Peach Picking Time In Georgia (McMichen/Rodgers)
[Jimmie Rodgers recorded Peach Picking Time in Georgia in 1932 at a session in NYC set up by Ralph Peer. Rodgers was dying of T.B. and didn't have long to live. Slim Bryant, fiddler Clayton McMichen's guitarist, was brought up to play guitar as Rodgers usually had another guitar player picking with him or he just sang.
Rodger bought or worked out a deal so he (and Peer) could own the copyright from McMichen and everyone thinks its a McMichen song, however I learned from Slim that it's not. I know McMichen published it anyway as his own in the 1930s. His daughter Junaita (if she's still alive) might still get royalties.
Crabtree has no yodel chorus- an addition Rodgers made to the original song. Crabtree is missing a verse which I've included at the bottom of this page.
R. Matteson 2014]
Peach Picking Time in Georgia
When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia,
It' apple pickin' time in Tennessee,
Cotton pickin' time in Mississippi,
Everybody picks on me.
When it's round-up time in Texas,
The cowboys make whoopee
Then down in old Alabama
It's gal pickin' time to me.
There's the blue grass down in Kentucky;
Virginia's where they do the swing.
Carolina, now I'm coming to you,
Coming just to spend the spring.
Arkansas, I hear you calling,
I know I'll see you soon.
There's where I'll do a little pickin',
Beneath the Ozark moon.
When the pickaninnies pick the cotton,
I'll pick a weddin' ring.
We'll go to town and pick a little gown,
For the wedding in the spring.
Hope the preacher knows his business;
I know he can't fool me
When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia,
It's gal picking time to me.
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Missing verse:
[Now when hard times overtake you, I hope they don't get me
For I've got a sweetie waiting, for me down in Tennessee
I know I'm going to see her, I hope it won't be long
There's where we'll pick a little cabin, and call it our mountain home.