Doc played guitar in both flatpicking and fingerpicking style, but was best known for his flatpick work. His virtuosity combined with his authenticity as a mountain musician made him a highly influential figure during the folk music revival. He pioneered the fast and flashy bluegrass lead guitar style which has been adopted and extended by others such as Clarence White and Tony Rice. He was also an accomplished banjo player and in the past had accompanied himself on harmonica as well.
In 1986 he received the North Carolina Award and in 2000 he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor. In 1997, Doc received the National Medal of the Arts from President Clinton.
He was generally joined on stage by his grandson and Merle's son Richard as well as his musical partner of twenty years, Jack Lawrence.
He was host to the annual MerleFest music festival held every April at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The festival features a vast array of acoustic style music focusing on the folk, bluegrass, blues and old time music genres. It's named in honor of Merle Watson and is one of the most popular acoustic music festivals in the world, drawing over 85,000 music fans each year.
In late May 2012, Watson was listed in critical condition but was responsive at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after undergoing colon surgery. Watson had fallen early in the week. Watson did not break any bones, but an underlying condition prompted the surgery. Watson died on May 29, 2012 at the medical center at the age of 89.
George Gudger's Overalls
Doc Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw some old friends hangin' from a tree on Hobie's Hill.
By their tattered legs they dangled drippin' down along the spine.
It was old George Gudger's overalls a-drying on the line.
George Gudger, he's an honest cuss, and he likes to work his land.
I'd long admired them overalls that I held there in my hand.
My brand new pair was stiffer than a starched-up Sunday suit.
Now the knees looked almost bloody from the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers had kept him kneelin' down all day.
Old George owes me money, but I owe him my respect.
And if these overalls will fit me, Boy, I'll forget about his debt.
I stepped in to them big old legs like fallin' down a mine.
Then I heard a ragged chuckle, and there stood old George behind.
A smile of old tobacco juice was tricklin' down his chin.
He said, "You might as well try walkin' round in someone else's skin . . ."
"But son, if you like them old friends of mine so much, I guess I can let 'em go
Had to lean 'em to me wife last year, while she's carry'n Little Joe.
She bent down in the fields one day And split that tired old seam
And now she gone and beat 'em half to death on that rock down by the stream'
The knees looked almost bloody from the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers they kept him kneelin' down all day.
You know I walked just like a drunken man, they almost made me fall.
They kept tryin' to steer me back towards Gudger's place, Cuz they're still Old George's overalls!
At home before the mirror I seemed to be a different man,
In my mind they kept a seein' His farmed out patch of land.
So I took him back his overalls and a week supply of food,
I also left my brand new pair and sneaked home in the nude.
The song "George Gudger's Overalls" by Doc Watson tells a story about an Alabama native named George Gudger who is a hardworking farmer. One morning, the singer sees some old friends hanging from a tree on Hobie's Hill. Upon closer inspection, the singer realizes that they are George Gudger's overalls, which were drying on the line.
The lyrics describe the admiration for George Gudger's overalls, which were softer and more comfortable than the singer's brand new pair. The song then discusses George's debts and struggles and how the constant kneeling in the red Hale County clay has left the knees of his overalls almost bloody.
Despite George owing the singer money, the singer decides to forget about the debt and returns the overalls to George. The last verse describes how the overalls have a life of their own and kept steering him back to George's place, as they will always be known as George Gudger's overalls.
Overall, the song is a story about a man's admiration for the hard work of another man and how he chooses to show his respect and appreciation.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walked out one mornin' in the Alabama chill,
It was a cold morning in Alabama when I took a walk.
I saw some old friends hangin' from a tree on Hobie's Hill.
I saw some old clothes hanging from a tree on a hill.
By their tattered legs they dangled drippin' down along the spine.
The clothes were old and torn, hanging by their legs and dripping water down their backs.
It was old George Gudger's overalls a-drying on the line.
The clothes were George Gudger's overalls, drying in the sun.
George Gudger, he's an honest cuss, and he likes to work his land.
George Gudger is an honest man who enjoys working on his land.
I'd long admired them overalls that I held there in my hand.
I had always admired George Gudger's overalls, which I was now holding.
My brand new pair was stiffer than a starched-up Sunday suit.
My new overalls were very stiff and uncomfortable.
But his could walk 'round by themselves and plow the corn to boot!
George's overalls were so worn in and comfortable that they could plow the corn by themselves.
Now the knees looked almost bloody from the red Hale County clay.
The knees of the overalls were worn down and stained from working in the red Hale County clay.
George Gudger's debts and prayers had kept him kneelin' down all day.
George Gudger had to work hard all day to pay off his debts and say his prayers.
Old George owes me money, but I owe him my respect.
George owes me money, but I still respect him.
And if these overalls will fit me, Boy, I'll forget about his debt.
If these overalls fit me, I will consider it payment for George's debt to me.
I stepped in to them big old legs like fallin' down a mine.
Putting on the overalls was like stepping into a deep and dark hole.
Then I heard a ragged chuckle, and there stood old George behind.
I heard George laughing behind me as I put on the overalls.
A smile of old tobacco juice was tricklin' down his chin.
George had a smile on his face with tobacco juice dripping down his chin.
He said, "You might as well try walkin' round in someone else's skin . . ."
George joked that I was trying to walk in someone else's shoes or clothing.
"But son, if you like them old friends of mine so much, I guess I can let 'em go
George offered to give me his old overalls since I liked them so much.
Had to lean 'em to me wife last year, while she's carry'n Little Joe.
George had given the overalls to his wife while she was pregnant with their child.
She bent down in the fields one day And split that tired old seam
George's wife had split the seam of the overalls while working in the fields.
And now she gone and beat 'em half to death on that rock down by the stream'
George's wife had also beaten the overalls on a rock down by the stream, almost destroying them.
You know I walked just like a drunken man, they almost made me fall.
The overalls were so comfortable that I almost lost my balance walking in them.
They kept tryin' to steer me back towards Gudger's place, Cuz they're still Old George's overalls!
The overalls seemed to have a mind of their own and were leading me back to George's place.
At home before the mirror I seemed to be a different man,
Looking in the mirror at home, I felt like a different person.
In my mind they kept a seein' His farmed out patch of land.
Wearing the overalls made me think of George's farm and land.
So I took him back his overalls and a week supply of food,
I returned George's overalls to him and also brought him food for a week.
I also left my brand new pair and sneaked home in the nude.
I left my new overalls with George and snuck home without any clothes on.
Contributed by Joseph S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.