On top of Old Smokey,

all covered with snow,

I lost my true lover,

come a-courtin’ too slow.

For courtin’s a pleasure,

and parting is grief;

a false hearted lover,

is worse than a thief.

For a thief he will rob you,

and take what you have,

but a false-hearted lover,

will send you to your grave.

She’ll hug you and kiss you,

and tell you more lie,

than crossties on a railroad,

or stars in the sky.

On top of Old Smokey,

all covered with snow,

I lost my true lover,

come a-courtin’ too slow.

Sunset over Tennessee mountains from Clingmans Dome Observation Tower.

Issued with Creative Commons License to share, photo by Scott Basford.

Old Smokey recording: “Unless a copyright is indicated, information on State Department websites is in the public domain and may be copied and distributed without permission. Citation of the U.S. State Department as source of the information is appreciated.”

Pavlof Volcano, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge

Public Domain image from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Clingman's Dome Observation Tower rises 50 feet (15 m) from the summit of Clingman's Dome, the highest point both in the state of Tennessee and along the Appalachian Trail, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Thanks to Scott Basford, issued with CC license to share.

Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs

For English Language Teachers Around the World

American English, United States Department of State.

Lyrics, MP3 and PDF download files for many songs available.

Also includes slideshare ‘Let’s Play Ukulele, free e-guide,

chord progression and chord diagram’ - with thanks to Biswarup Majumder.

OLD SMOKEY