Digital Tradition Mirror

Night Herding Song

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Night Herding Song
(Harry Stephens)

Oh slow down, dogies, quit your roving 'round
You've wandered and trampled all over the ground.
Oh graze along, dogies, and feed kinda slow
And don't be forever on the go,
     Move slow, dogies, move slow.

I have circle-herded, trail-herded, night-herded too
But to keep you together, that's what I can't do.
My horse is leg-weary and I'm awful tired
But if I let you get away I'm sure to get fired.
Bunch up, litle dogies, bunch up.

Oh say, little dogies, when you goin' to lay down?
And quit this forever siftin' around?
My limbs are weary, my seat is sore
Oh, lay down, dogies, like you've laid before,
     Lay down, dogies, lay down.

Oh, lay still, dogies, since you have laid down
Stretch away on the big open ground.
Snore loud, little dogies, and drown the wild sound
That'll go away when the day rolls 'round,
     Lay still, dogies, lay still.
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!