Cliff Jinks "Green, Green Grass of Home" (1986)

Great Uncle Cliff Jinks (1914 - 1993) on guitar and singing "Green, Green Grass of Home". This was filmed by my Grandfather Don Paxton (he can be heard singing along in the background) on October 2, 1986, out at Cliff and Helen's Kindle Road farm near Jacksontown, Ohio.

Cliff worked on the B&O railroad as a brakeman, and he helped get my grandfather hired on the railroad as a brakeman in 1950. Both Cliff and my grandfather later became conductors on that railroad line, which operated out of Newark Station in Newark, Ohio. Cliff also owned the farm where the Buckeye Lake Concerts were held. When it first started, Cliff called it the Legend Valley Park. It was originally a country music venue, and he met many professional musicians like Willie Nelson. Later, he allowed rock concerts, and groups like the Grateful Dead performed there. The music park was successful in its day, and many people in Ohio during the 1970s can remember seeing a number of different performances. Cliff loved music, and he wrote some songs about the railroad too, such as "The B&O Vets", and his friend Herbie Tipton wrote some poems which Cliff made into songs. Cliff lived a good life surrounded by the family he loved and the music he loved, and though he is gone he is not forgotten.

"Green, Green Grass of Home" (Putnam, Curly)

The old home town looks the same
as I step down from the train
And there to meet me is my momma and my poppa
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Yes, they'll all come to meet me
arms reachin' smiling sweetly
Oh it's good to touch the green, green grass of home

The old house is still standing
though the paint is cracked and dry
And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on
and down the lane I'll walk with my sweet Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Then I awake and look around me
at the four grey walls that surround me
And I realize that I was only dreamin'
There's a guard and there's a sad old padre
Arm and arm we'll walk at daybreak
Again I'll touch the green, green grass of home

Yes, they'll all come to see me
in the shade of the old oak tree
As they linger 'neath the green, green grass of home

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cliff
• Jinks
• Don
• Paxton
• music
• guitar
• sing
• country
• song
• Ohio
• Railroad
• Men
• 1986

[jimlawver]

enjoyed thanks for posting!!!