Old Joe Clark

Words & Music:

Traditional American

 

There are a zillion verses for this.  Feel free to send any along!  You can also sub a V chords (E or E7 or Em) for the bVII (G) chord.  Either works. It's a matter of personal preference.  There is a nice arrangement of this by Craig Dobbins in the December 2005 issue of Acoustic Guitar and a different arrangement for solo guitar in the October 2005 issue of Acoustic Guitar.

 

A                                                   G

Old Joe Clark's a fine old man, tell you the reason why.

A                                               G      A

He keeps good likker 'round his house, good old Rock & Rye.

 

CHORUS:

A                                             G

Fare ye well, Old Joe Clark!  Fare ye well, I say.

[alt: Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark.  Goodbye, Betsy Brown.]

A

Fare ye well, Old Joe Clark!  I'm a-goin' away.

[alt: Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark.  I'm gonna leave this town.]

 

Old Joe Clark used to clean the bar. Liquor was his pay.

Never saved a golden eagle. Drank it all away.

 

CHORUS:

 

Old Joe Clark, the preacher's son, preached all over the plain.

The only text he ever knew was high, low, Jack and the game.

 

CHORUS:

 

Old Joe Clark had a mule, his name was Morgan Brown.

And every tooth in that mule's head was sixteen inches 'round.

 

CHORUS:

 

Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat, she would neither sing or pray.

She stuck her head in the buttermilk jar & washed her sins away.

 

CHORUS:

 

Old Joe Clark, he had a house, fifteen stories high.

And every story in that house was filled with chicken pie.

 

CHORUS:

 





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