Turkey in the Straw

                          (an early American minstrel song)
                                John Renfro Davis

                               As I was a-goin'
                               On down the road
                               With a tired team
                               And a heavy load
                               I cracked my whip
                               And the leader sprung
                               I says day-day
                               To the wagon tongue 

                               Turkey in the straw
                               Turkey in the straw (hay)
                               Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
                               A high tucka-haw
                               And twist 'em (hit 'em) up a tune called
                               Turkey in the Straw

                               Went out to milk
                               And I didn't know how
                               I milked the goat
                               Instead of the cow
                               A monkey sittin'
                               On a pile of straw
                               A winkin' at
                               His mother-in-law 

                               Turkey in the straw
                               Turkey in the straw (hay)
                               Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
                               A high tucka-haw
                               And twist 'em (hit 'em) up a tune called
                               Turkey in the Straw

                               I came to the river
                               And I couldn't get across
                               So I paid five dollars
                               For a old blind hoss
                               Well, he wouldn't go ahead
                               And he wouldn't stand still
                               So he went up and down
                               Like an old saw mill 

                               Turkey in the straw
                               Turkey in the straw (hay)
                               Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
                               A high tucka-haw
                               And twist 'em (hit 'em) up a tune called
                               Turkey in the Straw 

                               Did you ever go fishin'
                               On a warm summer day
                               When all the fish
                               Were swimmin' in the bay
                               With their hands in their pockets
                               And their pockets in their pants
                               Did you ever see a fishie
                               Do the Hootchy-Kootchy Dance?

                               Turkey in the straw
                               Turkey in the straw (hay)
                               Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
                               A high tucka-haw
                               And twist 'em (hit 'em) up a tune called
                               Turkey in the Straw 



   As I researched for the lyrics on the internet I discovered some variations. 
   Below are some of the other verses that I found.


		As I was a-going on down the road 
		With a two-horse wagon and a four-horse load, 
		I cracked the whip and the lead horse sprung 
		And I said goodbye to the wagon tongue. 

	Oh, I had an old hen and she had a wooden leg, 
	She was the best darn hen that ever laid an egg; 
	She laid more eggs than any hen on the farm, 
	A little competition didn't do her any harm. 


		I had an old chicken and she wouldn't lay an egg 
		So I poured hot water up and down her leg 
		She wiggled and she waggled and she jiggled all the day 
		And the goldurned chicken laid a hardboiled egg. 

	As I came down the new cut road, 
	Met Mr. Bullfrog, met Miss Toad, 
	And every time Miss Toad would sing, 
	Old Bullfrog cut a pigeon wing. 


		Well, I met Mr. Catfish comin' down stream, 
		Says Mr. Catfish, "What do you mean?" 
		I caught Mr. Catfish by the snout, 
		And I turned Mr. Catfish wrong side out. 

	If frogs had wings and snakes had hair 
	And automobiles went flying through the air; 
	If watermelons grew on a huckleberry vine, 
	We'd all have winter in the summertime. 

		I went downtown to the doughnut shop 
		and I laid a nickel on the countertop 
		I pulled three doughnuts out of the grease 
		and said, "This nickel's for to pay for these." 
		Well she looked at the nickel and she looked at me 
		and she said, "This nickel's no good to me. 
		There's a hole in the nickel and it's all the way through." 
		I said, "There's a hole in the doughnut, too." 

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			VARIATIONS of the CHORUS:

	Turkey in the straw, Aw, haw, haw,
	Turkey in the hay, Ah, hay, hay,
	Rack ‘em up, stack ‘em up, a gee and a haw,
	And sing a little tune  called Turkey In The Straw.

		Turkey in the straw, turkey in the hay, 
		Turkey in the straw, turkey in the hay, 
		Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuckahaw, 
		And play a little tune called 'Turkey in the Straw.'