The Cuckoo Song

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Traditional song recorded in 1929 by Clarence Ashley and many others since, more notes on the music, arrangement and other versions below. 

Chorus:

Fm   

Oh the Cuckoo is a pretty bird

                               Eb        Fm

And she warbles as she flies

But she never hollers cuckoo

                    Eb     Fm

Til the 4th day of July

Jack of diamonds, jack of diamonds

I know you of old

You have robbed my poor pockets

Of my silver and my gold

I have gambled in England

And I gambled in Spain

I’ll bet you ten dollars

I’ll beat you next game

(Chorus)

(solos)

Gonna get me a shotgun

Just as long as I’m tall

Gonna fill that big shotgun

with a ten inch iron ball

Gonna build me a cabin

On a mountain far away

Gonna live there with my true love

Til we both do pass away

(Chorus)

We will be doing the song in Fm. 2 chords Fm and Eb 

Typical 4 bars:

Fm             EbFm

1xxx2xxx3xxx4xxx

Sometimes hangs on the Fm between verses a little longer. Typically there are 4 bars of instrumental (with the same chord progression) between the verses and choruses. 

Same 4 bar chord progression for solos, figure 16 bar solos for as many people who want one. 

Links to other versions:  Clarence Ashley version you can find at about 3 ½ minutes into this video. Some history of his 1929 recording in the interview that opens the video. A rendition based on the Doc Watson version by Billy Strings (with some more history) here. Another version where I got most of the verses here by the Holy Modal Rounders. For the accordion part here is pretty much the way I will be playing it on the 21st.