Coffee Grows On White Oak Trees – Roger McGuinn's Folk Den

This is a Southwestern play-party song. Play party songs were designed to protect young people from the evil business of square dancing. Any number of couples would join hands and form a ring. The ladies would march around a single man and sing the first part of the song at a slow tempo. The man would chose a partner from the ring and the dancers would skip around them singing 'Two in the middle and I can't dance Josie.' This would continue until all couples were In the center. They would swing left and Right.

Lyrics:

[D] Coffee grows on white [Bm] Oak trees
[D] The river flows with [Em] brandy –O[A]
[D] Go choose someone to [Bm] roam with you
[Em] Sweet as lasses [A] candy –O
[D] Two in the middle and I [Bm] can't dance Josie
[D] Two in the middle and I [C] can't get [A] around
[D] Two in the middle and I [Bm] can't dance Josie
[G] Hello [A] Susan [D] Brown

Four in the middle and I can’t dance Josie
Four in the middle and I can’t get around
Four in the middle and I can’t dance Josie
Hello Susan Brown
[D] Railroad, [F#m] steamboat, [Bm] river and [G] canal
I lost my [Em] true love on that [A] ragin’ canal [D]
[D] O she’s gone, gone, gone,
O she’s gone, gone, gone, [A]
O she’s gone on that ragin’ [D] canal (X2)

Fiddler’s drunk and I can’t dance Josie
Fiddler’s drunk and I can’t get around
Fiddler’s drunk and I can’t dance Josie
Hello Susan Brown

Cow in the well and can't jump Josie
Cow in the well and can't get around
Cow in the well and can't jump Josie
Hello Susan Brown

Railroad, steamboat, river and canal
I lost my true love on that ragin' canal
O she's gone, gone, gone,
O she's gone, gone, gone,
O she's gone on that ragin’ canal
(X2)