Catfish John

Beautiful performance by vocalist Alison Krauss and excellent instrumentation and backup by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
with Jerry Douglas and Randy Scruggs. (lyrics below)

Ripplin' Waters by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Note: The full version of the Dirt Band's Ripplin' Waters starts very quietly. If you turn up the volume a little you will hear the water sounds - kinda 'puts you there.'(lyrics below)

LYRICS

Catfish John

Momma said don't go near that river
Don't be hangin' 'round old Catfish John
Come the mornin' I'd always be there
Walkin' in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

Let me dream of another mornin'
And a tiime so long ago
When the sweet magnolia blossom
Cotton fields were white as snow

Catfish John was a river hobo
Livin' by the river bed
Thinkin' back, I still remember
I was proud to be his friend

Momma said don't go near that river
Don't be hangin' 'round old Catfish John
Come the mornin' I'd always be there
Walkin' in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

Born a slave in the town of Vicksburg
Traded for a chestnut mare
But still he never spooke in anger
Though his load was hard to bear

Momma said don't go near that river
Don't be hangin' 'round old Catfish John
Come the mornin' I'd always be there
Walkin' in his footsteps in the sweet delta dawn

Momma said don't go near that river
Don't be hangin' 'round old Catfish John
Come the mornin' I'd always be there.

*Catfish John" is the title of a song written by Bob McDill and Allen Reynolds, and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Russell.

'Ripplin Waters'

I got rippling waters to wake me
to the morning, my woman and love
and tall pine trees are pointing us easily to heaven above
Blue spruce flaming on the grate in the evening
Takes the chill away fine
Cut the telephone line and the story's the same

There's a worn red chair by the window
That we found at a sale down the way
When some old women said that they needed more room for the
winter
People like pulling out the stuffing when they sit down
And so it passes the time
Cut the telephone line and the story's the same

Blow like a bubble on a windy day
Start to flutter when I hear you say
That you feel to good to go away
And you make me feel fine
And you've made my world a warmer place
By the sparkling of your diamond face
on a frayed spot, put a little lace
And you make me feel fine
Warm as the mountain sunshine
On the edge of the snowline
In a meadow of columbine

Oh, little Jennifer, I'd give a penny for
What you've got on your mind
It seems like most of the time you're lying there dreaming.
Maybe in your vision you’ll see how our mission is slightly
less than divine
Cut the telephone line and the story's the same

And now rippling waters flow through pipes
In the walls and they're keeping me warm
And the closest I've been to my family for days is my music
But to silently stare in the morning sky
It's like hearing her calling my name
You cut the telephone line and the story might change.

- written by Jim Ibbotson