Lyrics
(American folk song)
Refrain
I’m going down to town,
I’m going down to town,
I’m going down to the Lynchburg town
To take my tobacco down.
1.Times a-getting hard, Money getting scarce,
Pay me for them tobacco, boys, and I will leave this place. Refrain
2. Master had an old gray horse, Took him down to town,
Sold him for a half a dollar And only a quarter down. Refrain
3. Old Eli was a rich old man, he was richer than a king.
He made me beat the old tin pan while Sary Jane would sing. Refrain
4. Old Eli brought a little girl, he fetched her from the South.
Her hair was wrapped so very tight that she couldn’t shut her mouth. Refrain
5. Once I had an old black hen, she laid behind the door.
Every day she laid three eggs, and Sunday she laid more. Refrain
6. Oh I went down to town and went into the store,
And every pretty girl in town came running to the door. Refrain
See also
- Subject: silly
- Form: ABA
- Harmony: I IV V chords
- Meter: 2
- Rhythm:
- Scale: pentatonic
- Tones: drmsl
- Source: The American Songbag, Carl Sandburg, Harcout Brace and Company, 1927 (with the title “Goin’ Down to Town)
YouTube
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
2 thoughts on “Lynchburg Town”
I first heard this song in around 1971, it was a demo album from DECCA records. It was untitled and a mate of mine got a job there and stole shit loads of albums. I kept this one for years and loved all the songs on it some were sea shanties, some were hillbilly stuff, it was great and I wish I still had it. One of the songs went,,,now Johnny’s been on sea and Johnny’s been on shore, he went to a tavern where he had been before, bring down your daughter polly and set her on my knee, bring down you daughter polly and happy we shall be.
Such memories these songs bring back to me and I wish I could play guitar like that too. Oh well
Fun memories! Thanks for sharing!