Emmylou Harris
New Cut Road (Live)
[Intro]
Folks, I'd like to do a song that's written by a friend of mine
His name is Guy Clark, and uh
He recorded it and then Bobby Bare recorded it, had a big hit with it
Boy, when I heard that song I was so mad that I didn't do it first
It's a great song, it has lots and lots of verses
And uh, I've only ventured to do it once
And uh, I remembered 'em all, so
We'll see if I can keep my, my batting average up for this one
And uh, we decided to do this song a little different from the way everybody else has done it, so
The most different thing we could think of was an accordion
And uh, Guy Clark is not speaking to me
But we're gonna do it anyway

[Verse 1]
Now Coleman Bonner was a fiddle playin' fool
A backwoods rounder and a breaker of mules
Coleman Bonner's got a wore out bow
He's been playin' two days down the new cut road
Now Coleman's little sister said, "You better act right
Coleman's daddy's gone to Louisville he'll be back tonight
He's gonna get another wagon and a good pair of mules
And we're gonna move to Texas, we just waitin' on you"
Now Coleman's daddy, he pulled up in the yard
He said pack up your lives kids it's gettin' too hard
Kentucky's alright but there's too many people
Why, just the other day I thought I saw a church steeple
Now Coleman said, "Daddy, don't you worry 'bout me
I'm gonna stay here in Kentucky 'til the day I D
I'm gonna drink that sourmash, I'm gonna race that mare
And I got me a woman with the fox red hair"
Now you all been movin' west since the day you got married
Well, I'm gettin' off the wagon, daddy, I'm too old to be carried
Gonna stay here in Kentucky 'til the bluegrass grow
I'm gonna play all night down the new cut road
[Verse 2]
Now Coleman's daddy said, "Now what's it all comin' to?
Young people these days are just as stubborn as mules"
You can't make him go, he's too old for that
It's that damned old fiddle and that bowler hat
Now Coleman's mama said, "Let the boy stay
'Cause he's raised up solid, he can find his own way
But as for me, honey, I'm with you
I always thought Kentucky was just passin' through"
Now Coleman's little sister, well, she started cryin'
And his daddy shook his head for the very last time
Coleman's mama said, "Somebody's gotta do it
Lord, there wouldn't be no Kentucky if you didn't stick to it"
Now Coleman Bonner stood on the porch of that cabin
Watched 'em all go to Texas in a covered wagon
And he pulled out his fiddle and he rosined up his bow
And he played a little tune called the new cut road