Song Lyrics From Around The World

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WORRIED MAN BLUES (aka WEARIED MAN BLUES and IT TAKES A WORRIED MAN) (Traditional - A.P. Carter) The Carter Family - 1930 Carolina Ramblers String Band - 1932 Big Joe Williams - 1935 Woody Guthrie - 1940 Burl Ives - 1949 Cisco Houston - 1953 Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group - 1955 The Vipers Skiffle Group - 1956 Chas McDevitt & Nancy Whiskey Skiffle Group - 1957 Mel Tillis - 1957 Joe D. Gibson - 1957 The Bob Cort Skiffle Group - 1957 Ed McCurdy - 1958 The Kingston Trio - 1959 Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys - 1959 Hank Hill & The Tennessee Folk Trio - 1960 Bill Anderson - 1961 Flatt & Scruggs - 1961 Bobby Bare - 1962 The New Lost City Ramblers & Maybelle Carter - 1963 The Osborne Brothers - 1963 Les & Larry Elgart - 1963 Rick & Thel - 1963 The Scholars - 1964 The Blue Sky Boys - 1964 Tom Jones - 1965 Earl Taylor & Jim McCall - 1967 Jerry Reed - 1969 Johnny Cash - 1969 Devo - 1979 Sleepy LaBeef - 1985 Deborah Holland - 1997 Van Morrison - 1998 Southern Comfort Bluegrass Band - 2002 Charlie Louvin - 2007 Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands - 2007 The Big Fash - 2008 Also recorded by: Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper; Jim & Jesse; Karel Gott; Blind Boy Fuller; Almanac Singers; The Stanley Bros; Ramblin' Jack Elliott & Derroll Adams; George Jones; Don Reno; Pete Seeger; Eric Clapton; Phil Rosenthal; Panhandle Polecats; James Alan Shelton; Dick Bishop; Half Man Half Biscuit; Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee; The Three D's..........and many others. It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long I went across the river and I lay down to sleep I went across the river and I lay down to sleep I went across the river and I lay down to sleep I woke up and I had shackles on my feet Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg* Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg And on each link, an initial of my name It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long I asked the judge, "What's gonna be my fine" I asked the judge, "What's gonna be my fine" I said, "Oh, judge, what's gonna be my fine" He said, "Twenty-one years on the Rocky Mountain Line"** Twenty-one years to pay for my awful crime Twenty-one years to pay for my awful crime Twenty-one years to pay for my awful crime Twenty one years, but I still got ninety-nine It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long The train pulled out, sixteen coaches long*** The train pulled out, sixteen coaches long The train pulled out, sixteen coaches long The one I love, she's on that train and gone I looked down the track, as far as I could see I looked down the track, as far as I could see I looked down the track, as far as I could see A Little bitty hand was a-wavin' back at me It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long If anyone asks you who composed this song If anyone asks you who composed this song If anyone asks you who composed this song Tell him it was I and I sing it all day long Oh, it takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long * Sometimes sung as "twenty-one links" ** Sometimes sung as "the old Rock Island Line" ** Sometimes sung as "the RC Mountain Line" *** Often sung as "The train I ride is sixteen coaches long" *** Sometimes sung as "The train arrived, sixteen coaches long" *** Also sung as "The longest train I ever did see was a thousand coaches long" TRIVIA: This is one of those songs where the lyrics vary every time a new recording is made. However, the differences are only slight and of no real significance. Very often the first line of each verse is sung just twice and not three times as in the version above. Although generally accepted as having have been written by A.P. Carter in 1930, this song, or parts of it, were known earlier in the 1920's. ********** As recorded by THE CARTER FAMILY: It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long I went across the river, I lay down to sleep I went across the river, I lay down to sleep When I woke, put the shackles on my feet Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg And on each link an initial of my name It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long (Instrumental Break) I asked the judge what might be my fine I asked the judge what might be my fine Twenty-one years on the RC Mountain Line The train arrived sixteen coaches long The train arrived sixteen coaches long The girl I love is on that train and gone It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long (Instrumental Break) If anyone asks you who composed this song If anyone asks you who composed this song Yell 'em 'twas I and I sing it all day long It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long ******************** As recorded by: JERRY REED: Well it takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song Well it takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long Well I went down to the river, I lay down to sleep I went down to the river to lay me down to sleep Well I went down to the river and I lay down to sleep When I woke up there were shackles on my feet So it takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song Well it takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long (Guitar Solo) This train I ride is twenty-one coaches long This train I ride is twenty-one coaches long This train I ride is twenty-one coaches long That woman I love she's on that train and gone That's why it takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song Well it takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but, child, I won't be worried long Oh yes, it takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song Well, baby, it takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long ******************** As recorded by THE KINGSTON TRIO: It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long Got myself a Cadillac, thirty dollars down Got myself a brand new house five miles out of town Got myself a gal named Sue, treats me really fine Yes, she's my baby and I love her all the time It takes a worried worried man to sing a worried worried song It takes a worried worried man to sing a worried worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long I've been away on a business trip, travelin' all around I got a gal and her name is Sue, prettiest gal in town She sets my mind to worryin' every time I'm gone I'll be home tonight, so I won't be worried long It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long Well Bob is in the livin' room, holdin' hands with Sue Nicky's at that big front door, vowin' to come on through Well, I'm here in the closet, oh lord what shall I do We're worried now, but we won't be worried long It takes a worried man to sing a worried song, oh yes It takes a worried man to sing a worried song It takes a worried man to sing a worried song I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long ********** (Song researched/transcribed by Mel Priddle - June 2010) **********

    





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