THE OLD ARM CHAIR





My grandmother she at the age of eighty-three

One morning in May was taken ill and died;

And when she was dead, of course the will was read

By the lawyer as we all stood side by side.



To my  brother it was found she had left a hundred pounds

To my sister was the same I do declare;

But when it came to me the lawyer says, "I see 

She has left to you this old arm chair."



I hardly thought it fair but I said I didn’t care

The evening I took my chair away;

My neighbors at me scorned, my brother at me laughed

Saying, "John it will be useful some day."



When you settle down in life, take some girl to be your wife

You will find it very handy, I declare;

On some cold and frosty night, when the fire is burning bright

You can sit up in that old arm chair."



My brother’s words were true, for within a year or two,

Strange to say, I’d settled down in married life;

I first a girl did court and then ?  (I rang a boat)

To her to church and then she was my wife.



Now this ole girl and me were as happy as could be

We loved each other dearly, I declare;

We did not broad a roam but each night we stayed at home

And were seated in that old arm chair.



One night the chair fell down, I picked it up, I found

The seat had fallen out upon the floor.

And there, to my surprise, I saw before my eyes 

Lots of notes--two thousand pounds or more. 



When my brother heard of this he only? (wrong a wrist)

And mad, and in anger tore his hair.

I only laughed at him and said unto him, "Jim,

Don’t you wish you had this old arm chair."



This song was sung to me by Miss Chloe Michael, a teacher in the 

Boone Demonstration School.  She learned it from her father, Mr. 

D. C. Michael, who has sung the song to his children for many 

years.