Conversation With A Mule

CHORDS are the same for all verses: (Spoken:) Old mule, you're the son of a donkey And I'm in the image of God Yet, here we work, hitched together Toilin' and tillin' the sod I wonder if you work for me Or I work for you, old mule At times I think it's a partnership Between a mule and a doggone fool. When plowin', we go the same distance But I work harder than you You skim the ground on four good legs And I hobble along on two So, mule, mathematically speakin' You're four legs 'gainst my two I do twice the work per leg I do twice as much as you. Now soon we'll be makin' the corn crop That crop'll be split three ways A third for you, a third for me And a third for the landlords' pay You take your third and eat it You're gettin the best! And How! I split my third amongst the wife and eight kids The banker, six hens and a cow. And right here mule, I might mention You only plow the ground I shock the corn and husk it While you're hee-hawin' around All Fall and part of the Winter Old mule, you know it's true I break my back with a cotton sack Tryin' to pay off the mortgage on you. The only time I'm your better Is when election comes A man can vote and a mule cannot But that don't worry you none Because you're a wise old donkey You know what to worry about You knew politics wouldn't help you none And I'm just findin' it out. So, mule, confidentially speaking Would you change places with me Would you take up all my worries And still contented be Would you swap places, I'm askin' 'Course, you know we couldn't But would you, if you could, now tell the truth You're doggone right, you wouldn't. Source: 200 years of American Heritage in Song. Country Music Hall of Fame