THE COVERED WAGON ROLLED RIGHT ALONG
(Hy Heath / Britt Wood)

Spike Jones & His City Slickers - 1942
Hoosier Hotshots - 1942
Leon McAuliffe - 1946
Spade Cooley - 1946
Tex Williams - 1948
Four Aces Of Western Swing (vocal: Bill Haley) - 1948
Sherwin Linton - 2005

Also recorded by: Merle Travis & Johnny Mercer;
Tom Morrell & The Timewarp Tophands; Red Murrell;
Snuffy Jenkins; Texas Jim Lewis.


The covered wagon rolled right along
While the pioneers gave out a happy song
Sue and Pappy did the drivin'
Mammy cooked and kept us thrivin'
And the covered wagon rolled right along

We left Kentucky on the tenth of May
Pappy said, "I'll see that we eat every day
Mammy, you just grease the skillet
If we some food, I'll just kill it"
And the covered wagon rolled right along

We crossed the Reservation of the Sioux
While the Indians stood and watched us passin' through
Not a redskin dared to trifle
While old Pappy had his rifle
And the covered wagon rolled right along

For clothes we had to skin the buffalo
But when winter came and brought the ice and snow
Pappy's pants ran out of leather
Mammy prayed for milder weather
And the covered wagon rolled right along

At playin poker Pappy won his fame
Once he got an Indian Chief into a game
Pappy wound up with four deuces
And a squaw with six papooses
And the covered wagon rolled right along

Pappy sold the mules and then went on a spree
And he said, "At last I have my liberty"
Mammy said, "Cut out your braggin'"
As she hitched him to the wagon
And the covered wagon rolled right along

At last Old California came in view
And we realised with hardship we were through
Ma and Sue are lucky creatures
Pappy's makin' western features
And the covered wagon rolled right along


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - October 2005)