, 'cause they're still Old George's overalls!

At home before the mirror I seemed to be a different man.
In my mind they kept seein' his farmed-out patch of land.
So I took him back his overalls and a week's supply of food.
I also left my brand-new pair and I sneaked out in the nude.

---