[Intro]
G
[Verse 1]
G
DeFord was a man from Castlewood, Tenn'
G
Blowed on that harp both night and day
G
How he wailed on them reeds 'til his lips would bleed
G
Played 'til the Lord knows when
D
Just a little baby boy with a silver toy
D
And the polio strikin' fire and wind
D
At four foot nine, just one of his kind
G
The greatest there ever been
[Chorus]
C G
Blow, blow, DeFord, blow
C D
Play that Pan-American
G F G
Oh, oh, where did he go?
D G
DeFord Bailey rides again
[Verse 2]
G
Arise, gals and gents, for the show to commence
G
There's a good-nature riot on the air
G
Little DeFord's on the loose with them Muscle Shoals Blues
G
Let the Jim Crow South beware
D
Like the fox chasin' game
D
He was black balled and shamed
D
Stripped out the silver from his hand
D
Now, it's welfare lines and a dollar shine
G
Singin', "Oh, Lord, ain't I a man?"
[Chorus]
C G
Blow, blow, DeFord, blow
C D
Play that Pan-American
G F G
Oh, oh, where did he go?
D G
DeFord Bailey rides again
[Harmonica Solo]
C G C D G C G
[Verse 3]
G
Then he played his last note, in The Banner they wrote
G
"Must have been those Ice Water Blues"
G
Now, up in Greenwood you'll find a plot, four foot nine
G
For our city's biggest shame, they whitewashed his name
G
For that kind of sin, there ain't no excuse
[Chorus]
C G
Blow, blow, DeFord, blow
C D
Play that Pan-American
G F G
Oh, oh, where did he go?
G
DeFord Bailey rides again
C G
Blow, blow, DeFord, blow
C D
Playin' up in glory land
G
Whoa, oh, where did he go?
D G
DeFord Bailey rides again
G
DeFord Bailey rides again
F G
DeFord Bailey rides again
[Outro]
F
