The ToneWay® Project: helping people play music


Methodist Pie

Went down to camp meeting just the other afternoon
Just to hear 'em shout and 5 sing
For to tell each other how they love one another
And to make the hallelujahs 1 ring
There was old Brother Daniel and Cousin Ebeneezer
Uncle Rufus and his lame gal, 5 Sue
Aunt Polly and Melinda and old Mother Bender
Well, I never seen a happier 1 crew

Chorus
Oh, little children, I be- 5 lieve
Oh, little children, I be- 1 lieve
Oh, little children, 4 I believe
I'm a 5 Methodist till I 1 die
I'm a Methodist, Methodist, 'tis my belief
I'm a Methodist till I 5 die
Till old grim death comes a-knocking at the door
I'm a Methodist till I 1 die

Well they all go there just to have a big time
And to eat their grub so sly
Have applesauce-butter, sugar-in-the-gourd
And a great big Methodist pie
Well you ought to hear the ringing when they all get to singing
That good old bye and bye
See Jimmy McGee in the top of a tree
Saying, how is this for high

Then they all join hands and dance around a ring
Just a-singing all the while
You'd think it was a cyclone coming through the air
You could hear about half a mile
Then a bell brings loud and the great big crowd
Breaks ranks and up they fly
While I took board on the sugar in the gourd
And I cleaned up the Methodist Pie


A song from the The ToneWay Mountain Music Collection, which offers lyrics and free Song Clips (recordings for learning the song by ear) for nearly 400 traditional songs, many of which are often heard in bluegrass and old-time jam circles. The ToneWay Project also offers songbooks, CDs, and a free online video series for learning to play music by ear. http://ToneWay.com