Lyrics

(Folk song)

1. Sitting by the roadside on a summer’s day,
Chatting with my messmates, passing time away,
Lying in the shadow underneath the trees,
Goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas.

Refrain
Peas, peas, peas, peas, eating goober peas*,
Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!

2. When a horse-man passes, the soldiers have a rule
To cry out their loudest, “Mister, here’s your mule!”
But another custom, enchanting-er than these
Is wearing out your grinders, eating goober peas. Refrain

3. Just before the battle, the General hears a row
He says “The Yanks are coming, I hear their rifles now.”
He turns around in wonder, and what d’ya think he sees?
The Georgia Militia, eating goober peas. Refrain

4. I think my song has lasted almost long enough.
The subject’s interesting, but the rhymes are mighty tough.
I wish the war was over, so free from rags and fleas
We’d kiss our wives and sweethearts, and gobble goober peas. Refrain

*goober pea = pod of the peanut vine containing usually 2 nuts or seeds (source)

See also

  • Subject: summer
  • Form: AB
  • Harmony: I IV V chords
  • Meter: 6/8
  • Scale: major
  • Source: Songs for Pickin’ and Singin’,James F. Leisy, Fawcett Publications, Inc, 1962

YouTube

  • Song with chords (PDF)
  • MIDI file
  • Listen to the song

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