Expert: Nancy Wood - 11/3/2008

Question
My brother inlaw has been looking for a song for years.He does not Know the song title just some of the lyrics.Here they are (Daddy won't you take us back to Melenberg County,Down by the Green River where paradise lay? I'm sorry my son your to late in askin'.Mr. Peabodys coal train has hauled it away.) I would appreciate it if you could get me the song title and artist who performed this song. Thank You!

Answer
The song is "Paradise." It was recorded by a lot of people including some of these:  Johnny Cash, John Prine, John Denver, Kathy Mattea, Dwight Yoakum. It is included in the Boys Scout song books, including the Philmont Camp New Mexico Song book.  

When I was a boy, my family would travel
Down to western Kentucky where my parents were born
To a lost little town there that’s all but remembered
So many times that my memories are worn.

Chorus:
And, “Daddy, won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County?
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay?”
He said, “I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking
Mr. Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.”

Well, sometimes we’d travel right down the Green River
To the abandoned old prison down by Aidrie Hill
Where the air smelled like snakes & we’d shoot our pistols
Ooh, but empty pop bottles is all we would kill.

Chorus:
And, “Daddy, won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County?
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay?”
He said, “I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking
Mr. Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.”

Well, the coal company came with the, world’s largest shovel,
They tortured the timber and stripped all the land
Lord, they dug for their coal ‘til the ground was forsaken
And wrote it all down as the, “Progress of man.”

Chorus:
And, “Daddy, won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County?
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay?”
He said, “I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking
Mr. Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.”

When I die, let my ashes float down the Green River
Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester Dam
I’ll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waitin’
Just 5 miles away from wherever I am...