Cluck Old Hen

(words collected by Peter Budd)

From Mudcat Café

Cluck old hen, cluck and sing
Ain't laid an egg since 'way last spring.

Cluck old hen, cluck and squall
Ain't laid an egg since 'way last fall.

My old hen's a good old hen
She lays eggs for the railroad men.

Sometimes one, sometimes two
Sometimes enough for the whole damn crew.

Sometimes nine, sometimes ten
That's enough eggs for the railroad men.

My old hen, she won't do
She lays eggs and taters too.

The old hen, she's raised on a farm
Now she's in the new ground, diggin' up corn.

The first time she cackled, she cackled a lot
Next time she cackled, cackled in the pot.


From: Vester Jones. Folkways 3811
The old hen cackled, she cackled in the lot
The next time she cackled, she cackled in the pot

The old hen cackled, she cackled for corn
The old hen cackled, now the chickens all gone

That old hen, she’s raised on a farm
Now she’s on new ground, digging up corn


From Brad Leftwich. Round Peak Style Clawhammer Banjo.
Words from Tommy Jarrell. 
Key A

Cluck old hen, cluck I said
Cluck old hen your widdies all dead

Cluck old hen, cluck for corn
Cluck old hen your widdies all gone

My old hen’s a good old hen
She lays eggs for railroad men

Sometimes one, sometimes two
Sometimes enough for the whole dang crew

I had an old he, she had a wooden leg
The best dang hen that ever laid an egg

She laid more eggs than the hens around the barn
Another little drink wouldn’t do me no harm