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016 Old Joe

by Mark Shepard

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about

I wrote this when I was 17. At the time it was kind of a portrait of my Grandfather... now that my own dad is turning 89 this it seems to apply more to him... and I'm sure that at some point it will be totally autobiographical! LOL In retrospect some pretty decent guitar playing (glad I was able to remember how to play it!). Enjoy. - Mark

lyrics

Old Joe

Song # 16 | March 1978

Old Joe, he don’t go
Farther than the front steps you know
He sits on the porch with a bottle in a bag
Humming a sweet refrain from a Scott Joplin Rag…
Now Old Joe, he don’t know
None of that “Goddamn Rock N Roll”
Ain’t in to high fidelity
Never listens to the Radio
Makes all the music he could want
On A Sears-Roebuck banjo

Refrain:
He’s 89 and he says he feels just fine
Says the Lord’s welcome to take him any time
But if the Lord don’t want him, Old Joe don’t mind
He grew up in western Indiana
Back in the last century
He knew the ways of the corn field forest
And the waves of the wheat field sea

Old Joe always grows
Lots of good stuff out back you know
Got a garden full of cucumbers
Onions and potatoes
Got carrots and head lettuce
And Juicy red tomatoes…
Now Old Joe, he kind of mean
To the kids that steal his green beans
But nonetheless his garden’s blessed
If you’ve seen it you know what I mean…

Refrain:

Old Joe, he don’t care
Much ‘bout fancy clothes to wear
Got some well patched old green kakis
And some good bib overalls
And he keeps ‘em clean with the warshin’ machine
He’s had for years and years…
Now old Joe, he jest stays
Right ‘bout where he is these days
Yet he says he been to ‘Frisco
And he claims he been to Rome
But you’d have to say that in it’s own way
His rocking chair is his home…

Refrain:

Tuning: Standard, Capo on 2nd fret

Copyright 1978-2015 by Mark Shepard. All rights Reserved. Used by permission.

credits

released January 23, 2016
Mark Shepard: Vocals & Guitar
Joe Mennonna: Engineer

license

all rights reserved

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about

Mark Shepard Albany, New York

Welcome to my “Life In Song” project.

Since 1976, I’ve been obsessively and compulsively writing songs. Some of them are inspired by my own life, my attempts to understand love, life, spirituality, peace and justice.

While I recently have started to get a little recognition, you’ve probably never heard my songs ANYWHERE.

But now you can hear them... here... Download. Share. Thanks!
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