Hard Times; Good Times In Coffee Springs

“It gives me a great privilege to talk about the old times, what I know. I’m not that old, but I’m still old, and I’m thankful for it. Because there is so many short graves, so many medium sized graves, and I’m thankful the Lord has spared me to stay here. I’ll soon be sixty years old. I count it a blessing.” – Karen Cato

From the Album Here I Stand: Elder’s Wisdom; Children’s Song (Smithsonian Folkways)

We had nine stores
Two cotton gins
A pickle-plant
With big round bins

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

General Coffee
He once drove
A horse and buggy
In the grove

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

Where the Creek
Use to live
With their wives
With their kids

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

The blacks went here
The whites went there
The cats and dogs
Went everywhere

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

Played baseball
In the park
Without fear
Of the dark
Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

A mule kicked
With his feet
We got bucked
Off our seat

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

All day long
Swatting flies
Sure feels good
To be alive

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

The motel burned
One Friday night
All the people
Shook with fright

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

On that mule
We road home
Brushed it down
With a curry comb

Walking and talking
Talking and walking
Hard times here in Coffee Springs

Words & music by Larry Long
Copyright Larry Long 1996 | BMI

*Lyrics collectively written by Larry Long with youth from Coffee Springs rural Alabama through the Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song program in partnership with PACERS Small Schools Cooperative and Community Celebration of Place. Inspired by Mrs. Lottie Dauphin, Mrs. Thelma Couch, Mrs. Lisa Vaughan, and Mrs. Karen Cato.

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Here I Stand: Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song is exclusively available on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Larry’s music is available on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, Bandcamp and select e-tailers