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I made some new verses, and rewrote some key lines of the chorus. The old "she never sings cuckoo till the fourth of July" part never really worked for me! So I thought about the cuckoo itself, and how the female cuckoo will lay her eggs in another bird's nest. Then when the cuckoo hatches from its egg, it will often kick the other hatchlings out of the nest, to their deaths! So, yeah, it's a pretty devilish little bird. A MEAN little bird!

I've got a different, acoustic version of this old American folk song, also here at Bandcamp, you can hear it here:

sammbennett.bandcamp.com/track/the-cuckoo-unplugged

lyrics

The Cuckoo

gonna build me a log cabin
on a mountain so high
so I can catch that cuckoo
as she goes flying by

oh the cuckoo
she’s a mean little bird
she'll take over the other bird’s nest
so i keep me a cuckoo feather
i keep it tucked into my vest

buddy i've gambled over in England
i've gambled down in Spain
and i'll bet you twenty dollars
i'll beat you this very next game

oh the cuckoo . . .

Jack of diamonds, Jack of diamonds
that’s a hard card to play
you think you are doing alright
then he'll take all your money away

oh the cuckoo . . .

now buddy i’ve gambled down in Texas
i've gambled down in Tennessee
Jack of diamonds, Jack of diamonds
gonna be the, death of me

Queen of Hearts y'all, Queen of Hearts y'all
i've known her from way back when
she done taken all my money
and she sure ain't giving it back again

oh the cuckoo . . .

gonna build me a log cabin
in the valley so low
so the mountains will surround me
and nevermore a-gambling will i go
nevermore a-gambling will i go
nevermore a-gambling will i go

credits

released April 30, 2020
Samm Bennett: vocal and all other instruments
Recorded at Polarity Studio, Tokyo, Japan
Traditional, arranged by Samm Bennett
This version Copyright Samm Bennett - All Rights Reserved

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Samm Bennett - Polarity Records Tokyo, Japan

Singer and songwriter, player of unusual string instruments such as 3-string and 1-string guitar, plus jaw harps, mouthbow, electronics and junk, plus all manner of drums and percussion.

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