Album: Folk Song Book

Jeff Canady

(Danny Dill)

Hurry, hurry, children you better get a runnin'
Jeff Canady's comin' and he eats little youngin's
His wife is a witch and Jeff can switch
From a snake to a frog or an old mad dog
So you better leave him alone.

My sister was a backward child she never walked a step
She crawled around the old home place and always needed help
At eight years old she never walked and never went to school
The teacher said she couldn't help she'd grow to be a fool.

We took her to a fine surgeon he said dear folks I dread
The body's strong but her mind won't grow, it's something in her head
Now there was a bum who walked around way back in those days
And momma would say we'd better be good or he'd take us kids away.

Hurry, hurry, children you better get a runnin'
Jeff Canady's comin' and he eats little youngin's
His wife is a witch and Jeff can switch
From a snake to a frog or an old mad dog
So you better leave him alone.

We sheltered Sis from snakes and frogs and when the mad dogs came
But the one thing that she feared the most was old Jeff Canady's name
One day old Jeff came down the road when sister played alone
She screamed and squirmed and then decided she was there alone.

She jumped and ran to momma's arms as Jeff went on his way
But thank the Lord my sister walks until this very day
Guess old Jeff is walking yet down heavens lonesome mile
But beneath his beard I swear I bet he wears a great big smile.

Hurry, hurry, children you better get a runnin'
Jeff Canady's comin' and he eats little youngin's
His wife is a witch and Jeff can switch
From a snake to a frog or an old mad dog
So you better leave him alone...