Uncle Pen
by Bill Monroe
"My Uncle Pen was
one of Kentucky's old-time fiddlers, and he had the best
shuffle with the bow that I'd ever seen, and kept the
best time. That's one reason people asked him to play
for the dances around Rosine, Kentucky. In his later
years he was a crippled man. He had been thrown by a
mule and had to use crutches the rest of his life. My
last years in Kentucky were spent with him. He done the
cooking for the two of us. We had fatback, sorghum
molasses, and hoe cakes for breakfast, followed up with
black-eyed peas with fatback, and cornbread and sorghum
for dinner and supper. I can remember those days so very
well. There were hard times and money was scarce, but
also there were good times. If it was to do over, I'd
live them again."
—Bill Monroe
Uncle Pen
Oh, the people would come from far away
They'd dance all night to the break of day
When the caller hollered "Do-se-do"
He knew Uncle Pen was ready to go.
Late in the evenin' about sundown
High on the hill above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle, oh how it would ring
You can hear it talk, you can hear it sing.
He played an old piece called "Soldier's Joy"
And in the mornin' told the Folsom boy
The greatest of all was "Jenny Lind"
To me that's where all fiddlin' begins
I'll never forget that mournful day
When Uncle Pen was called away
They hung up his fiddle, hung up his bow
They knew it was time for him to go.
