happy songs?

[Adam Tracksler]

I seem to gravitate toward the melencholy OT songs, anyone have a quick list of some really happy songs (not tunes)..
Thanks, ad

[JEStanek]

I don't have a list, rather a resource... Pick up Rise Up Singing from Sing Out! There are happy, sad, sea, song, spirituals etc. I just bought my copy and love reading through it. The lyrics and chords are there. You can also order CDs of chapters from the book as well if you don't know the tune.

For 18 Bucks you can't go wrong.

Jamie

[AlanN]

Not terribly happy, but this one seems to fall into 'happy grass' territory: Where Does The Good Times Go?

[Fred Keller]

One of my faves is Rabbit In The Pea Patch (tune AND a song)
It's hard to write up--look for a recording. Mine is from the Red Clay Ramblers. Uncle Dave Macon also did it.

Get my gun fetch old rover
Run that rabbit out of town

tune

Up on the hillside raking all the leaves
Rabbit in the pea patch eating all the peas
Deet dight deet dight dee die ga digga dum
Deet dight deet dight digga die-ga dum

(or similar sounding silliness)
Get my gun fetch old rover
Run that rabbit out of town

Up on the hillside raking up hay
Rabbit in the pea patch eating all day
etc

tune

Get my gun fetch old rover
Run that rabbit out of town

Up on the hillside raking up grass
Rabbit in the pea patch sitting on his ###
etc

[GBG]

Beer Barrel Polka

[mingusb1]

8 more miles to Louisville
skillet good and greasy
wagonyard blues
i'll fly away

just to name a few off the top of my head.
Z

[Clyde Clevenger]

Froggy Went a Courtin' is my Grandaughter's favorite today.

[kyblue]

Clyde,

My first memories of enjoying 'live music' involve sitting on the glider on the back porch with Mom and asking her to sing Froggy Went a Courtin'. She heard 'sing it again' a lot.

I need to learn all those words. I guess little girls just love that song!

Paula

[swampstomper]

Happy Sunny Side of Life (Blue Sky Boys)
You Are My Sunshine

[Jim MacDaniel]

Nothing could be happier than that little ditty, "Happy Boy", by the Beat Farmers. #

VERSE 1:
C D
I was walkin' down the street on a sunny day
G C
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
C D
A feeling in my bones that I'll have my way
G C
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba

CHORUS:
F
Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
C
Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
D G G7
Oh ain't it good when things are going your way, hey hey?

VERSE 2:
My little dog spot got hit by a car
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
Put his guts in a box and put him in a drawer
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
CHORUS

[KAZOO SOLO]

VERSE 3:
I forgot all about it for a month and a half
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
I looked in the drawer and started to laugh
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
CHORUS

[DryBones]

Long Black Veil always cheers me up!

[allenhopkins]

Things Are Going My Way (Fiction Brothers)
I've got the left hind leg of a rabbit
Things are going my way
All I got to do is reach out and grab it
Things are going my way.
Oh Lord, me oh my,
I feel happy all the time
Ain't got nothing to worry my mind,
Things are going my way.

(Repeat first four lines, then)
Oh Lord, how good I feel
I got possession of an automobile
I can eat chicken and I don't have to steal,
Things are going my way.

[Richard Russell]

I like Bile Em Cabbage Down and Cripple Creek. I play both of them as a kind of "pick-me-up" and to work on speed because they are quite basic to play. Old Joe Clark and Clinch Mountain Backstep work for me as well. Roland White's book covers these tunes and many other "happy" tunes quite well.

[DryBones]

working on Cripple Creek (slowly) right now, it's a fun and easy one!

Ps: I just had to post this to get rid of Digney Fignus on the main menu

[cooper4205]

shack #9 by the old crow medicine show (album-Eutaw) is a really fun one- it pertains to the johnson county, TN tobacco industry




well they grow it by the pound in johnson county
well they grow it by the pound in johnosn county
well they grow it by the pound and their breath will knock you down
well they grow it by the pound in johnson county


chorus:
take me back to my shack #9
take me back to my shack #9
there's a dog on my track and quart in my shack
take me back to my shack #9



all the men they chew tobacco in johnson county
all the men they chew tobacco in johnson county
well, it'll drip right down their chin and they lick it up again
they'll lick it up again in johnson county


chorus


(spoken- hey charlie what about those gals out there in johnson county?
them johnson johnson county women? i'll tell you 'bout those old johnson county gals)



well, the women will dip snuff in johnson county
oh, the women will dip snuff in jphnson county
oh the women will dip snuff, but they'll never get enough
oh the women will dip snuff in johnson county

chorus

[John Flynn]

Well, the line in an old-time tune that cheers me up the most doesn't sound all that cheery, but it makes me laugh, which is what always cheers me up. It is from "Greasy Coat":

I don't spit and I don't chew,
And I don't go with girls that do.

Those, my friend, are words to live by!

I also get a chuckle out of some OT titles, and by coincidence, some of the ironically titled tunes seem to be pretty upbeat tunes. They include:

Squirrel Heads and Gravy
Monkey on a Dogcart
Grasshopper Sittin' on a Sweet Potato Vine
Shove That Pig's Foot a Little Closer to the Fire
Nail That Catfish to Tree
Bonaparte Crossing the Rockies (Funny only because it never happened)
28th of January (A day where nothing of note happened, unlike the other "day" titles)
Chinese Breakdown (The Chinese had bluegrass?)
Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe? (How did that converstaion get started?)

[JEStanek]

Johnny,
Do you have Tom Brad and Alice's "We'll Die in the Pig Pen Fighting"? I love their version of Greasy Coat. Do you have another version of that 4 line song?

Jamie

[Jon Hall]

The Carter Family recorded some happy songs. Some of my favorites are Keep On The Sunnyside, You Are My Flower, Up On Bear Creek, When The Flowers Bloom In Dixie Land and Dixie Darling.

There are also some happy songs by Uncle Dave Macon such Down The Old Plank Road and Jordan Am A Hard Road To Travel.

[PhilGE]

Eph Got A Coon is a fun tune as played and sung by Dan Gellert.

Johnny Bucker is another fun tune as played and sung by Rhys Jones and Christina Wheeler on their CD #Starry Crown on Vigortone Records.

-Phil

[David M.]

Tunes or songs? I like the song Pig in a Pen.

Tunes: Shoot the Turkey Buzzard; Cacklin' Hen (though not as affective on mando as fiddle); Buffalo gals.

too many good, spirited tunes to mention

[Michael H Geimer]

Bonaparte Crossing the Rockies (Funny only because it never happened)

I always picture some old fiddlers, sitting around, one-up'ing each other with their knowledge of tunes. The first one plays Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine. So, the next guys plays Bonaparte's Retreat.

The third fiddler says, "Oh yeah ... well THIS one's called Bonaparte Crossing the Rocky Mountains! So there! "

Of course, I'm making all that up. Great tune.

[cooper4205]

my country music then & now text (it's a real college class) said songs such as bonaparte's retreat were renamed bonaparte's crossing the rockies to americanize them. and the 8th of january was in honor of jackson defending new orleans in the battle of 1812. i'll try and find the passage and quote it here.

[Tom Smart]

The first song I ever learned, from my mom:

Just smile and be happy,
Just smile and be happy,
Just smile and be happy today,
We all smile a big smile--
Just smile and be happy today!

[Joe F]

Our local old-time circle has been playing Rhine/Retreat as a medley the past few weeks. #We call it "Tabitha's Favorite," named after the guitar player's wife who first suggested it.

[mostconst]

Wildwood Flower and Red Wing are two of my favorites.