IT TAKES A WORRIED MAN TO SING A WORRIED SONG

A worried man singing a worried song needs to check the lyrics first.

Since they’re not carved in stone, the words change from artist to artist.

But don’t worry too much, just add a few lines of your own. For example:

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
I’m worried now, but I won’t be worried long

The chorus doesn’t change from singer to singer, but that’s about all that stays the same.

Pete Seeger sings it as a prison song.

I went across the river and I lay down to sleep
I went across the river and I lay down to sleep
I went across the river and I lay down to sleep
I woke up and I had shackles on my feet

Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg*
Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg
Twenty-nine links of chain around my leg
And on each link, an initial of my name

Does this version make you wonder which river you’d cross to get in trouble? Around here we have lots of choices. Cross the Columbia River and you might find trouble in Washington. Cross the Willamette River and East Portland will get you.

Worst of all, cross the Tualatin River from Tigard and you end up in, wait for it, Tualatin. Yikes, now I’m worried.

A Worried Man Gets More Worried

The Kingston Trio take a more romantic view.

I’ve been away on a business trip travelin’ all around
I got a gal and her name is Sue, prettiest gal in town
She sets my mind to worryin’ every time I’m gone
I’ll be home tonight so I won’t be worried long

Well Bob is in the livin’ room holdin’ hands with Sue
Nicky’s at that big front door vowing to come on through
Well I’m here in the closet, oh lord what shall I do
We’re worried now but we won’t be worried long

Now I’m worried. What’s going to happen to Bob?

My forensic music instinct kicks in with an answer. The folk singers are nice people with good intentions. Clean cut, good manners, and presentable. It takes a rocker to sort things out in music.

Neil Young went down to the river for his answer:

Down by the river,
I shot my baby.
Down by the river.

Jimi Hendrix took a similar aim with Hey Joe:

Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe, I said where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?
Alright. I’m goin down to shoot my old lady,
you know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man.
Yeah,! I’m goin’ down to shoot my old lady,
you know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man.
Huh! And that ain’t too cool.

Handling A Worried Time

First of all, if your baby is messing around with another man, don’t get your gun and start shooting. She’s with another man because you are a nut. Why prove her right?

Instead, show your best side, be civil, and wish her well. That’s right, wish her well and by the time she’d done with the new guy and the one after and the one after, because if I’m reading things right, there’ll be more than a few. Let someone else be the bad guy.

Yes, you’ll have feelings, things like betrayal, loss, emptiness, and you don’t need jail time to add to the misery. But you may want to act out, you may want to fight. But who?

Fight the urge to make things worse. If the love of your life shows you that you’re not the love of their life, call it good luck. The sooner you find out, the better.

Be a decent man, or woman, and the weak link in the old relationship will miss you the rest of their life. They may look for someone like you, but not quite, so they look and look and look some more. Take some comfort that you set their standard.

Even more important, continue being someone worthy of love and affection and you will draw the same feelings to you. When that happens, try not to talk about your worried days, how you thought about dealing with broken trust.

Do this and you will feel the warmth of devotion for decades. Instead of sitting in a cell for impetuous behavior, you could be a beacon of hope for others. Last word from Pete:

If anyone asks you who composed this song
If anyone asks you who composed this song
If anyone asks you who composed this song
Tell him it was I and I sing it all day long