The Burgoo Boys featuring Uncle June's Jug Band - The Ol' Fishin' Hole (Near The Oak)

The Burgoo Boys featuring Uncle June's Jug Band is quite a mouthful of a name for a band, but that's the way the two bands decided to list themselves when they joined forces late last year. Both bands played traditional and original songs at their gigs, but the leaders of both bands wanted to do more original songs. It takes time writing songs, what with lyrics, music, trying them out, rehearsals and all. So to join forces made sense for both of them in that sense, as well as both groups expanding their instrum-entation and sound palette. 

The Burgoo Boys are primarily a Bluegrass band, and Uncle June's as the name says, a Jug Music band. both genres aren't that far apart music-wise, as there's considerable overlap. But the ideas are flowing, and their recordings are gathering momentum. 

John Henry Flort is the leader/soloist/songwriter for The Burgoo Boys, and  Uncle June McShary is the same for The Jug Band, and on this recording they both take turns singing until the end when the whole gang joins in.  The song tells of the favorite fishin' hole of the men. In the part of Kentucky where it's at (like good fishermen, they don't reveal the location of their favorite hole!) the water stays open most of the time in the winter, but with no leaves on the oak tree near the hole, it isn't the same. They give a good visual for us Northerners of a warm Kentucky day, lazily fishin' under the shade of that oak tree with a sack of sandwiches and a jug to wet yer whistle!

The ol' fishin' hole near the oak
That spreads out givin' ya shade
On a warm Kentucky day
Toss out yer bait, ya got it made!
 
Many a day I spent fishin'
Underneath that big, tall oak tree
With a bag of sandwiches
And a jug that's jest fer me
 
Times them fish 'bout jumped on the bank
Other times they jest disappeared
Whether ya'll caught somethin' or no
Yer disposition will be cheered
 
The ol' fishin' hole near the oak
That spreads out givin' ya shade
On a warm Kentucky day
Toss out yer bait, ya got it made!
 
Now up north, ya'll fish through the ice
Gets colder than hell up there
But not here in Kentucky
Can go fishin' most anywhere
 
The ol' fishin' hole ain't the same
Oak done shed leaves I do believe
You can’t have one without t'other
Fishin' hole ain't the same with no leaf!
 
The ol' fishin' hole near the oak
Summertime givin' ya shade
Wait for a warm Kentucky day
Toss out yer bait, ya'll have it made!
 
So many that go fishin' there
To prevent squabbles and rifts
Us fellers have a lottery
And we abide fishin' in shifts!
 
Now they's a big ol' blue cat
Likes to hang out in the slew
Got bets who's a gonna catch him
And land that fish we call Big Blue!
 
I almost caught him couple times
He likes meanderin' to the ol' fishin' hole
Water's deep and cool in the summer
He don't never sleep, and I gots the night shift!
So I got the stinkin'est, rottennest, most disgustin' cat fish bait
Ya ever locked yer nose on! I'm a gonna git Big Blue by hook or crook!
 
The ol' fishin' hole near the oak
That spreads out givin' ya shade
On a warm Kentucky day
Toss out yer bait, ya got it made!