The Folk Song Of The Week is Old Plank Road. It’s a fun, fun song and even though there are only a few verses, if you do it right, you can make it last for 15 minutes with a couple of friends!
It’s a blast on frailing / clawhammer banjo and if nothing else, it will make your foot tap!
Old Plank Road
[G]Rather be in Richmond, [C]midst all the hail and [G]rain, Than for to be in Georgia boys, [C]wearing that ball and [G]chain
Chorus:
Won’t get drunk no more, won’t get drunk no [D7]more, [G]Won’t get
drunk no more, way [D7]down on the old plank [G]road
I went down to Mobile for to get on the gravel train, Very next thing heard of me, had on a ball and chain
Dony, oh dear Dony, what makes you treat me so? Caused me to wear the bail and chain, now my ankle’s sore
Knoxville is a pretty place, Memphis is a beauty If you want to see them some pretty girls, hop to Chattanoogie
I’m going to build a scaffold on some mountain high So I can see my Dora girl as she goes riding by
My wife died on Friday night, Saturday was buried Sunday was my courting day, Monday I was married