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BluegrassCheating Songs 57 SONGS
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Bluegrass Cheating Songs

Infidelity, betrayal, and the long black veil tradition

57 songs

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Country and bluegrass have a deep tradition of cheating songs, and bluegrass borrowed liberally from country’s best. “The Long Black Veil” is about an innocent man hanged because he refused to alibi himself — he was with his best friend’s wife the night of the murder. “Bury Me Beneath the Willow” is an old mountain ballad about a love betrayed. The Stanley Brothers’ “Highway of Sorrow,” Ricky Skaggs’s “Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown,” Jimmy Martin’s “I’m Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open” — these songs assume the world is messy and most people aren’t where they’re supposed to be.

Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and song history.

  1. 1. Bury Me Beneath the Willow Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice (1980) · by Traditional
  2. 2. Handsome Molly Ralph Stanley (1996) · by Traditional
  3. 3. The Long Black Veil Lefty Frizzell (1959) · by Lefty Frizzell
  4. 4. A Hundred Years From Now Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (1957) · by Red River Dave
  5. 5. Are You Missing Me Jim and Jesse and the Virginia Boys (1952) · by Charlie Louvin, Ira Louvin
  6. 6. County Fool Alan Bibey (2000) · by Patrick McDougal
  7. 7. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder (2001) · by Joe Maphis, Max M. Fidler
  8. 8. Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown Ricky Skaggs (1983) · by Roy Marcum, Ray Pennington
  9. 9. Highway of Sorrow Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys (1951) · by Bill Monroe, Pete Pyle
  10. 10. I Hung My Head and Cried Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (1963) · by Cliff Bruner, Jimmie Davis
  11. 11. I’ll Go Stepping Too Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (1953) · by Bill Denny, Tom James
  12. 12. I’ll Never Shed Another Tear The Bluegrass Album Band (1982) · by Lester Flatt
  13. 13. I’m Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (1955) · by Lester Flatt
  14. 14. In the Gravel Yard Blue Highway (1995) · by Malcolm Pulley
  15. 15. Leavin’ James King (1993) · by Jack Tottle
  16. 16. Midnight on the Stormy Deep The Tony Rice Unit (1979) · by Traditional
  17. 17. My Deceitful Heart The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (1962) · by John Speca, Shorty Long
  18. 18. Pallet on the Floor The Country Gentlemen (1963) · by Traditional
  19. 19. She’s Gone Gone Gone J.D. Crowe and the New South (1979) · by Harlan Howard
  20. 20. Teardrops in My Eyes The Osborne Brothers and Red Allen (1956) · by Harley “Red” Allen, Tommy Sutton
  21. 21. This Weary Heart You Stole Away Dan Tyminski (1996) · by Carter Stanley
  22. 22. Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On Dan Tyminski (2008) · by Kitty Wells, Billy Wallace
  23. 23. Big Black Train The Bluegrass Album Band (1989) · by Stanley Johnson, Troy Martin
  24. 24. Darby’s Castle Jason Davis (2013) · by Kris Kristofferson
  25. 25. Don’t Lie to Me Adam Steffey (2009) · by Harley “Red” Allen
  26. 26. Don’t Step Over an Old Love The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (1963) · by Fred Stryker
  27. 27. Fair and Tender Ladies The Osborne Brothers (1960) · by Traditional
  28. 28. Girl at the Crossroads Bar Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (1980) · by Bill Bryson
  29. 29. Hear the Willow Cry The Steeldrivers (2008) · by Chris Stapleton, Liz Hengberg
  30. 30. Highway Paved with Pain The Lonesome River Band (1994) · by Ronnie Bowman
  31. 31. House Carpenter Tony Rice (1983) · by Traditional
  32. 32. I Know You’re Married Don Reno, Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cutups (1957) · by Mack Magaha, Don Reno
  33. 33. I Worship You The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (1954) · by Ralph Stanley
  34. 34. I’ll Take the Blame Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (1978) · by Louise Certain, James Clackly
  35. 35. I’ve Lived A Lot in My Time Longview (2002) · by Dick Reynolds, Jack Rhodes
  36. 36. Little Mathie Grove Ralph Stanley (2002) · by Traditional
  37. 37. Losing You Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (1968) · by Edria Humphrey, Jimmy Martin
  38. 38. Never Again Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys (1970) · by Benny Williams
  39. 39. Philadelphia Lawyer Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (1962) · by Woody Guthrie
  40. 40. Poison Love Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys (1973) · by Elmer Laird
  41. 41. Sad Songs and Waltzes Willie Nelson (1973) · by Willie Nelson
  42. 42. Save It! Save It! Jimmy Martin and the Osborne Brothers (1954) · by Rufus Shoffner
  43. 43. Secret of the Waterfall The Country Gentlemen (1972) · by Jake Landers
  44. 44. Stone Walls and Steel Bars The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (1963) · by Roy Marcum, Ray Pennington
  45. 45. The Graveyard Shift Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band (1999) · by Steve Earle
  46. 46. Unfaithful One The Bluegrass Album Band (1983) · by Cliff Bruner, Lessie Lyle
  47. 47. Who Showed Who Dan Tyminski (2008) · by Harold Tipton
  48. 48. You Can Have Her J.D. Crowe and the New South (1977) · by Bill Cook
  49. 49. You Win Again IIIrd Tyme Out (1993) · by Hank Williams
  50. 50. You’d Better Get Right The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (1955) · by Bill Monroe
  51. 51. Carolyn the Teenage Queen The Lonesome River Band (1996) · by Wendy Smith
  52. 52. Don’t Bother to Cry Hazel Dickens (1986) · by Bob Merrill
  53. 53. Good Morning Mr. Railroad Man Tyler Grant (2006) · by Traditional
  54. 54. I Might Take You Back Again The Bluegrass Album Band (1985) · by Leroy Mack
  55. 55. Scraps From Your Table Hazel Dickens (1980) · by Hazel Dickens
  56. 56. The Children Are Crying David Grisman (1982) · by Earl Taylor
  57. 57. The Game is Over The Lonesome River Band (1991) · by David Carroll

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