Jubilee

Jubilee is a traditional Appalachian folksong and our version is based on the gorgeous version Jean Ritchie did.

This is the words and chords to “Jubile” as we do it, for example in this solo video:

Jubilee

It’s all out on the old railroad, it’s all out on the sea
All out on the old railroad, far as I can see
Swing and turn, Jubilee, live and learn, Jubilee
Swing and turn, Jubilee, live and learn, Jubilee

    D  – / DBm GD / G  D / Bm GD

Hardest work I ever done, working on the farm
Easiest work I ever done, swinging my true love’s arm
Swing and turn, Jubilee…

If I had a needle and thread, as fine as I could sew
I’d sew my true love to my side & down this creek I’d go/Swing…

If I had no horse to ride, I’d be found a-calling
Up & down this rocky road, looking for my darling

I won’t have no widow man, neither will my cousin
You can get such stuff as that for fifteen cents a dozen

Coffee grows on a white oak tree, sugar runs in brandy
Girls are pure as a lump of gold, boys as sweet as candy

Chords Symbols

Here’s some help deciphering our chord shorthand:

/
A slash divides the chords for one line of lyrics from the next.

—
A dash means repeat the previous chord.

C FG
For an example of a ‘squeeze chord’ like this, you would play the F & G  chords in the same amount of time you would play the C. This is a proportional way of indicating the rhythm of chord changes.

“
A quotation mark means repeat the chords from the previous line

1st, 2nd, etc.
Play the chords from the 1st, 2nd, etc., line

Here’s more details and examples, if this isn’t making a lot of sense to you.