Sugar Hill

(words collected by Peter Budd)

From Crocket Ward and his Boys.


If you want to get your eye knocked out
If you want to get your fill
If you want to get your head cut off
Then go to Sugar Hill

Jaybird on the mountain top
Redbird on the ground
Blackbird in the sugar tree
A’shaking that sugar down

?Big Mary? Got mighty sick
And what do you reckon ailed her
[She] drink three pints of sugar top
And then her stomach failed her

Ten Cents in my pocket book
And don’t you hear it jingle
I’m gonna court them pretty gals
As long as I stay single

Jaybird pulled a big plough
??and the borrar one a jew??
Your legs so slim and slender
I’m fraid they’ll break it too

Yonder comes my old true love
And how do you reckon I know
Tell her by her shoo fly dress
That comes from sugar stores?




From: Brad Leftwich in book Round Peak Style Clawhammer banjo

Five cents in my pocket change, 
two dollars in my bill
If I had ten dollars more, 
I’d climb old Sugar hill

Jaybird and the sparrowhawk, 
they had a little fight together
They fought all around the briar patch
and they never jerked a feather

If I had no horse to ride, 
I’d be found a walking
Up and down old Toenail Gap 
to hear that girl a-talking




From Dad Crockett, written out in Old Time String Band Songbook (New Lost City Ramblers).

If you want to get your eye knocked out
If you want to get your fill
If you want to get your eye knocked out
Go to Sugar Hill

I’m getting lonesome for my gal
I want a drink of Rye
I’m a going to Sugar Hill
Or know the reason why

Possum on a railfence
Looking at the sun
Hound dog coming down the road
Possum better run

Possum up a simmon tree
Raccoon on the ground
Possum up a simmon tree
Shaking simmons down

Get your banjo off the wall
Grab your fiddle Bill
Hitch the horses to the sleigh
We’re going to Sugar Hill