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FOUR  THOUSAND  YEARS  AGO

Time signature:  2/4
Tempo: lively
Perhaps Lyrics by Harry C. Clyde
​and Music by H. C. Verner
Main source for this page is Carson J. Robison's "Mountain Ballads" (1930)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION:  The accordion notation, youTube keys & Guitar chords to be checked.
Accordion Notation
Beats per bar = 2
Beat symbol  =  Colon ( : ) or equivalent      
Either row (high) =  Buttons  5 - 7
Inner row (low)   =   Buttons  2 - 4  plus  o3*
Verse 1 (of 4+)

"5  "5   |   ;6   "6  .3      .6   |   .7*    .6        .6     .5*   |   ::6~ | ~:
"2  "2   |   ;3   "3  .3      .3   |   .3*    .3        .3    .o3*  | 
  ::3~ | ~:
  I  was   born  a-bout  four    thou-sand  years    a   -    go___,

  .5      .5      |   ;6   "6   .6   .6   |   .7      .7   .7*   .6    |   ::7*~ | ~:
  .2      .2      |   ;3   "3   .3   .3   |   .4      .4   .3*   .3    |   ::3*~ | ~:
And  there's   noth-ing  in  this   world  that  I   don't    know___.

.5   .5   |   ;6    "6       .6     .6    |       .7    .7     .7*  .6   |    .5*    .5*     .5*   .5*    |  .6   .6
.2   .2   |   ;3    "3       .3     .3    |       .4    .4     .3*  .3   |   .o3*  .o3*  .o3* .o3*   |  .3   .3
 I  saw     old  King  Phar-aoh's    daught-er   find-ing     Mos - es     on   the      wa - ter,


.6*  .6   |   ;7*    "7*   .6     .6    |    .6    .6*    .5*    .5   |   ::6~ | ~;
.2*  .3   |   ;3*    "3*   .3     .3    |    .3    .2*   .o3*   .2   |   ::3~ | ~;
 I   can    whip  the  guy  who     says   it       is  -  n't        so___.


Chorus

  :5   "5   |  .:6     "6   "6   |  "7*  "6  "6   "5*     "7*  "6  "6   "5*    |   ;6
  :2   "2   |  .:3     "3   "3   |  "3*  "3  "3  "o3*    "3*  "3  "3  "o3*   |   ;3

For  you   know  I'm    a       ver - y   high-ly      ed - u - cat - ed       man,

"6    .7*    .7*  |    .7*      .7* .6*   .6    |   .6    .5*    :5~ | ~:
"3    .3*    .3*  |    .3*      .3* .2*   .3    |   .3   .o3*   :2~ | ~:
To  keep  my    brains  with-in   my     head   I      plan__.

 .5    .5   |    ;6    "6    .6     .6   |   :7     .7*   .6   |    .5*    .5*      .5*     .5*    |   :6   .6*
 .2    .2   |    ;3    "3    .3     .3   |   :4     .3*   .3   |   .o3*  .o3*   .o3*   .o3*   |   :3   .2*
For  I've   been  on  earth  so    long   That  I      used     to    sing      a       song___

   .6    |   ;7*  "7*    .7*    .7    |   .7*  .6*     .5*      .5   |  ::6~ | ~.:
   .3    |   ;3*  "3*    .3*    .4    |   .3*  .2*    .o3*     .2   |  ::3~ | ~.:

While      A - bra - ham  and      Is-aac  rushed  the      can___. 
​       

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

There are a large number of verses for this song, but most use the same melody, more or less, as given above.  There are some differences in lyrics, rhythm and tempo among the various youTube performances, with no two exactly alike or identical to what is given on this page.  Most use four to six verses, with chorus.

Here are 12 videos in various keys (tentatively):    Ab=2     A=1     Bb=1     C=1   
                                                                                  D=1    
F=1     F#=2     G=3

Key:   G

Singers:  Lester McFarland, and
​                Robert Gardner

​Posted by:  geofbrit59

Key:  G ?

Group:  The Carter Family

​Posted by:  ​Tom Page

Key:   D ?

Group & Singer:  ?

​Posted by:  Charleston Bluegrass

Performed at the Shade Tree Apartments Grand Opening at John's Island, South Carolina.

Key:   F# (Gb) ?
​​
​Group:  Gentry Brothers


Posted by:  randomandrare

Recorded in 1927

Key:  G ?

Singer:  Otto Gray

Group:   The Oklahoma Cowboys

Posted by: Patrick Marchal
​

Key:  G ?

Singer:  Doc Watson

Posted by:  Roko Johin

​Recorded in 1964



Key:  Ab ?

Group:  The Hoosier Hot Shots

​Posted by:  Robert Wirth

​Recorded in 1934

Key:  Bb

Singer:  Norman Blake

Posted by:  lanubeblanca


Key:   C

Singer:  Anthony (Tony) Archibald
           (singing verses only, no chorus)

​Posted by:  threelegsoman

​It may be noted that Tony's chord arrangement is not quite the same as given on this page (below the embedded videos).  The melody is also slighly different.

Key:  Ab ?

Singer:  Elvis Presley

Posted by:  Biribosque

Key:   A ?

​Singer:  Lauren Levy
           (singing verses only; no chorus)

Posted by:  Lily Gist

Key:   F?

Singer:  Sawyer Frye
           (singing verses only; no chorus)

​Posted by:  sfvideos





Guitar Chord Notation
Source:  Carson J. Robinson's "World's Greatest Collection of Mountain Ballads & Old Time Songs" (1930)

Finger key of
G melodies & chords with capo at fret = Key of sound:  1 = Ab   2=A   3=Bb   4=B   5=C


Finger key of C melodies & chords with capo at fret = Key of sound:   1 = Db   2=D  3=Eb   4=E    5=F


​1. 
 G                                      C                            G

      C                                      F                            C
      I  was  born  about  four  thousand  years  a-go,

                                                                                    D7
                                                                                    G7
      And  there's  nothing  in this  world  that  I  don't  know.
                  G                                                        G7     C   
                  C                                                        C7     F   
      I  saw  old  King  Pharaoh's  daughter   Find-ing  Moses  on  the  water,
                                                  D7                 G
                                                  G7                 C
      I  can  whip  the  guy  who  says  it  isn't  so.


2.   G                                     C                                   G
      C                                      F                                   C
      I  saw  Satan  when  he  searched  the  garden  o'er.

                                                                          D7
                                                                          G7
      I  saw  Eve  and  Adam  driven  from  the  door.
                         G                                                  G7     C 
                         C                                                   C7     F  
      While  the  ap-ple  they  were  eating,  From  the  bushes  I  was  peeping.  
                                                   D7                           G
                                                   G7                           C
       I  can  prove  that  I'm  the  man  that  ate  the  core.


Chorus:                          G                 C                                     G
                                       C                 F                                     C
                     For  you  know  I'm  a  ver-y  highly  educated  man.

                                                                                       G
                                                                                       C
                     To  keep  my  brains  within  my  head  I  plan.
                                                                     G7                   G
                                                                     C7                   C
                     For  I've  been  on  earth  so  long    That  I  used  to  sing  a  song
                                                         D                            G
                                                         G                            C
                     While  Abraham  and  Isaac  rushed  the  can.


3.   G                                    C                           G
      C                                     F                           C
      I  saw  Noah  when  he  built  the  famous  ark.

                                                                              D7
                                                                              G7
      I  sneaked  into  it  one  night  when  it  was  dark.
                   G                                                  G7    C 
                   C                                                  C7    F 
      I  saw  Jon-ah  ate  by  the  whale,    And   I  pulled  the  lion's  tail,
                                                     D7                    G
                                                     G7                    C
      And  I  crossed  the  land  of  Canaan  on  a  lark.


4.   G                                    C                           G
      C                                    F                            C
      Queen  Elizabeth  fell  dead  in  love  with  me.

                                                                      D7
                                                                      G7
      We  were  married  in  Milwaukee  secret-ly;
                  G                                                           G7   C
                  C                                                           C7   F
      Oh  I  schemed  around  and  shook  her,  And  I  went  with  Gen'ral  Hooker
                                           D7                      G
                                           G7                      C
      To  fight  mosquitoes  down  in  Tennessee.

Chorus


Background Materials, Information & Links

​Lyrics:
(Source -
Carson Jay Robinson's Mountain Ballads, 1930)


1. I was born about four thousand years ago,
    And there's nothing in this world that I don't know.
    I saw old King Pharaoh's daughter
    Finding Moses on the water,
    I can whip the guy who says it isn't so.

2. I saw Noah when he built the famous ark.
    I sneaked into it one night when it was dark.
    I saw Jonah swallowed by whale,
    And I pulled the lion's tail,
    And I crossed the land of Canaan on a lark.

Chorus:        For you know I'm a very highly educated man.
                     To keep my brains within my head I plan.
                     For I've been on earth so long
                     That I used to sing a song
                     While Abraham and Isaac rushed the can.

3. I saw Satan when he searched the garden o'er.
    I saw Eve and Adam driven from the door.
    While the apple they were eating,
    From the bushes I was peeping.
     I can prove that I'm the man that ate the core.

4. Queen Elizabeth fell dead in love with me.
    We were married in Milwaukee secretly;
    Oh I schemed around and shook her,
    And I went with Gen'ral Hooker
    To fight mosquitoes down in Tennessee.

Chorus

There are many many other verses, many of which are used in the embedded videos above.

Background Links:
Click HERE ​for info about Hans Christian Verner  (music composer)

Click HERE  for wikipedia bio of Carson Jay Robison (song source)