Long John

Traditional

The Home of Bonnie Bleecher, Minneapolis MN - 22 Dec 1961  

(--- long harmonica intro)

Just a tale about lost John
Long John from Bowling Green
(--- harmonica bridge and foot taping)

I'm long gone, long John 
He's runnin' thru the corn
Runnin' thru the corn
Like a turkey in the corn
He's runnin' thru the corn
Long clothes on
He's runnin' thru the corn
He's long John
With his long clothes on.
(--- harmonica bridge and foot taping)

Well the water was deep and the water was wide
Long John come on east coast side(?)
Trapped in the river tryin' to get on course
Jumped on an alligator thought it was a horse
John done come to the other side
Seen them guns pointed at his hide
He's long gone
Runnin' thru the trees
Runnin' thru the swamp
He's long gone, he's long gone
He's long lost John from Bowling Green.
(--- harmonica bridge and foot taping)

Long John come when the train come around
Aint't it number 9 by the way she sound
Train is a-rollin around the bend
Sixteen coaches, had no end
Long John ran to the side board track
Jumped the train and ain't come back
Train is comin' to where he was
Say ... sittin' down in Arkansas
Train come around, train says, train says something like this:
(--- harmonica: departing train and whistle blowing)
Train gets speeder like this:
(--- harmonica: train getting speed)

Lonesome John jump that train for a-thirty miles
Got so tired that the poor boy fell off
Laying/Waning down in a farmer's house
Seen them lights from a million miles
The farmer there he would live
Pretty dogs surrounded him
One light shining on top of the bin
Ain't John know if he'd come in
He emptied(?) ... ... 
Hear sounds the dogs, insane the dogs
Little biity dog
Big bad dog ...

Long John's scared
He's runnin' thru the corn
He's runnin' faster than the boots never born
(--- harmonica and foot taping)

He's long John
Runnin' thru the corn
With his long clothes on
He's long John, long John, long John
Runnin' thru the corn
With long clothes on
Long clothes on
Long clothes on
Long clothes on
The dog, the train 
(--- whistle-blowin' harmonica)

Last time I saw him was over an year!