Porter Wagoner Album

(Don Warden)
Don came into my world when I had just first begun
He stuck with me in the hard old days
And I think as much of him as I do my own son
He built me up when I was down and the way was hard to find
But he was on my side in all that we tried and sometimes we wouldn't even have a dime
(Speck Rhodes)
Ha ha Speck came next and with him brought his happiness to me
And he'd never fail to cheer me up with his chequered suit and his comedy
You know sometimes the crowds were so small they wouldn't hardly laugh at all
But ol' Speck didn't mind he'd worked just as hard as if he was in Carnegie Hall
(Buck Trent)
Times were still rough when I hired Buck and he added so much with his banjo
He worked mighty mighty hard even when we were tired
Cause he believed in me and the show
I explained at the start that time would be hard and that there wouldn't be much pay
But he said I can take it cause you're gonna make it
And I know there'll be pay someday
(George McCormick)
Then George came with us and added his touch of rhythm to brighten the show
His singing is so fine and he smiles all the time
And helps shorten the hours on the road
He never complains about the work or the strain he's happy to do his part
And George ike al the others has a special pace in my heart
(Mack Magaha)
Mack came then and brought with him much color to add to the show
He wins the hearts of every crowd no matter where we go
He fiddles around from town to town and dances all the while
Together we've worked many many shows and traveled many miles
(Jerry Carrigan)
The drums of Little Jack put the final touch
To complete my band that I admire so much
You know every man has something that he's proud of and enjoys
But no man could be as proud of anything as I am of my boys

Along about 18-and-25 I left Tennessee very much alive
I never would've got through the Arkansas mud
If I hadn't been a ridin' on the Tennessee Stud
I had some trouble with my sweetheart's pa one of his brothers was a bad outlaw
I send her a letter by my Uncle Fudd and I rode away on the Tennessee Stud
We drifted on down onto no man's land we crossed the river called the Rio Grande
I raced my horse with a Spaiard foal till I got me a skin full of silver and gold
Me and a gambler we couldn't agree we got in a fight over Tennessee
We jerked our guns he fell with a thud and I got away on the Tennessee Stud
(The Tennesee Stud was long and lean the color of the sun and his eyes were green
He had the nerve and he had the blood
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud)

Well I got just as lonesome as a man could be dreamin' of my girl in Tennessee
The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turned blue
Cause he was dreamin' of his sweetheart too
We loped right back across Arkansas I whipped her brother and whipped her pa
I found that girl with the golden hair ss she was a ridin' on the Tennessee Mare
Stirrup to stirrup and side by side we crossed the mountains and the valleys wide
We came to Big Muddy and we forded the flood
And the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud
A pretty little baby and the cabin floor a little horse cold playin' round the door
I love the girl with the golden hair and the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare
(The Tennesee Stud was long and lean...

From daylight till dusk we've been a workin' in the dust
Pickin' cotton workin' side by side
Well I can't forget yes I remember yet the way my daddy looked at me and cried
Big wind's a comin' listen to the hummin' hurry up son be quick don't stall
You know we can't be slow take the kids and get below
If we don't hurry it'll surely get us all

Well I ran across the field so scared my lips was sealed
To warn my mom the storm is on its way
Well I knew I'd won my race when I saw my mamy's face
And the way she looked at me and said
Big wind's a comin'...
( el.banjo )
Oh but dad was on the cellar and by now the sky was yellow
The wind was a blowin' trees were fallin'
And outside I heard him cryin' and as he lay there dyin'
It seemed I could still hear him callin'
Son big wind's a comin'...
Big wind big wind's comin'

I'm locked behind steel ribbons in a building made of stone
This prison cell will be my home for life
Forgotten men surround me and curse cause they were born
Lord what I'd give to hear a baby cry
If I could hear a baby cry just one more time
I could fight the future locked inside
Some prisoners call for mama and others pray to die
Lord what I'd give to hear a baby cry
[ fiddle ]
They tell me I was drinkin' at that awful time when baby started cryin' in the night
They say I picked up baby and squeezed him much too tight
What I'd give now to hear a baby cry
If I could hear a baby...
What I'd give now to hear a baby cry

I've crossed many valleys that I'd always find another mountain much higher to climb
I've wasted so much time where the sun never shines
On my way through this world of mine

I've oded a lot of hinges on a lot of swingin' gates
And I've cored many seeds from some mighty juicy grapes
But I've turned a lot of corners just a little bit too late
On my way through this world of mine
On my way through this world I had to pass your house
So part of my life was wasted there
And I've lived a lot of times on the thin side of a dime
On my way through this world of mine
But if I can crawl back in my cradle and walk this rocky world again
I'd smile at every detour that's waitin' round the bend
Cause you've gotta taste the bitter to appreciate the sweet
It takes combination to make life complete
I've crossed many valleys...
On my way through this world of mine

Lay down your weapons of the war peace on earth begins today
I dreamed last night a dream so real about a blood drenched battlefield
With weapons aimed and set to kill a perfect stranger on the hill
Then something made me hesitate a voice I swear I heard say wait
And there before me stood a man in snow white robe with out stretched hands
Lay down your weapons of the war you will not need them anymore
Bow down instead your head and pray peace on earth begins today

I saw the man I nearly killed throw down his weapons on the hill
Like long lost brothers then we cried and clambered down the mountain side
And there upon the meadow green we saw what eyes have never seen
For all the leaders of the land were gathered there shaking hands
And in their midst a stranger strolled with nail scared hands and a snow white robe
Lay down your weapons...
Peace on earth begins today

So here's to you my ramblin' boy may all your ramblin' bring you joy
He was a man and a friend always he stuck by me in the hard old days
He never cared if I had no dough we rambled round in the rain and snow
So here's to you my ramblin' boy may all your ramblin' bring you joy
And here's to you my ramblin' boy may all your ramblin' bring you joy

In Tulsa town we chanced to straight we thought we'd try to work one day
The boss said he had a room for one said my old pal we'd rather bum
So here's to you my ramblin' boy...

Then late one night in a jungle camp the weather it was cold and damp
And he got the chills and he got 'em bad I lost the only pal I had
So here's to you my ramblin' boy...
May all your ramblin' bring you joy

In the world's mighty gallery of pictures hang scenes that're painted from life
There's pictures of love and of passion and there's pictures of piece and of strife
There hung pictures of youth and of beauty and of old age and a blushing young bride
But the saddest of all they don't hung on the wall
The first scene is that of a gambler who had lost all his money at play
And he draws his dead mother's ring from his finger
That she wore long ago on her wedding day
It's his last earthly treasure but he stakes it
Then he bows his head that in shame he might hide
But when they lifted his head they found he was dead
That's just a picture from life's other side
Now the last scene is that by the river of a heartbroken mother and babe
As the harbor lights shine and they shiver on an outcast whom no one will save
Now yet she was once a true woman she was somebody's darling and pride
But God help her she leaps and there's no one to weep
That's a picture from life's other side
Just a picture from life's other side someone has fell by the way
A life has gone out with the tide that might have been happy some day
There's a poor old mother at home watching and waiting alone
Just longing to hear from a loved one so dear just a picture from life's other side

SHUCKIN' CORN
(Ray Griff)

I was barely past the stage of baby bottles
At an age when little legs first start to toddle
When my pa saw I could stand he thought I would be a man
Once I got the feel of blisters on my hands
Shuckin' corn shuckin' corn shuckin' corn shuckin' corn
From early morning until dusk we stripped away the blades of husk
Shuckin' corn shuckin' corn
I stood right along beside my two big brothers
And it got so we depended on each other
There was little time for fun underneath the summer sun
And it seemed to me like work was never done shuckin' corn shuckin' corn
Through the years this life of mine has kind mellowed
I'm the father of a bright eyed little fellow
You ain't seen a closer pair he goes with me everywhere
And you can bet your boots he'll always do his share
Shuckin' corn shuckin' corn...

There's nothing unusual about the way my day begins
As I walk up and down the streets with my mailpouch in my hands
I've run this route for years everybody knows my name
Especially at the old folks home which I call the House of Shame
The old folks home is my last stop that's where I end my daily rout
And my mailpouch is usually empty by then not always but just about
Except for an accosional letter and they all wait anxiously
With sad eyes that said the question is there anything for me
And I hear their trembling voices as they talk back and forth
I guess the children're just too busy to write
They've got a lot of things to do of course
And I try to cheer 'em up and say things to make 'em feel better
Then I think to myself just how little effort it takes to write a letter
Their old and wrinkled faces and hair as white as snow
And memories locked up in their minds that only they could know
I spent many hours there at the end of each day's run
Trying in some way to fill the place of a daughter or a son
And I listen as they tell me of their families of days gone by
And the sadness there at times is so great I can't help but cry
And thought it's reality it seems more like a dream
That some of them have grandchildren that they've never even seen
And I think it's just a shame that children they have raised
Would put 'em in this House of Shame to spend their later days
So there they sit just waitin' waitin' for letters they never get
Waitin' for children that never come by waitin' just waitin' to die
You see my folks are old now too and we've put 'em in a home
But the difference is they live with us and they'll never be alone

He's a go-getter go-getter
When his wife gets off from work well he'll go get her

Now I've got a neighbor that lives down the road away
His wife holds down a steady job he don't turn his hand all day
I know that most of you will know the kind I'm talkin' about
The kind that rather than have to work he'd rather do without
But he's a go-getter...
[ fiddle ]
There's a group of men in the courthouse yard anytime that you go by
A playin' checkers and tradin' knives and makin' jokes about their wives
Well they'll wait all week for payday and hope that money's plenty
But the wife that worked those long hard hours never gets a penny
But he's a go-getter...
When his wife gets off from work well he'll go get her

I couldn't wait forever did you expect me to
I guess you thought I'd never find somebody new
I lived on dreams and promises as long as I could
I couldn't wait forever the way you thought I would
The lonely nights grew longer as I prayed for time to fly
I lived on hopes that you'd return that's how I got by
The agony of loneliness just got too much for me
I couldn't wait forever needing love so desperately
So I found new lips to kiss me new arms to hold me tight
I found new love and happiness to fill my empty nights
You took my love for granted now my heart has found a new home
I couldn't wait forever forever's just too long
No I couldn't wait forever forever's just too long