One Kind Favor

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

[a.k.a. "One Kind Favor"]

Words & Music:

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Peter, Paul & Mary's "One Kind Favor" was a re-working of this song. Many thanks to songhound Dan M. for introducing me to the Blind Lemon Jefferson original! Bob Dylan & B.B. King have covered the original version. Apparently, fans & folk musicians have heeded his call and taken great care of his grave. I've included several versions here.

1. Peter, Paul & Mary version ("One Kind Favor")

Well, there's one kind favor I'll ask of you.

Am Dm

There's one kind favor I'll ask of you.

Am E7 Am

See that my grave is kept clean.

There's two white horses in a line.

Carryin' me to my buryin' ground.

There's three black coaches in the rain.

Empty now from their heavy load.

Have you ever heard a coffin sound?

Bein' lowered in the ground?

There's one kind favor I'll ask of you.

See that my grave is kept clean.

2. Blind Lemon Jefferson ("See That My Grave..." version - Dream Syndicate's Chords)

Dm C Dm

Well, there's one kind favor I'll ask of you.

Dm C Dm

Well, there's one kind favor I'll ask of you.

Dm C G

There's just one kind favor I'll ask of you:

G Dm

You can see that my grave is kept clean.

And there's two white horses following me.

I got two white horses following me,

Waiting on my burying ground.

Did you ever hear that coffin' sound?

Have you ever heard that coffin' sound?

Did you ever hear that coffin' sound?

Means another poor boy is under ground.

Did you ever hear them church bells tone

Have you ever hear'd them church bells tone

Did you ever hear them church bells tone

Means another poor boy is dead and gone

Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold.

And, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold.

Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold.

Now I believe what the bible told.

There's just one last favor I'll ask of you.

And there's one last favor I'll ask of you.

There's just one last favor I'll ask of you:

See that my grave is kept clean.

3. Blind Lemon Jefferson ("One Kind Favor" version)

Just one kind favor I ask of you

One kind favor I ask of you

One kind favor, I ask of you

To see that my grave is kept clean

If you ever hear a church bell toll

If you ever hear, a church bell toll

You'll know by that I'm dead and gone

Dig my grave with a silver spade

Dig my grave, with a silver spade

Mark the place where I would lay

Just one kind favor I ask of you

One kind favor I ask of you

One kind favor, I ask of you

See that my grave is kept clean

See my grave is kept clean

1. Bob Dylan's version (tab by Russ Stone)

Intro:

: . . . : . . . : . . .

|---2-2-(etc.)----|-----------------|-----------------|----

|---3-3-----------|-----------------|-----------------|----

|---2-3-----------|-----------------|-----------------|----

|---0-0---0-----3-|-3-0-------------|-----------------|-0--

|-0-----3---------|-----3-0---------|---------------3-|----

|-0---------------|---------0--\3---|-0--\3---0-------|----

D D/c D/b D (/c-d)

Well there's one kind-a favor I'll ask of you

D D/c D/b D (/c-d)

Well there's one kind-a favor I'll ask of you

D D/c D/b D (/c-d)

There's just one kind favor I'll ask of you

D D/c /b D

You can see that my grave is kept clean.

D /c /b D (/c-d)

And there's two white horses following me

D /c /b D (/c-d)

And there's two white horses following me

D /c /b (5th str: 0h2)

I got two white horses following me

D c /b D

Waiting on my burying ground.

Did you ever hear that coughin' sound

Means another poor boy is underground.

Did you ever hear them church bells tone

Have you ever hear that church bells tone

Did you ever hear them church bells tone

Means another poor boy is dead and gone.

And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold

Now I believe what the bible told.

There's just one last favor I'll ask of you

And there's one last favor I'll ask of you

There's just one last favor I'll ask of you

See that my grave is kept clean.