The Cuckoo Song - American Folk Song

Arrangement & vocals by Farya Faraji. This American folk song from the Appalachian is one of the many variants across the English speaking world of the Cuckoo Song, a folk song motif centred on the bird with its origins in 16th century England and perhaps earlier. I based the instrumentation on that present in the Appalachian: a fiddle, an acoustic guitar, a banjo and a Merlin, a recent Québécois instrument which is essentially a lute version of the appalchian dulcimer. Lyrics: Gonna build me a log cabin On a mountian so high So I can see Willie As he goes on by Um hmm hmm Oh the coo-coo is a pretty bird She wobbles when she flies She never hollers coo-coo ’Til the fourth day of July I’ve played cards in England I’ve played cards in Spain I’ll bet you ten dollars I’ll beat you next game Jack of diamonds, Jack of diamonds I’ve known you from old Now you’ve robbed my poor pockets Of my s