You never know what you might learn about your family tree at a family reunion. Here is my latest claim to fame. I am related to Tom Dooley. Some of you young folks may not know who Tom Dooley is. Tom Dooley is a character in an old folk song. It goes, Hang down your head Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry, Hand down your head Tom Dooley, Poor boy you're gonna die.
It is pretty bad that my claim to fame is a song about a horse thief and a murderer. What is even worse than that is I don't even know if it's true. Maybe it was a different Tom Dooley. I have learned that you can't believe everything that you learn at a family reunion. It might make a great story but we got some real good story tellers in my family and I love them all.
Damn this Road
Tom Dooley's kin folk of mine
Hung his head and cried
some say, I look and act like him
all the trouble, I get in.
Chorus- Damn this road, crooked road
Dam this road, I'm going down
Wish I could, Know I should
stop and turn myself around.
I'm no better than Tom Dooley was
Can't see Jesus light because
Love those smoking, drinking Southern belles
They're Okie crazy, wild as hell,
Damn this road, this crooked road
Damn this road, I'm going down
Wish I could, know I should
stop and turn myself around.
Momma prays, Jesus save, he hears her, when she says
Damn that road, that crooked road
Damn that road, he's going down
Wish he could,, knows he should
Help him Lord, turn him around
Help him Lord, turn him around.
The great thing about being related to old Tom was I was able to get a song out of it.