THE MARTINS AND THE COYS 
Recorded by Gene Autry (with Smiley Burnette) 
Words and music by Alan Cameron and Ted Weems 
 
D5                                   A5     D5
 Gather 'round me children and I'll tell a story 
                                            A5
Of the mountains and the days when guns was law 
         D5
When two fam'lies got to feudin' 
       G5
It was bound to end in shootin' 
        D5                  A5              D5
So just listen close, I'll tell you what I saw. 
        G5                              D5
Oh, the Martins and the Coys they were reckless mountain boys 
                                            A5
And they took up family feudin' when they'd meet 
           D5
They would shoot each other quicker 
        G5
Than it took your eye to flicker 
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They could knock a squirrel's eye out at ninety feet. 
 
All this fightin' started out one sunday morning 

When old grandpa Coy was full of mountain dew 

Just as quite as a churchmouse, he stole in the Martin's henhouse 

Cause the Coys they needed eggs for breakfast, too. 
 
Oh, The Martins and the Coys, they were reckless mountain boys 

Coz old grandpa Coy's gone where angels live 

When they found him on the mountain 

He was bleedin' like a fountain 

Cause they punctured him 'til he looked like a sieve. 
 
After that they started out to fight in earnest 

And they scarred the mountains up with shot and shell 

There was uncles, brothers, cousins 

Why they bumped them off by dozens 

Just how many bit the dust is hard to tell. 
 
Oh, The Martins and the Coys, they were reckless mountain boys 

At the art of killin' they become quite deft 

They all know'd they shouldn't do it 

But before they hardly knew it 

On each side they only had one person left. 
 
Now the sole remainin' Martin was a maiden 

And as purty as a picture was this Grace 

While the one survivin' boy was the handsome Henry Coy 

And the folks all knew they'd soon meet face to face. 
 
Oh, The Martins and the Coys, they were reckless mountain boys 

But their shootin' and their killin' sure played {hob} 

And it didn't bring no joy to know that Grace and Henry Coy 

Both had sworn that they would finish up the job. 
 
So, they finally met upon a mountain pathway 

And young Henry Coy he aimed his gun at Grace 

He was set to pull the trigger, when he saw her purty figure 

You could see that love had kicked him in the face. 
 
Oh, The Martins and the Coys, they were reckless mountain boys 

But they say their ghostly cussin' gives them chills 

But the hatchet sure was buried, when sweet Grace and Henry married 

It broke up the best durn feud in these here hills. 
 
You may think this is where the story ended 

But I'm tellin' you the ghosts don't cuss no more   

Cause since Grace and Henry wedded 

They fight worse than all the rest did 

And they carry on the feud just like before. 
 
SOURCE: "THE BIG SHOW" featuring Gene Autry.