Goofus
Chet Atkins Lyrics

I was born on a farm out in Ioway
I was born and raised on a farm in Iowa.

A flaming youth who was bound that he'd fly away
As a youth, I was full of energy and determined to leave the farm.

I packed my grip and I grabbed my saxophone
I packed my bags and took my saxophone with me.

Can't read notes, but I play anything by ear
I don't know how to read music, but I can play anything I hear by ear.

I made up tunes on the sounds that I used to hear
I create my own melodies based on the sounds around me.

When I'd start to play folks used to say, "Sounds a little Goofus to me"
When I played, people would often say that my music sounded unconventional or strange.

Cornfed chords appeal to me, I like rustic harmony
I prefer simple, country-style chords and harmonies.

Hold that note and change the key, that's called "Goofus"
When I hold a note and change the key, it's what I call "Goofus," which goes against traditional music theory.

Not according to the rules that you learn at music schools
My music doesn't follow the typical rules and guidelines taught in music schools.

But the folks just dance like fools, they go "Goofus"
Despite not being traditional, people still enjoy dancing to my music.

Got a job but I just couldn't keep it long
I tried to get a job playing music, but I couldn't hold onto it for long.

The leader said that I played all the music wrong
The bandleader thought I was playing the music incorrectly.

So I stepped out with an outfit of my own
I started my own band instead.

Got together a new kind of orchestree
I formed a unique group of musicians.

And we all played just the same "Goofus" harmony
Instead of conforming to traditional music, my band played our own style of "Goofus" music.

And I must admit we made a hit
Despite going against traditional music theory, we became successful with our unconventional style.