# Music by Genre > Bluegrass, Newgrass, Country, Gospel Variants >  tennessee stud

## 5string

Anyone know the words/chords to Tennessee Stud??  ..heard Doc Watson do this one on a CD I do not have anymore.

thanks, dave

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## fredfrank

I think Doc did this on the original "Circle" album. Vinyl. Old school. Yup.

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## luckylarue

I have it in two books: The Bluegrass Songbook - Pete Wernick
             Rise Up Singing

Both are excellent. Johnny Cash does a great version on his American Recordings cd.

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JEStanek

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## Joel Glassman

Go to Google and type this in: "tennessee stud" lyrics
or "tennessee stud" chords

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## Mando4Life

http://www.bluegrassnet.com/Songbook/songbook.html

Lyrics galore....

WBL

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## GVD

> luckylarue Posted
> 
> ...Johnny Cash does a great version on his American Recordings cd.


That's my favorite version for sure.

GVD

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## GBG

Eddy Arnold was the best, and as far as I know, the original version in the 60's.

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## Spruce

Don't forget "The Idaho Spud"...

         The Idaho Spud
     words: Jim Thompson (based on Jimmie Driftwood's "Tennessee Stud")


Well, round about 1974
I left Sun Valley, it was such a bore
Took my Ray-Bans and my Gucci duds
and I went down to work in the Idaho spuds

Well, I went on down into Burley town
Found a cute little russet all knobby and brown
I said "sweet thing, I'll dig you later
Right now I'm a looking for an Idaho tater"

  cho: Oh the Idaho spud is long and green
     Covered with butter and sour cream
     Just dig 'em from the ground and kick off the mud
     And there never was a 'tater like the Idaho spud

Well they eat the lobsters on the coast of Maine
And the Gila monster in the Texas plain
Black men down under eat the widgity grub
But they all taste better with an Idaho spud

You can make 'em into salad, you can make 'em into beer
Serve 'em with a chicken or a piece of old steer
Stopper up a gas can or serve 'em at the club
There never was a tater like the Idaho spud

Well there's nuclear waste on the desert floor
And the NRC wants to send in more
Big hole in the ground where they dump in the crud
Radioactive Idaho spud

Got a cute little mutant on the cabin floor
And another half-kid to stop up the door
They light right up like green tomatoes
Cause I'm feeding them young-uns on nuclear taters
--

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David Watson, 

Marty Jacobson

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## Coy Wylie



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## GVD

Hi freaking larious Spruce. # 

GVD

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## davestem

Wow. Who's Jim Thompson?

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## mrt10x

Cash guitar tab here. #My fav way of playing it on the Martin, havent tried it on the mando yet.
http://getsome.org/guitar/olga/cowpi...essee_stud.crd

well i guess thats not really TAB.. just chords

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## Steve G

Just a note, saw Doc Watson back in 1988 do the tune with completely different lyrics. Blew us away! Boy, I wish I could find a recording of it.

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## RobP

This is a great tune!

I love the Doc Watson version on the Circle album (did you know Jimmy Driftwood wrote this thing? ). We perform it in D .. the Bb chord in there threw us for a bit, but we finally got it.

I do the break on mandolin. I was inspired one night and worked out a super break.. our guitar player said he could kiss me for it but so far he has not kept his promise (fortunately for me)!!

Keep on picking!

Rob in Oregon

Rigel A+deluxe

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## dan watson

> Anyone know the words/chords to Tennessee Stud?? # #..heard Doc Watson do this one on a CD I do not have anymore.
> 
> thanks, dave


Tennessee stud2
Doc Watson













 A G 
 Along about eighteen twenty five, I left Tennessee very m uch alive 
 A 
And I never would got through the Arkansas mud, 



 		        E------g  A

If I hadn't been a ridin' that Tennessee Stud. 

I had me some trouble with my sweetheart's Paw, One o' her 

brothers was a bad outlaw. Sent her a letter by my Uncle Fud, Then 

I rode away on the Tennessee Stud. 

Chorus: 
 A G A D 
 The Tennessee Stud was long and lean, The color of the sun and his 

C E A G^ A 

eyes were green. He had the nerve and he had the blood, 


 	 C		  A			  E-----g A

And there never was a horse like The Tennessee Stud. 

We drifted on down in-ta no man's land, And crossed that river 

called the Rio Grande. I raced my hoss with a Spaniard's foal, 

'Til I got me a skin full of silver and gold. 

Me and the gambler we couldn't agree, We got in a fight over 

Tennessee, We jerked our guns and he fell with a thud, And I got 

away on the Tennessee Stud. 

Chorus 

Well, I got just as lonesome as a man could be, A dreamin' of my 

girl in Tennessee. The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turned blue, 

'Cause he was A dreamin' of his sweetheart too. 

We loped right back across Arkansas, I whooped her brother and I 

whooped her Paw. When I found that girl with the golden hair, She 

was a ridin' on a Tennessee Mare. Whoa Boy 

Chorus 

Stirrup to stirrup and side by side, We crossed them mountains and 

the valleys wide. When we came to big muddy, had to ford a flood, 

On the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud. 

There's a prety little baby on the cabin floor, frisky little colt 

runnin' 'round the door. I love that girl with the golden hair, 

And the Tennessee stud loves the Tennessee Mare. 

Chorus ö tag 



click images for variations
Transpose:  -5 semitones -4 semitones -3 semitones -2 semitones -1 semitone None +1 semitone +2 semitones +3 semitones +4 semitones +5 semitones +6 semitones 
Tuning :Frown: GDAE)
  Guitar Guitar (left) 5-string Banjo Plectrum Banjo Tenor Banjo Baritone Ukulele Ukulele (C-tuning) Mandolin 
Songbook: 
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Source: original song
Listen to this song:

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[QUOTE]

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## Mando Medic

Hey Spruce,
Great lyrics and I've been looking for that version for awhile. Now I've got to find the lyrics the "Tarwater" did for the Pendelton Dud. Ever hear it? Ken Cartwright

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## mandolooter

Thanks, spruce..i've heard it but i can't remeber da words without da paper...
Just another spuddly boi in boise

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## mandogoshen

Have a version worked out in E on the mando. #Works well with open chords on the guitar. #Instead of having to barre the Bb to A as in the D version you go from C to B7 and keep the 'open string' volume. #It sounds like a combo of the Doc and Johnny versions. #We use the Doc licks w/the Johnny tempo and attitude. #I agree, though the Eddie Arnold version is the best, vocally.

 #Another song from that 'smooth country' era is the 'Wayward Wind' by Gogi Grant. #Lends itself very nicely to mando/guitar combo. #Lyrically, it's a little corny, but has some cool chords and a 'calypso' groove. #Oops, starting to ramble...sorry!

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## 8ch(pl)

Tennessee Stud was written about 1953 by Jimmy Driftwood. He also wrote Battle of New Orleans, Johnny Horton recorded that one abour 5 years later.

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## David Watson

Great spoof....I'm surprised Ray Stevens didn't record it!

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## Mike Bunting

> Have a version worked out in E on the mando. #Works well with open chords on the guitar. #Instead of having to barre the Bb to A as in the D version you go from C to B7 and keep the 'open string' volume. #It sounds like a combo of the Doc and Johnny versions. #We use the Doc licks w/the Johnny tempo and attitude. #I agree, though the Eddie Arnold version is the best, vocally.
> 
>  #Another song from that 'smooth country' era is the 'Wayward Wind' by Gogi Grant. #Lends itself very nicely to mando/guitar combo. #Lyrically, it's a little corny, but has some cool chords and a 'calypso' groove. #Oops, starting to ramble...sorry!


What do all the # symbols mean?

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## Bernie Daniel

> What do all the # symbols mean?



Why you couldn't understand it with them there?

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## Mike Bunting

> Why you couldn't understand it with them there?


I could understand the post just fine, I was just curious about them. I guess asking is some kind of transgression here.

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## Marty Jacobson

That's a result of the transition from the old board system, I believe... a lot quotes in the old posts are like that. I think the #'s are where a return used to be.

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## Bernie Daniel

Doc sings Eddy's version almost verbatim.


Eddy Arnold - Tennessee Stud Lyrics 

Well, there never was a hoss
Like the Tennessee Stud

Along about eighteen and twenty -five
I left Tennessee very much alive
I never would have got
Through the Arkansas mud
If I hadn't been a-ridin' on the Tennessee Stud

I had some trouble
With my sweethearts, paw
One of her brothers
Was a bad outlaw

I sent her a letter
By my Uncle Fud
An I rode away
On the Tennessee Stud

Chorus: The Tennessee Stud was long and lean
The color of the sun
And his eyes were green
He had the nerve an he had the blood
And there never was a hoss like the Tennessee Stud

We drifted on down
Into no man's land
We crossed the river
Called the Rio Grande

I raced my hoss
With the Spaniards bold
'Till I got me a skin
Full-a silver an gold

Me an a gambler
Couldn't agree
We got in a fight
Over Tennessee

We jerked our guns
He fell with a thud
An I got away
On the Tennessee Stud

Well, I got as lonesome
As a man can be
A-dreamin' of my girl
In Tennessee

The Tennessee Stud's
Green eyes turned blue
'Cause he was a-dreamin'
Of a sweetheart, too

We loped right on
Across Arkansas
I wupped her brother
And I wupped her pa

I found that girl
With the golden hair
An she was a-ridin'
On the Tennessee mare

Chorus

Stirrup to stirrup
And side by side
We crossed the mountains
And the valleys wide

We came to Big Muddy
And we forded the flood
On the Tennessee mare
An the Tennessee Stud

Purdy little baby
On the cabin floor
Little hoss colt
Playin' round the door

I love the girl
With the golden hair
And the Tennessee Stud
Loves the Tennessee Mare

Chorus

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## Bernie Daniel

Here's Jimmie....




and Eddy...

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## RobP

wow talk about a thread bump.. I was surprised to read from the top and find my post from almost 9 years ago! LOL

Rob

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## Cryo

I like the version by the Little Willies.  Love the tube amp work on that one.  One of the nice projects that includes Norah Jones.

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## MikeEdgerton

> Doc sings Eddy's version almost verbatim.


That was a hit for Eddy in 1959 or so. It probably got the most airplay. I do believe it was the first time I heard it and it also appeared on both the pop and country charts. Never made number 1 but it was played. Doc probably learned it from the radio.

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