Author: rdoggett@villandio.net

Virgil Kane is the name
And I served on the Danville train
‘Till Stoneman’s cavalry came
And tore up the tracks again
In the winter of ’65
We were hungry, just barely alive
By May the 10th, Richmond had fell
It’s a time I remember, oh so well

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”

Back with my wife in Tennessee
When one day she called to me
“Virgil, quick, come see,
There goes Robert E. Lee!”
Now, I don’t mind chopping wood
And I don’t care if the money’s no good
You take what you need
And you leave the rest
But they should never
Have taken the very best

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”

Like my father before me
I will work the land
And like my brother above me
Who took a rebel stand
He was just 18, proud and brave
But a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can’t raise a Kane back up
When he’s in defeat

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la”

When I call you up your line’s engaged
I have had enough so act your age
We have lost the time that was so hard to find
And I will lose my mind
If you won’t see me (You won’t see me)
You won’t see me (You won’t see me)

I don’t know why you should want to hide
(Ooh la la la, ooh la la la)
But I can’t get through, my hands are tied
(Ooh la la la, ooh la la la)
I won’t want to stay
I don’t have much to say
(Ooh la la la, oh la la la)
But I can turn away
And you won’t see me (You won’t see me)
You won’t see me (You won’t see me)

Time after time you refuse to even listen
I wouldn’t mind if I knew what I was missing
(No, I wouldn’t, no I wouldn’t)

Though the days are few they’re filled with tears
(Ooh la la la, ooh la la la)
And since I lost you it feels like years
(Ooh la la la, ooh la la la)
Yes, it seems so long, girl, since you’ve been gone
(Ooh la la la, ooh la la la)
And I just can’t go on
If you won’t see me (You won’t see me)
You won’t see me (You won’t see me)

Time after time…

Though the days…

Yeah, ooh la la la, ooh la la la

Ooh la la la, ooh la la la…

When I get off of this mountain
You know where I wanna go?
Straight down the Mississippi River
To the Gulf of Mexico
To Lake Charles, Louisiana
Little Bessie, girl that I once knew
And she told me just to come on by
If there’s anything she could do

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me
If I spring a leak, she mends me
I don’t have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard’s dream if I ever did see one

Good luck had just stung me
To the race track I did go
She bet on one horse to win
And I bet on another to show
Odds were in my favor
I had ’em five to one
And that nag to win came around the track
Sure enough we had won

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me
If I spring a leak, she mends me
I don’t have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard’s dream if I ever did see one

I took up all of my winnings
And I gave my little Bessie half
And she tore it up and threw it in my face
Just for a laugh
Now there’s one thing in the whole wide world
I sure would like to see
That’s when that little love of mine
Dips her doughnut in my tea

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me
If I spring a leak, she mends me
I don’t have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard’s dream if I ever did see one

Now me and my mate were back at the shack
We had Spike Jones on the box
She said, “I can’t take the way he sings
But I love to hear him talk”
Now that just gave my heart a throb
To the bottom of my feet
And I swore and I took another pull
My Bessie can’t be beat

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me
If I spring a leak, she mends me
I don’t have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard’s dream if I ever did see one

There’s a flood out in California
And up north it’s freezing cold
And this living off the road
Is getting pretty old
So I guess I’ll call up my big mama
Tell her I’ll be rolling in
But you know, deep down, I’m kinda tempted
To go and see my Bessie again

Up on Cripple Creek, she sends me
If I spring a leak, she mends me
I don’t have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard’s dream if I ever did see one

I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
“Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?”
He just grinned and shook my hand, “no” was all he said

Take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

I picked up my bag, I went lookin’ for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin’ side by side
I said, “Hey, Carmen, come on let’s go downtown.”
She said, “I gotta go but my friend can stick around.”

Take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Go down, Miss Moses, there’s nothin’ you can say
It’s just old Luke and Luke’s waitin’ on the Judgment Day
“Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?”
He said, “Do me a favor, son, won’t you stay and keep Anna Lee company?”

Take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said, “I will fix your rack if you take Jack, my dog.”
I said, “Wait a minute, Chester, you know I’m a peaceful man.”
He said, “That’s OK, boy, won’t you feed him when you can?”

Yeah, take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Catch a cannon ball now to take me down the line
My bag is sinkin’ low and I do believe it’s time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she’s the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone

Take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Wild thing, you make my heart sing
You make everything groovy
Wild thing

Wild thing, I think I love you
But I wanna know for sure

Come on and hold me tight

I love you

Wild thing, you make my heart sing
You make everything groovy
Wild thing

Wild thing, I think you move me
But I wanna know for sure

Come on and hold me tight

You move me

Wild thing, you make my heart sing
You make everything groovy, wild thing

C’mon, c’mon, wild thing
Check it, check it, wild thing

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
A-telling me I got to beware

I think it’s time we stop
Children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Are getting so much resistance from behind

Time we stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and a-carrying signs
Mostly say hooray for our side

It’s time we stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
Step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down

We better stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going dow
We better stop now
What’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down

We better stop
Children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down

I’ve got sunshine
On a cloudy day
And when it’s cold outside
I’ve got the month of May.

I guess you say
What can make me feel this way ?
My girl…
Talkin”bout my girl.

I’ve got so much, honey
The birds can envy me
I’ve got a sweeter song, baby
Than the birds and the bees.

I guess you say
What can make me feel this way ?
My girl…
Talkin”bout my girl.

I don’t need no money
Fortune or fame
I’ve got all the riches, baby
One man can claim.

I guess you say
What can make me feel this way ?
My girl…
Talkin”bout my girl.