Jones Mill was composed by Larry Sandberg, a guitarist and songwriter who deserves to be better known. As soon as I heard it I knew I wanted to sing it, playing, as Larry did, in the key of B on the guitar with no capo. The signature guitar phrase suggested itself right from the start.
Jones Mill
(Larry Sandberg)
My daddy worked up on Jones Mill
My daddy worked on the yard
My daddy worked the crane 'till Mama ran away with another man
After that Daddy didn’t work so hard
Daddy sat there thinkin’ ‘bout Mama
Daddy sat there drinkin’ all the time
Spending all night down at Keller’s bar
Spending all the money he worked so hard for
And he never did come home till closing time
So I left my home to make my way out in the world
Down the road to see what come to pass
Down to Tulsa I met a man
He had a gun and I had a plan
No one gets hurt and we make a little money real fast
And he just laughed
Went back home and waited by Keller’s back door
Waited for Keller an hour past closing time
He saw the gun and he ran for his car
He never should have run ‘cause he didn’t get far
We took the money and left the old man dyin’
I rode a truck clear across the state line
Got a room in Joplin, thought I was doin’ fine
I was out of luck
They picked me up
They knew my name and how I looked
And I think I’ll never see my home again
My daddy worked up on Jones Mill
My daddy worked on the yard
I swear I never seen the green
On a ten dollar bill till I was 16
It’s a hard life, Lord it’s hard
It’s a hard life, Lord it’s hard