SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD
(Walter Vinson / Lonnie Chapmon)
The Mississippi Sheiks - 1930
Joe Evans & Arthur McClain - 1931
Famous Hokum Boys - 1931
Big Bill Broonzy - 1931
Sam Collins - 1931
Milton Brown - 1932
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - 1955
Howlin' Wolf - 1957
Bill Monroe - 1957
Carl Perkins - 1958
Memphis Slim - 1961
Doc Watson - 1962
Buddy Moss - 1966
The Grateful Dead - 1967
Cream - 1968
Mock Duck - 1968
Chet Atkins - 1968
Jerry Reed - 1969
Emerson's Old Timey Custard-Suckin' Band - 1970
Ralph Stanley - 1971
Johnny Shines - 1972
The Strangers - 1973
Sam Chatmon - 1974
John Lee Hooker - 1974
Jethro Burns - 1977
Harmonica Frank Floyd - 1979
Chris Smither - 1984
The Seldom Scene - 1986
Archie Edwards - 1989
Hubert Sumlin - 1989
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - 1989
Jody Stecher & Kate Brislin - 1990
Ronnie Earl - 1990
Radio Flyer - 1991
Lonesome River Band - 1991
Bob Dylan - 1992
Pat Travers - 1992
The Hackberry Ramblers - 1992
Frank Wakefield & The Good Old Boys - 1992
Jack Bruce - 1993
Taj Mahal - 1993
Dave Ray & Tony Glover - 1993
Greg Kihn - 1994
Rinde Eckert - 1994
Sleepy LaBeef - 1994
Sunday's Well - 1994
Blackfoot - 1995
Svare Forsland - 1995
Hans Theessink - 1995
The Yardbirds - 1996
Homesick Mac & Sam Mitchell - 1997
Michael "Hawkeye" Herman - 1997
The Jelly Roll Kings - 1997
Sundogs - 1998
'68 Comeback - 1999
Geoff Bartley - 1999
Cafe R&B - 1999
The Groundhogs - 1999
Jacqueline Dankworth & James Pearson - 2000
The Delta Souls - 2000
The Blues Band - 2000
Willie Nelson - 2000
Bryan Bowers - 2000
Rod Price - 2000
Greg Ross - 2000
Bob Fox - 2000
Norman Blake - 2001
Van Morrison & Carl Perkins - 2001
John Cowan - 2002
Bill Frisell - 2002
Brandon Giles - 2002
Ellen McIlwaine - 2002
Michel Montecrossa - 2002
String Cheese Incident - 2002
Jack White - 2003
Ana Popovic - 2003
Bruce Dix & Jim Nunally - 2003
Also recorded by: Ray Charles; Don McLean; John Sebastian;
Jed Davenport; Leroy Davis; Roscoe Holcomb; Blue Cat Trio;
Compton Jones; Lonnie Johnson; Louis Dotson; Mac Wiseman;
Curly Fox; Robert Lowery; Charley Patton; Lightnin' Wells;
Joe Lynn Turner & Neal Schon; Eddie Shaw & The Wolf Gang;
Harry & Jeanie West; Skeet Ring; Sweet Honey In The Rock;
Clarence Williams; Shelton Brothers; Pinnacle Brothers;
Lonnie Young; Bob Wills.
Was all the summer, and all the fall,
Just trying to find my little all in all
But now she's gone, and I don't worry
Lord I'm sitting on top of the world
Was in the spring, one summer day
Just when she left me, she's gone to stay
But now she's gone, and I don't worry
Oh I'm sitting on top of the world
An' you come runnin', holdin' up your hand
Can't get me a woman, cranky you can get a man
But now you're gone, and now I don't worry
Lord I'm sitting on top of the world
Have been days, I didn't know your name
Why should I worry or cry in vain
But now she's gone, now I don't worry
Lord I'm sitting on top of the world
Went to the station, down in the yard
Gonna get me a freight train, worked and got to home
But now she's gone, and I don't worry
Oh I'm sitting on top of the world
The lonesome days, they have gone by
Why should you beg me oh say goodbye
But now she's gone, and I don't worry
Oh cause I'm sitting on top of the world
*****
Version as recorded by: Bill Monroe
It was in the spring one sunny day
My good gal left me Lord she went away
And now she's gone but I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
She called me up from down in El Paso
Said come back, daddy, Lord I need you so
And now she's gone but I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Show me a woman a man can trust
And now she's gone but I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
Mississippi River, long, deep and wide
The woman I'm loving is on the other side
And now she's gone but I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
You don't like my peaches, don't you shake my tree
Get out of my orchard, let my peaches be
And now she's gone but I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
Don't you come here running, holding out your hand
I'll get me a woman like you got your man
And now she's gone but I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
*****
Version as recorded by Eric Clapton:
One summer day, she went away;
Gone and left me, she's gone to stay.
She's gone, but I don't worry:
I'm sitting on top of the world.
All the summer, worked all this fall.
Had to take Christmas in my overalls.
She's gone, but I don't worry:
I'm sitting on top of the world.
Going down to the freight yard, gonna catch me a freight train.
Going to leave this town; worked and got to home.
She's gone, but I don't worry:
I'm sitting on top of the world.
*****
Version as recorded by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band:
Now she's gone and I don't worry
Lord, I'm a-sittin' on top of the World
Was in the Spring, one sunny day
My good girl left me, she went away
Now she's gone and I don't worry
Lord, I'm a-sittin' on top of the World
She called me from Dallas and El Paso
Said come back, Daddy, I need you so
Now she's gone and I don't worry
Lord, I'm a-sittin' on top of the World
Well, my pal, he done me wrong
He stole my Darlin' with his ol' dobro
Now she's gone and I don't worry
Lord, I'm a-sittin' on top of the World
Don't like my peaches, don't shake my tree
Stay out o' my orchard, let my peaches be
Now she's gone and I don't worry
Lord, I'm a-sittin' on top of the World
Don't come here runnin', holdin' out your hand
I can't get a woman, like you got a man
Now she's gone and I don't worry
Lord, I'm a-sittin' on top of the World
Now she's gone and I don't worry
Lord, I'm a-sittin' on top of the World
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - June 2004)
*****
Version as recorded by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee:
No need 'a runnin', holdin' up your hand,
I can get me a woman, quick as you can a man,
But now she's gone, and I don't worry,
'Cause I'm sittin' on top of the world.
I'm on top of the world, with my leg hanging down,
My baby done quit me, gone out 'a this town.
But now she's gone, and I don't worry,
'Cause I'm sittin' on top of the world.
Work all the summer and all the fall,
Now, they wanna take my Christmas, and my overalls.
But now she's gone, and I don't worry,
'Cause I'm sittin' on top of the world.
Bye, bye, baby, honey if you call it gone,
It may worry me some, baby, but it won't last long.
But now she's gone, and I don't worry,
'Cause I'm sittin' on top of the world.
