The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn

Words & Music:

Alison Kraus & Union Station

 

[freely, starts on C]

Dm                                      Bb

Tell ya' little story and it won't take long,

        C                                Dm

'Bout a lazy farmer who wouldn't hoe his corn.

Dm                           Bb

The reason why I never could tell,

    C                         Dm

For that young man was always well.

 

He planted his corn in the month of June.

By July it was up to his eyes.

Come September, came a big frost.

And all the young man's corn was lost.

 

[more rhythmically]  Dm  Bb  C  Dm

 

His courtship had just begun.

Said, "Young man, have you hoed some corn?"

"Well I tried and I tried, and I tried in vain.

But I don't believe I raised no grain."

 

He went down town to his neighbor's door.

Where he had of-ten been be-fore.

Sayin', "Pretty little miss, will you marry me?

Little miss what do you say?"

 

"Why do you come for me to wed?

You, can't even make your own corn grain.

Single I am, and will remain.

A lazy man, I won't maintain."

 

[freely]

He turned his back and walked away.

Sayin', "Little miss, you'll rue the day,

You'll rue the day that you were born.

For givin' me the devil 'cause I wouldn't hoe corn."