Tippin' Cows from Hometown Tales by Carson Colenbaugh

I was driving southbound on I-75
When a voice inside my head yelled out, “Hey mister, look alive!”
Well something didn’t seem quite right, my heart it even skipped
And right before I knew it, well my truck was flipped

Tippin’ cows! Rollin’ all around ya!
Tippin’ cows! They’re tumbling ‘neath the sky!
Tippin’ cows! What a sight to see now!
Until you’re lookin’ one of them right in the eye!

Well I flew out the window and landed in the street
I saw my cargo running wild as I got on my feet
The cows they were a wandering and eating before dawn
But when I got to checking, I found ten were gone

Well the cows that went to heaven, I bet they’re doing fine
Walking in a field somewhere and moo-ing real divine
They’re happy and they’re carefree, they love it, yes they do
And now the good Lord, He can be a rancher, too

Well the angels up in heaven, they all put on their boots
And grabbed their hats and lassos and yipped some holy hoots
They tried to herd the cattle, but the cattle were too quick
The angels are a-dizzy and a-feeling sick

Well the good Lord, he came walking through the fields, fine and gold
He looked right at the angels and said, “Y’all are looking old”
He put his fingers ‘tween his lips and whistled for the herd
And the cows, they were a-mesmerized by His Word

Ten old cows! They’ve gone up to heaven
Ten old cows! They’re chewing in the sky
Ten old cows! In the golden pastures
And the Lord is eating burgers with a side of fries

• Appalachia
• Folk
• banjo
• pete seeger
• poetry
• traditional folk
• Kennesaw