Cotton Smokey Midnight

medley : pick a bale of cotton / on top of old smokey / the midnight special ( abba ) time signature : cut common ( ie feels 2/4 but written 4/4 ) E ( whole song is E ) gonna jump down , spin around , pick a bale of cotton gonna jump down , spin around , pick a bale a day gonna jump down , spin around , pick a bale of cotton gonna jump down , spin around , pick a bale a day oh , lordy pick a bale of cotton oh , lordy pick a bale a day oh , lordy pick a bale of cotton oh , lordy pick a bale a day i said me and my buddy gonna pick a bale of cotton now me and my buddy gonna pick a bale a day i said me and my buddy gonna pick a bale of cotton now me and my buddy gonna pick a bale a day oh , lordy pick a bale of cotton oh , lordy pick a bale a day oh , lordy pick a bale of cotton oh , lordy pick a bale a day turnaround : 6 bars of E then | E | D | A D | a n . C . | time signature now 6/8 ( A ) D on top of old smokey A all covered with snow A7 E i lost my true lover A A7 by courting so slow D for courting’s a pleasure A and parting is grief E and a false - hearted lover A A7 is worse than a thief D on top of old smokey A all covered with snow A7 E i lost my true lover A by courting so slow back to 4/4 turnaround : 4 bars n . C . however you can play A G Verse 1 : ( G ) C well , you wake up in the morning G hear the ding dong ring D you go marching to the table G see the same old thing C see the fork on the table G nothing in your pan D if you say a thing about it G you’re in trouble with the man Chorus : G7 C let the midnight special G shine a light on me D let the midnight special G shine its everlovin’ light on me Verse 2 : G7 C if you ever go to houston G well you’d better act right D and you’d better not gamble G and you’d better not fight C for the sheriff will arrest you G and he’ll take you down D and before you understand it G you are prison bound Chorus : G7 C let the midnight special G shine a light on me D let the midnight special G shine its everlovin’ light on me ( on me , on me ) [ play Chorus two more times , then fade fourth time around . ] [ live : can just end on the final G chord , or do a cadence ] : charted by bustopher the busker - bustopher@bigpond . com