[Verse 1]

I am a man of constant sorrow

I’ve seen trouble all my days

I bid farewell to old Kentucky

The place where I was born and raised

(The place where he was born and raised)

[Verse 2]

For six long years I’ve been in trouble

No pleasure here on earth I find

For in this world I’m bound to ramble

I have no friends to help me now

(He has no friends to help him now)

[Prechorus]

Farewell to all I’ve ever known,

In this world, I’m left alone.

[Chorus]

I’m a man of constant sorrow,

Trouble follows where I roam.

No home, no love, just endless tomorrow,

But I’ll find peace when I get home.

[Verse 3]

It’s fare thee well my own true lover

I never expect to see you again

For I’m bound to ride that northern railroad

Perhaps I’ll die upon this train

(Perhaps he’ll die upon this train)

[Verse 4]

You can bury me in some deep valley

For many years where I may lay

Then you may learn to love another

While I am sleeping in my grave

(While he is sleeping in his grave)

[Prechorus]

Farewell to all I’ve ever known,

In this world, I’m left alone.

[Chorus]

I’m a man of constant sorrow,

Trouble follows where I roam.

No home, no love, just endless tomorrow,

But I’ll find peace when I get home.

[Verse 5]

Maybe your friends think I’m just a stranger

My face you’ll never will see no more

But there is one promise that is given

I’ll meet you on God’s golden shore

(He’ll meet you on God’s golden shore)

[Prechorus]

Farewell to all I’ve ever known,

In this world, I’m left alone.

[Chorus]

I’m a man of constant sorrow,

Trouble follows where I roam.

No home, no love, just endless tomorrow,

But I’ll find peace when I get home.

[Outro]

On God’s golden shore, we’ll meet once more…

(We’ll meet once more, on that golden shore…)

[Fade to silence with instrumental banjo or fiddle.]

Notes by Stephen “Craig” Whitley
Man of Constant Sorrow” is a traditional American folk song that was first recorded by Dick Burnett in 1913. Various sources claim it is uncertain whether Burnett wrote the song (or not). One claim (more likely speculation) is that an earlier version came to the U.S.  from Ireland in the late 19th century. Burnett once gave an interview near the end of his life and during the interview he stated that he really couldn’t remember if he wrote the song or heard it and took it on as his own.  It’s difficult for me to imagine a scenario where I spent most of my life singing a popular song for many years and not recall if I wrote it or not.  Generally, when someone makes a statement like that there’s a high probability he or she was not the original author.  For the purposes of my version of the song the main point I want to make is that because the song was first published more than 100 years ago, its copyright has expired and it is now considered in the public domain.  My version is different than the original version in respect to the additions to the lyrics I have made.  When I analyzed the song’s original lyrics I noted (and found it odd) that the song was lacking a prechorus, chorus and outro.  You’ve more than likely heard this song before, but not heard it sung with my melody and additional lyric add-on’s.The song gained renewed popularity with the release of the 2000 film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” when it was sung by actor George Clooney and his band, the “Soggy Bottom Boys.”