The ToneWay® Project: helping people play music


May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister? [core]

One night it was dark and 'twas stormy
When along came a tramp in the 5 rain
He was 1 making his way to the 4 station
To 5 catch a long distance 1 train

I have no tobacco or matches
And I'm sure I will do you no harm
I will tell you my story kind mister
For it runs through my heart like a thorn

Chorus
May I sleep in your barn tonight, mister
It is cold lying out on the ground
And the cold north wind is a-howling
And I have no place to lie down

It was three years ago last summer
I shall never forget that sad day
When a stranger came out from the city
And said that he wanted to stay

One night as I came from my workshop
I was whistling and singing with joy
I expected a kind-hearted welcome
From my sweet loving wife and my boy

But what should I find I find but a letter
It was placed in the room on the stand
And the moment my eyes fell upon it
I picked it right up in my hand

This note said my wife and the stranger
They had left and had taken my son
I wonder if God up in Heaven
Only knows what this stranger has done

Available in these books:

Get Started Plus: Core Songs Edition
100 songs and our acclaimed play-by-ear learning method.
Big Print Songs
Over 200 songs.
Family Tradition
The reference manual, with lyrics to 330 songs.
The first two books feature large-print lyrics (20-point type) and include chords, historical info, jamming hints, and more.

...and on these CDs:

Five CDs, 100 songs. Recordings from the Abbott family and their friends.
Listen to sample tracks.

The MP3 collection has all 100 songs on one CD for a discount. See details.


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