When the judge heard the verdict, said I’m a guilty man,
He said, “Forty-five dollars, or thirty days in the can.”
Said, “That’ll be cash on the barrelhead, son;
You can make your choice, you’re twenty-one.
No money down, no credit plan,
No time to chase you, ‘cause I’m busy man.”

Verse2:
Found a telephone number, on a laundry slip,
And a good-hearted jailer, with a six-gun hip.
He let me call long-distance, she said, “Number, please…”
No sooner than I told her, she shouted out at me,
Said, “That’ll be cash on the barrelhead, son,
Not part, not half, but the entire sum.
No money down, no credit plan,
‘Cause a little bird tells me, that you’re a travellin’ man.”

Verse3:
Thirty days in the jailhouse, four days on the road,
I was feeling mighty hungry, my feet a heavy load.
Saw a greyhound comin’, stuck up my thumb;
Before I got to my seat, the driver caught my arm.
Said, “That’ll be cash on the barrelhead, son;
This old grey dog, she’s paid to run.
When the engine stops, and the wheels won’t roll,
You give me cash on the barrelhead, I’ll take you down the road.”

(some versions repeat last 4 lines of verse1, and/or tag last line)

(Thanks to Brian for corrections)

WE WERE ALONE LAST NIGHT, PRETENDING WRONG WAS RIGHT

TIME STOOD BY IT SEEMED, I WISH IT HAD BEEN A DREAM

YOU SAID THOSE WORDS AGAIN, WE WERE SO CLOSE AGAIN

BUT ITS EASIER TO AWAKE FROM A DREAM AND CRY

THAN TO WALK AWAY AND SAY GOODBYE

TO COUNT THE YEARS SINCE WE’VE MET

SO LONG OUR LIPS HAVE BEEN SEALED

BUT NOTHING CAN MAKE US FORGET

WHEN WE KISS AND HOW IT MADE US FEEL

I WAS AFRAID LAST NIGHT, UNTIL YOU HELD ME TIGHT

BUT ITS EASIER TO AWAKE FROM A DREAM AND CRY

THAN TO WALK AWAY AND SAY GOODBYE

I WAS AFRAID LAST NIGHT, UNTIL YOU HELD ME TIGHT

BUT ITS EASIER TO AWAKE FROM A DREAM AND CRY

THAN TO WALK AWAY AND SAY GOODBYE

I WISH IT HAD BEEN A DREAM, JUST YOU AND ME IN A DREAM

Ira Louvin vocals, mandolin
Charles Louvin vocals, guitar
Paul Yandell guitar
“Smiley” Wilson rhythm guitar
Floyd T. “Lightning’ Chance bass
Murry M. “Buddy” Harman drums
Marvin Hughes piano

CHORUS:
Hold back the rushing minutes
Make the wind lie still
Don’t let the moonlight shine
Across the lonely hill
Dry all the raindrops
And hold back the sun
My world has ended
My baby’s gone

The Milkman whistles softly
As he comes up to my door
The Mailman brings the letters by
Just like he did before
They seem so busy all day long
As though there’s nothing wrong,
Don’t they know the world has ended
My Baby’s Gone

ch.

I wake up sometimes in the night
And realize you’re gone
And then I toss upon my bed
And wait for day to come
I try to tell my lonely heart
It must go on alone
But it cries the world has ended
My Baby’s Gone

..chorus..

Ira Louvin vocals, mandolin
Charlie Louvin vocals, guitar
Chet Atkins electric guitar
Eddie Hill (probably) rhythm guitar
Floyd T. “Lightning” Chance bass

Chorus
The Family who prays
Will never be parted
Their circle in heaven unbroken shall stand
God will say “enter, my good faithful servants”
The family who prays

Never shall part

VERSE
Satan has parted fathers and mothers
Filling their hearts with his envy and hate
Heading their pathways down to destruction
Leaving their children like orphans to stray

chorus

Wars and Tornadoes are taking our loved ones
Leaving us tearful with sad aching hearts
But we shall join them over the river
For the family who prays
Never shall part

I’ll deck my brow with roses
My true love may be there
And gems that others gave me
Shall shine within my hair

And even them that know me
Will think my heart is light
Though my heart will break tomorrow
I’ll be all smiles tonight

chorus:
I’ll be all smiles tonight, love,
I’ll be all smiles tonight
Though my heart may break tomorrow
I’ll be all smiles tonight.

And when the room he entered
The bride upon his arm
I stood and gazed upon him
As though he was a charm
And then he smiled upon her
As once he smiled on me
They know not what I suffered
They found no change in me

chorus

And when the dance is over
And all have gone to rest
I’ll think of him, dear mother
The one that I love best
He once did love, believe me
But now he’s cold and strange
He sought not to deceive me
False friends have brought this change

chorus

Let’s sing it shout it walk it talk it (There’s a higher power)
Lay down your soul cause Jesus bought it (There’s a higher power)
Amen (Amen) Amen (Amen) (There’s a higher power)
Amen (Amen) Amen (Amen) (There’s a higher power)

SOLO

Go tell them people lost in sin (There’s a higher power)
They need not fear the works of men (There’s a higher power)
Believe in him who rest on high (There’s a higher power)
Unless they do they’ll surely die (There’s a higher power)

Let’s sing it shout it walk it talk it (There’s a higher power)
Lay down your soul cause Jesus bought it (There’s a higher power)
Amen (Amen) Amen (Amen) (There’s a higher power)
Amen (Amen) Amen (Amen) (There’s a higher power)

SOLO

Those men have built these mighty guns (There’s a higher power)
They’ve built these automobiles that run (There’s a higher power)
But Brothers and Sisters mark this down (There’s a higher power)
They can’t build you no heavenly crown (There’s a higher power)

Let’s sing it shout it walk it talk it (There’s a higher power)
Lay down your soul cause Jesus bought it (There’s a higher power)
Amen (Amen) Amen (Amen) (There’s a higher power)
Amen (Amen) Amen (Amen) (There’s a higher power)

>From the album “Tragic Songs of Life”

[3/4]
My brother and I were out hunting
A stray bullet made him its mark
I carried him back to the cabin
His life nothing more than a spark
He whispered to me very softly
Dear brother, I’m going away
So listen and come to me closely
There’s so much that I have to say

My sweetheart, her dear name is Sally
Her mother and father have died
She’s waiting alone in the valley
When I left her, oh how she cried

I promised to bring her my fortune
Return to the valley and wed
But I’ve had a call from my maker
So I’ll have to go there instead

He gave me the ring he had bought her
And told of the plans they had made
He spoke of how long she had waited
And for his return, how she prayed

He gave me a small piece of paper
The will he had made for this day
I promised to do as he wanted
The Good Lord would show me the way

He gave me his home in the valley
And all of the money he had
He asked me to marry his Sally
And promise she’d never be sad

But once long ago we were rivals
For I loved her too from the start
I’d made up my mind to stay single
For Sally had broken my heart

My dear brother went up to heaven
And I went to our valley home
But Sally had married another
So what’s left for me but to roam?

I pray the good Lord up above me
To keep Brother’s faith in me still
His Sally was fickle, unfaithful
That’s why I broke my brother’s will.