Old
Rivers (GR8 061) Richard
Muir (Walter Brennan) 1962
OPENER
Sides
How old was I when I first seen Old
Rivers
I can’t remember when he weren’t
around
That old man did a heap of work
Spent his whole life
walking plowed ground.
Allemande Left & Weave
He had a one room shack not far from us,
and we was as poor as him
He had one old Mule called Midnight, and
I’d tag along after them.
FIGURE
Heads Square Thru 4
Meet your
corner, Swing Thru, now Spin your Top
Go Right and Left Thru, Square Thru 3 hands round
Your
corner Swing and Promenade
Just bustin up
Clods with my own bare feet,
Old Rivers was a friend of mine.
MIDDLE BREAK
Sides
Well that Sun would get high and that Mule
would work
And finally Old Rivers would say “Whoa”
he’d wipe his brow,
Lean back on the reins and tell me of a
place he’s gonna go.
Allemande Left & Weave
He’d say “One of these days I’m gonna
climb that mountain
Walk up there among them clouds
Where the cotton’s high and the corn’s a growin’
And there ain’t no
fields to plow”.
CLOSER & TAG
Sides
I got a letter today from the folks back
home
And they all fine and the crops are dry
Down at the end my mum said “You know Old
Rivers died”.
Allemande Left & Weave
Now one of these days I’m gonna climb that
mountain
And walk up there among the clouds
Where the cotton’s high and the corn’s a growin’
And there ain’t no
fields to plow
Swing
That Mule,
ORIGINAL LYRICS
How old was I when I first met Old Rivers?
I can’t remember when he weren’t around
Well, that old fella did a heap of
work spent his whole life walking plowed ground.
He had a one room shack not far from us and
Well, we was about as poor as him
He had one old mule he called Midnight and I‟d trail along after them
He used to plow them
rows straight and deep
And I’d come along there behind
A-bustin up clods with my own bare
feet
Old Rivers was a friend of Mine
The Sun’d get high and the Mule
would work
And Old Rivers’d finally say ,“Whoa”
He’d wipe his brow and lean back on his reins
And talk about places he’s gonna go
He’d say One of these days I’m
gonna climb that Mountain
Walk up there among the clouds
Where the Cotton’s high and the Corn’s a growin
And there ain’t no fields to plow
I got a letter today from the Folks back home
And they all find crops is dry
Down at the end mom said “Son, you know Old Rivers died”
Sitting here now in this new plowed
earth
Trying to find me a little shade
With the sun beatin’ down, I see that Mule, Old Rivers &
Me
Now one of these days I’m gonna climb that Mountain
Walk up there among the clouds
Where the Cotton’s high and the Corn’s a growin
And there ain’t no fields to plow
With the sun beatin’ down across the fields
I see that Mule, Old Rivers & Me