[Intro]


[Verse 1]
             
Well the cows 

              
went dry, the 

              
hens don't lay

              
, there's no p

           
lace I can bor

row,
             
I gave the lan

             
dlord all the 

             
news and the r

              
ent comes due 


tomorrow,
             
Lots of money 

              
in the bank, t

              
hey say that's

       
 where to keep

 it,
             
Not only won't

             
 they loan me 

             
some they woul

              
dn't let me se

  
e it.

[Chorus]
   
So pick away o

n the old ban-

jo,
             
Keep that guit

   
ar strumming,
             
Put more water

 
 in the soup,
             
There's better

       
 times a-comin

g.

[Verse 2]
             
Well Mary Lou 

              
could pull a p

              
low if only I 

          
would let her,
             
Twice as stron

             
g as any ox an

             
d she don't sm

         
ell much bette

r,
             
Didn't kiss th

              
at Mary Lou bu

              
t once and the

           
n I had to lea

ve her,
             
Make's my coll

             
ar get so tigh

             
t, I start to 

          
burn with feve

r.

[Chorus]
   
So pick away o

n the old ban-

jo,
             
Keep that guit

   
ar strumming,
             
Put more water

 
 in the soup,
             
There's better

       
 times a-comin

g.

[Verse 3]
             
My rooster use

              
d to chase a h

              
en, he just ke

           
pt getting thi

nner,
             
He nearly ran 

             
himself to dea

             
th so I brough

             
t him in for d

inner,
             
Cotton crops a

              
re mighty poor

              
 the weeds are

        
 really growin

',
             
I need a woman

            
 pretty bad to

              
 help me with 

    
the hoein'.

[Chorus]
   
So pick away o

n the old ban-

jo,
             
Keep that guit

   
ar strumming,
             
Put more water

 
 in the soup,
             
There's better

       
 times a-comin

g.


[Verse 4]
             
A man came by 

              
the other day 

              
a-huntin' manu

   
al labor,
             
Said I hadn't 

            
seen the guy w

              
hy don't he as

     
k my neighbour

,
             
So come on boy

              
s get your gal

              
s and kick you

           
r heels up hig

her,
             
Don't let no o

             
ne steal your 

             
gal just hold 

             
her a little t

ighter.

[Chorus]
   
So pick away o

n the old ban-

jo,
             
Keep that guit

   
ar strumming,
             
Put more water

 
 in the soup,
             
There's better

       
 times a-comin

g.