My Grandfather's Clock, Copy

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

Death--Songs and music

Grandfathers--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 grandfatherz clock waz too tall for the shelf
So it stood ninety yrz on the floor
It waz 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 waz orn
It waz always his joy and his pride
But it stoped short never to go again when the
Old man died.

Chorus

Ninety yrz without slumbering
Tick Tick Tick
Itz lifez seckond's numbering
Tick Tick Tick
It stoped short never to go again
When the old man died.

And watching itz pendulum swing two and fro
Many hrz had he passed when a boy
And through youth and through manhood
The clock seem 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 waisted 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 handz 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 yrz had been dum
And we knew that his spirit
Waz blooming for flight
That the hour of departure had come
And the clock kept time
With the lonely chime
Az 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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