Rove Riley Rove - Old Time Banjo Song

2 years ago
52

Rove, Riley, Rove is an old time traditional folk song that is especially popular among banjo pickers. I sing and play it on the mountain banjo in the clawhammer style and I added a few verses at the end that are not normally in the song. I took lyrics from other folk songs and they fit right in and work well with the song I think. Bruce Molsky and Riley Baugus are well known for this song and also YouTuber - LNP292 really captures something unique in the song. He plays it sad and lonesome like. Rips the heart out everytime.

Rove, Riley, Rove-Traditional lyrics
Mountain banjo in standard tuning only lower (low C sharp)

Went upon a mountain
To give my horn a blow
Thought I hear my pretty girl say
Yonder comes by beau

Chorus:
Rove, Riley, Rove
Rove, Riley, Rove
Rove, Riley, poor boy
Ain't got nowhere to go

Daddy give me meat
Mother give me bread
Pretty girl give me one sweet kiss
Like to done killed me dead

Eighteen pounds of meat a week
and whiskey here to sell
How can a young man be at home
pretty girls look so well

Chorus

Went up on the mountain
To strip me a load of cane
Make me a barrel of molasses
To sweeten Miss Liza Jane

Chorus

Daddy built a great big house
sixteen stories high
Every story in that house
Was filled with chicken pie

Possum is a pretty thing
Rambles in the dark
Only time you know she's round
Is when you hear my hound dog bark

Chorus

Below are verses not normally in the song. I took lyrics from other folk songs and they fit right in and work well with the song I think

It`s raining it`s pouring the creek is rising fast
Thought she was the one for me but I knew it would not last

Chorus

The longest train I ever saw was 14 coaches long
The only girl I ever loved was on that train and gone

Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall
If I can`t have the one I want don`t want no one at all

Chorus

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