"So Long, Been Good to Know Ya"

Here's some history: I first heard the song done by Woody Guthrie. He used his own lyrics to the melody of "Ballad of Billy the Kid" and the chorus is one of the many varients to Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene" (one of my favorite songs, by the way.) I took the lyrics to the chorus and first verse from Woody, and then made up the rest, so that's about four people in one song. Ain't folk music great?

Well, I stole the "rapping at her door" part from Dylan's "It's all over Now, Baby Blue" which also probably came from somewhere else. So that's five. Hell, I could probably keep going. I'll stop now to save time.


I've sung this song but I'll sing it again
of the people I've met and the places I've been
of some of the troubles that bothered my mind
and a lot of good people that I've left behind, sayin'

chorus: so long it's been good to know ya
so long it's been good to know
so long it's been good to know ya
what a long time since I've been home
and I gotta be driftin along

I fell for June and then had to walk away
I don't know if I'll ever see her someday
we met so young and it chained our hearts
maybe it was time or fate that got our signals so crossed, I sang

chorus

A friend from t-town said goodbye once before
then years later I stood rapping at her door
a candle light flickered but eventually died
now we won't crawl back and she's still on my mind, singin

chorus

Robby was just like an older brother to me
so patient when I was too lost to see
maybe i took him for granted when I left town
I never wanted to hurt him, but does it matter now? just sing

chorus

Now to the people who've raised me, please be fair
I won't vanish forever, I just couldn't stay there
I had to move away from the life I'd been shown
a new dawn was rising somewhere deep in my soul, singin

chorus