Misc Traditional – Starving To Death On A Government Claim (Guitar)

   G
My name is Tom Hight, an old bach'lor I am,

       D7
You'll find me out west in the country of fame,

       G
You'll find me out west on an elegant plain,

   D7                      G
A- starving to death on my government claim.

G
Hurrah for Greer County! the land of the free,

    D7
The land of the bedbug, grasshopper and flea;

     G
I'll sing of its praises, I'll tell of its fame,

       D7                     G
While starving to death on my government claim.

   G
My house, it is built of national soil,

    D7
Its walls are erected according to Hoyle,

    G
Its roof has no pitch, but is level and plain,

  D7                    G
I always get wet if it happens to rain.

G
Hurrah for Greer County! the land of the free,

    D7
The land of the bedbug, grasshopper and flea;

     G
I'll sing of its praises, I'll tell of its fame,

       D7                     G
While starving to death on my government claim.

   G
My clothes are all ragged, as my language is rough,

   D7
My bread is corndodgers, both solid and tough;

             G
But yet I am happy and live at my ease

   D7                 G
On sorghum, molasses, bacon and cheese.

G
Hurrah for Greer County! the land of the free,

    D7
The land of the bedbug, grasshopper and flea;

     G
I'll sing of its praises, I'll tell of its fame,

       D7                     G
While starving to death on my government claim.

    G
How happy am I when I crawl into bed,

   D7
A rattlesnake hisses a tune at my head,

             G
A gay little centipede, all without fear,

       D7                 G
Crawls over my pillow and into my ear.

G
Hurrah for Greer County! the land of the free,

    D7
The land of the bedbug, grasshopper and flea;

     G
I'll sing of its praises, I'll tell of its fame,

       D7                     G
While starving to death on my government claim.

    G
Now all you claim holders, I hope you will stay

    D7
And chew your hardtack till you're toothless and grey,

        G
But for myself I'll no longer remain

   D7                      G
To starve like a dog on my government claim.

G
Hurrah for Greer County! the land of the free,

    D7
The land of the bedbug, grasshopper and flea;

     G
I'll sing of its praises, I'll tell of its fame,

       D7                     G
While starving to death on my government claim.

    G
Farewell to Greer County, farewell to the west,

     D7
I'll travel back east to the girl I love best,

     G
I'll travel to Texas and marry me a wife

    D7                    G
And quit corn dodgers the rest of my life.

G
Goodbye to Greer County where blizzards arise,

          D7
Where the sun never sinks and the flea never dies,

        G
And the wind never ceases but always remains

        D7                        G
Till it starves us all out on our government claims.