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Further Tribute

It's funny--we mock John Denver for so many reasons, but everyone has a favorite. Here is the first half of Grandma's Feather Bed, which I always liked because I had a similar experience sitting around and listening as the "old folks would spit and chew," literally.

And I loved hearing their old stories, sitting in Granddaddy's kitchen with the june bugs on the screen door and hounds in the back looking for biscuits.

When I was a little bitty boy, just up off a floor,
we used to go down to Grandma's house
every month end or so.
We'd have chicken pie and country ham,
homemade butter on the bread.
But the best darn thing about Grandma's house
was her great big feather bed.
It was nine feet wide, and six feet high, soft as a downy chick
It was made from the feathers of forty-eleven geese,
took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick.
It'd hold eight kids and four hound dogs
and a piggy we stole from the shed.
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun
on Grandma's feather bed.
After supper we'd sit around the fire,
the old folks would spit and chew.
Pa would talk about the farm and the war,
and Granny'd sing a ballad or two.
I'd sit and listen and watch the fire
till the cobwebs filled my head,
next thing I'd know I'd wake up in the morning
in the middle of the old feather bed.

Comments

dive said…
You're right. Why is it so uncool to like John Denver? He wrote so many good songs.
Your post made me dig through my old vinyl last night for his albums. And this morning, walking along the Embankment with the sun sparkling on the Thames (good weather for John Denver songs), I was singing Colorado Rocky Mountain High; much to the bemusement of passers-by.
Thanks for that.
Scout said…
Dive, I'm glad to inspire. The only line that comes to mind is "friends around the campfire, everybody's high." That does seem odd to be sung beside the Thames, but I've only been beside the Thames twice in my life, so what do I know?
Let not forget that oled time favorite.. "thank God I'm a country boy"

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