New River Train

Words & Music:

Traditional American

 

According to a post on The Mudcat Cafe "...[Alan] Lomax says, Some hillbilly, who came to town and discovered the limitations of his ancestral Calvinism, began this rhyme, and it has kept on rolling by itself from coast to coast, to become the national chant of a rebellious American libido. Lomax calls the song DARLING,..."  A Scott Nygaard arrangement of this for acoustic guitar is in the August 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar.  I've consolidated all the versions I could find from Mudcat & others sent me.  Mudcat Sources are: the Penguin Book of American Folksongs (1964), compiled and edited with notes by Alan Lomax and a transcription of a recording of Bill Monroe back in '39 and '40.

 

CHORUS:

    G                                                         D

I'm riding on that New River Train.  Riding on that New River Train.

G                   C                     G       D      G

Same old train that brought me here gonna take me away again.

 

Darling, you can't love but one.  Darling, you can't love but one.

You can't love but one & still have any fun.

Oh, Darling, you can't love but one.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love two.  Darling, you can't love two.

You can't love two and still be true.  [alt: to me be true]

Oh, Darling, you can't love two.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love three.  Darling, you can't love three.

You can't love three, and still love me. [alt: and get along with me]

Oh, Darling you can't love three.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love four.  Darling, you can't love four.

You can't love four, and love me any more  [alt: and come knocking at my door]

Oh, Darling, you can't love four.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love five.  Darling, you can't love five.

You can't love five, and get honey from my beehive  [alt: hive]

Oh, Darling, you can't love five.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love six.  Darling, you can't love six.

You can't love six, that kinda love don't mix.  [alt: and keep me in this fix]

Oh, Darling, you can't love six.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love seven.  Darling, you can't love seven.

You can't love seven and expect to get to heaven.

Oh, Darling, you can't love seven.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love eight.  Darling, you can't love eight.

You can't love eight and get through them pearly gates.

[alt: and keep this business straight.]

Oh, Darling, you can't love eight.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love nine.  Darling, you can't love nine.

You can't love nine and be a gal of mine.  [alt: and see me all the time]

Oh, Darling, you can't love nine.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, you can't love ten.  Darling, you can't love ten.

You can't love ten, I'll have to sing this song again.

[alt: and be welcome here again]

Oh, Darling, you can't love ten.

 

CHORUS:

 

Darling, remember what you said.  Darling, remember what you said.

Remember what you said: "I'd rather be dead

Than see you leavin' on that new river train."