New Cut Road
Bobby Bare Lyrics

Coalman Bonner was a fiddle playin' fool.
Coalman Bonner was a skilled fiddle player and enjoyed playing it frequently.

He was a backwoods rounder and a breaker of mules.
Coalman was a rural man who worked hard, even breaking in mules for work.

Coalman Bonner's got a wor' out bow,
Coalman's bow used to play his fiddle was very worn out and well-used due to his extensive playing.

He been playin' two days down a new cut road.
Coalman had been playing his fiddle for two days straight down a new road.

Now Coalman's little sister said ‘you better act right,
Coalman's younger sister warned him to behave correctly.

Your Daddy's going to Louisville, He'll be back tonight.
Their father was going to Louisville and would return later that day.

He gonna get another wagon and a good pair of mules.
Their father was planning to buy another wagon and a good team of mules.

Oh, we gonna move to Texas, We just waitin' on mules.
The family was planning to move to Texas but were waiting for the new set of mules their father was going to purchase.

Now Coalman's Daddy, he pulled up in the yard
Coalman's father arrived home and pulled up in their yard.

He said ‘back up your lives kids, it's getting' too hard.
Their father said they needed to pack up and move because living in Kentucky was getting too hard.

Kentucky's alright but there's too many people
Their father didn't dislike Kentucky, but there were too many people around for his taste.

Well, just the other day, I thought I saw a church steeple.
Their father thought he saw a church steeple recently in their area, which meant more people around.

Now Coalman said ‘Daddy don't you worry ‘bout me,
Coalman reassured his father that he would be fine and didn't need to worry about him.

I'm gonna stay here in Kentucky till the day I dee
Coalman planned to stay in Kentucky for the rest of his life.

I'm wanna drink that sour mash, I'm gonna raise that mare
Coalman had a desire to drink sour mash and raise a mare, indicating he wanted to live a simple life.

Ya, I got me a woman with a foxy red hair
Coalman mentioned he had a woman in his life with attractive red hair.

We all been movin' west since the day he got married
Coalman's family had been moving west since his parents got married.

I'm getting' off the wagon, I'm too old to be carried
Coalman was getting off the wagon because he thought he was too old to be carried around anymore.

I'm gonna stay in Kentucky where the blue grass grows
Coalman had a deep attachment to Kentucky and wanted to remain in a place where bluegrass grew.

I'm gonna play it all night down a new cut road.
Coalman planned to play his fiddle all night long down a new road.

Now Coalman's Daddy said, "What's it all comin' to,
Coalman's father didn't understand why his son was choosing to stay in Kentucky.

Young people these days are just stubborn as mules."
Their father concluded that the current generation of young people are stubborn and not easy to work with.

He can't make um go, he's too old for that
Their father realized he couldn't force Coalman to move and he was too old to try.

It's that damned ol' fiddle and that bowler hat.
Their father attributed Coalman's stubbornness to his love of playing the fiddle and wearing his bowler hat.

Now Coalman's Momma said, "Let the boy stay,
Coalman's mother advocated for him to stay put and do what he wanted.

'Cause he's raised up solid, he can find his own way
Coalman's mother believed he had been raised well and could find his own path to happiness.

But as for me, Honey, I'm with you
Coalman's mother agreed with his father's plan to move but respected Coalman's decision to stay.

Well I always thought Kentucky was just passin' through.
Coalman's mother originally thought Kentucky was just a temporary home and they would eventually move on.

Coalman's little sister, she started in a cry
Coalman's younger sister began to cry when she realized Coalman was staying behind.

And her Daddy shook his head for the very last time
Their father couldn't convince Coalman to move and gave up trying.

Coalman's Momma said, "Somebody gotta do it,
Coalman's mother accepted that someone needed to stay in Kentucky and it might as well be Coalman.

Wouldn't be no Kentucky, less you didn't stick to it, Coalman.
Coalman's mother believed that leaving Kentucky would be a mistake and that Coalman needed to stay to keep authenticity in the area.

Coalman Bonner stood on the porch of that cabin
Coalman stood on the porch of his family's cabin.

Watched um all go to Texas in a covered wagon
Coalman watched his family leave for Texas in a covered wagon.

He pulled out his fiddle and he rosined up his bow
Coalman retrieved his fiddle and put rosin on his bow to play one last tune before they left.

And he played a little tune down a new cut road...
Coalman played a song while standing on a new road that had just been cut recently.