My Grandfather's Clock

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

Popular music--United States

Longcase clocks--Songs and music

Grandfathers--Songs and music

Death--Songs and music

Work, Henry C. (Henry Clay), 1832-1884

AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings

W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University

Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967

PDF

English

Text

Grandfatherz Clock

My grandfathers clock was too tall for the shelf
So it stood ninety years on the floor
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
Thou it wieghed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day he was orn
It waz always his joy and his pride.
But it stoped short, never to go again, when the
Old man died.

Chorus

Ninety years without slumbering:
Tick Tick Tick
It's life's seckond's numbering
Tick Tick Tick
It stoped short, never to go again
When the old man died.

And watching its pendulum swing two and fro
Many hours had he passed when a boy.
And through youth and through manhood
The clock seemed to know
And to share with his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty four
As he entered the door
With his beautiful and blooming bride
But it stoped short, never to go again,
When the old man died.

Chorus

My grandfather said of those he would hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found,
For it wasted no time
And it had but one desire
At the close of each week to be wound.,
And it stood at its place
Not a frown on its face
And itz hands never hung by its sides.
But it stoped short, never to go again,
When the old man died

Chorus

It rang an alarm at the dead of the night
An alarm that for years had been dumb.
And we knew that his spirit
Was blooming for flight
That the hour of departure had come.
And the clock kept time
With the lonely chime
As we silently stood by his side
But it stoped short, never to go again
When the old man died.

Chorus

1876

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