THEY GOTTA QUIT KICKIN' MY DAWG AROUND
(Music: Cy Perkins / Lyrics: Webb M. Oungst)
Byron G. Harlan & American Quartet - 1912
Cy Stebbins - 1922
Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers (vocal: Riley Puckett) - 1926
Doc Hopkins & His Country Boys - 1944
Lulu Belle & Scotty - 1950
The Rum Runners - 1963
The New Christy Minstrels - 1965
Bob Dylan - 1967
Buffy Sainte-Marie - 1968
Lula Belle - 1986
Also recorded by:
Russ Brown & Cadets; Jimmy Driftwood; Rosy McHargue's Ragtimers.
As recorded by BYRON G. HARLAN & American Quartet:
Wunst me an' Lem Briggs an' ol' Bill Brown
Tuk a load of cawn to town
An' ol' Jim-dawg, the orn'ry cuss
He jes' nachelly follered us
As we driv' past Sam Johnson's store
Passel o' yapes kem out the door
When Jim he stops to smell a box
They shied at him a bunch o' rocks
Ev'rytime I come to town
The boys keep kickin' my dawg aroun'
Makes no dif'rence if he is a houn'
They gotta quit kickin' my dawg aroun'
They tied a tin can to his tail
An' run him a-past the county jail
An' that plumb nachelly makes me sore
An' Lem he cussed an' Bill he swore
Me an' Lem Briggs an' ol' Bill Brown
We lost no time in a-jumpin' down
An' we wiped them ducks up on the groun'
Fer kickin' my ol' dawg aroun'
Ev'rytime I come to town
The boys keep kickin' my dawg aroun'
Makes no dif'rence if he is a houn'
They gotta quit kickin' my dawg aroun'
Folks say a dawg cain't hold no grudge
But wunst when I got too much budge
Them town ducks tried to do me up
But they didn't count on ol' Jim pup
Jim seed his duty thar an' then
An' he lit into them gentlemen
And he shore mussed up the court house square
With rags an' meat an' hide an' hair
Ev'rytime I come to town
The boys keep kickin' my dawg aroun'
Makes no dif'rence if he is a houn'
They gotta quit kickin' my dawg aroun'
********************
As recorded by THE SKILLET LICKERS:
Me and Lem Briggs and old Bill Brown
Took a load of corn to town
Old Jim dog, the orn'ry pup
He just naturally followed up
Every time I come to town
You boys go to kickin' my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
Ya gotta quit kickin' my dog around
As we driv' past the country store
A passel of yaps came out the door
Jim he scooted behind a box
Showered him with sticks and rocks
Every time I come to town
You boys go to kickin' my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
Ya gotta quit kickin' my dog around
They tied a tin can to his tail
And run him a-past the county jail
That just naturally makes me sore
Bill he cussed and Lem he swore
Every time I come to town
You boys go to kickin' my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
Ya gotta quit kickin' my dog around
Every time I come to town
You boys go to kickin' my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
Ya gotta quit kickin' my dog around
********************
As recorded by JIMMY DRIFTWOOD:
Me and Lem Brick and old Bill Brown
Takin’ a load of corn to town
My old Jim dog, the darned old cuss
He just naturally followed us
We drove by Sam Johnson’s door
Passed and cursed him out the door
Jim, he scooted behind the box
All them fellers are throwin’ rocks
Every time I go to town
The boys keep kickin’ my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
They gotta quit kickin' my dog around
They tied a can to old Jim’s tail
Run him around the county jail
That made us a-dadburned sore
Lim, he cussed and Bill, he swore
Me and Lim Brick and old Bill Brown
Lost no time a-gettin' down
We lost them fellers on the ground
For kicking my old Jim dog around
Every time I go to town
The boys keep kickin’ my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
They gotta quit kickin' my dog around
Jim saw his duty there and then
He tore into them gentlemen
He sure messed up the courthouse square
With rags and meat and the hide and hair
The Sheriff came and stopped the fuss
All them boys shook hands with us
We gathered ‘round that load of corn
And every man had a healthy horn
Every time I go to town
The boys keep kickin’ my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
They gotta quit kickin' my dog around
Old Jim dog ain't worth much cash
But I can tell you he ain’t no trash
He wakes me up before the break of day
And he keeps them revenueboys away
He’s the best old dog you ever did see
Wherever I go, he follows me
His voice is sweet, his name is Jim
He’d fight for me and I’d fight for him
Every time I go to town
The boys keep a-kickin’ my dog around
Makes no difference if he is a hound
They gotta quit kickin' my dog around
********************
As recorded by BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE:
Every time I go to town
The boys keep a-kickin' my dog around
Makes no difference if'n he's a hound
They gotta quit kickin' my dog around
Me and Lem Briggs and ol' Bill Brown
Took us a little walk to town
My old Jim dog, an orn'ry old cuss
He just naturally follered us
As we went by Joe Johnson's store
A passel of yaps come out the door
Yellin' and a-screamin' and a-throwin' rocks
They run my Jim dog under a box
Well Jim seed his duty there and then
He lit right into them gentlemen
He sure messed up that courthouse square
With the rags and the meat and the hide and the hair
Every time I go to town
The boys keep a-kickin' my dog around
Makes no difference if'n he's a hound
They gotta quit kickin' my dog around
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - April 2018)
