usually played in the key of A and done AABB (vs:vs:ch:ch)

A part : A / / / | / / E / | A / / / | / E A / |
B part : A / / / | / / G / | A / / / | G E A / |

Old Joe Clark had a house fifteen stories high
and every room in that durn house
was filled with chicken pie.

Fare thee well, old Joe Clark, fare thee well I say.
Fare thee well, old Joe Clark, till the break of day.

Old Joe Clark he used to be the biggest bum in town
till Andrew Johnson appointed him marshal of the town.

Old Joe Clark had a mule his name was Morgan Brown
and every tooth in that mule's head was sixteen inches round.

Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat she would neither sing nor pray.
Stuck her nose in the buttermilk jar and washed her sins away.

(these are words I use in Whoa Mule Whoa)

I'd never marry an old widow tell you the reason why.
She'd have so many children that they'd make those biscuits fly.

I'd never marry an old school marm tell you the reason why.
She blows her nose in old bread dough and calls it pumpkin pie.

Thirteen miles of mountain road, twenty miles of sand.
If I ever travel this road again I'll be a married man.

Sixteen horses in my team, the leaders they are blind,
and every time the sun goes down there's a pretty gal on my mind.

If I had a pretty gal I'd put her on a shelf,
and every time she'd smile at me I'd get up there myself.