The third part of McCarn's cotton mill trilogy. Without moralizing, and with rare humor, he presents a realistic view of what happened to those unfortunate who left their mountain farms for the cotton mill. This was Dave McCarn's final recording in an all too brief career.Mike Paris, liner notes for "Singers of the Piedmont," Folk Variety/Bear Family Records 15505. 1970s.
Now, people, in the year nineteen and twenty
The mills run good, everybody had plenty.
Lots of people with a good free will
Sold their homes and move to the mill.
We'll have lots of money, they said,
But everyone got hell instead.
It was fun in the mountains rolling logs,
But now when the whistle blows we run like dogs.CHORUS:Now in the year nineteen and twenty five
It suits us people and serves them fine
For thinking that the mill was a darn goldmine.
The mills all stood but we're still alive.
People kept a-coming when the weather was fine
Just like they were going to a big gold mine.
As time passed on their money did too,
Everyone began to look kind of blue.
If we had any sense up in our dome
We'd still be living in our mountain home.CHORUSNow in the year nineteen and thirty
They don't pay nothing and they do us dirty.
When we do manage to get ahead
It seems like all of the mills go dead.
We're always in a hole getting deeper everyday,
If we ever get even it'll be judgement day.
There's no use to colic and there's no use to shirk,
There's more people loafing than there are at work.CHORUSNow all you mountaineers that's listening to me
Take off your hats end holler ''Whoopee''.
For I'm going back home in the land of the sky
Where they all drink moonshine and never do die.
I'll take my dogs while the moon shines bright,
Hunt coon and possum the whole darn night.
If you can't get the money to move away,
It's too bad folks, you'll have to stay.
