Possum Song
Channel: Jim Giddings
Date: 2013-10-13

We've had an opossum move in near our house. This is based on a two-verse children's folk song, another song that was sung by Peggy Seeger, sung to the tune of "Old Joe Clark". Some of the verses are fanciful, some are based on reality. I'll let you guess which are which. If you notice me waving my arms about while singing, it was mainly because Kitty was trying to leap on the keyboard.

Lyrics:
I met a possum on the road and asked him where he's gwine
He put his tail between his legs and said the road was mine.

Chorus:
Racoon's got a ring-around tail; Possum's tail goes bare
Me I got no tail at all, so I don't get stuck in a snare.

I met a possum on the road and asked him what's his biz
He curled his tail above his head and said the road was his

Opossum on the compost pile. What you doing there?
Havin' supper if its all the same; good thing I'm not a bear.

Possum means "I Can" in Latin; Possum's filled with pride
I'll come and go as I see fit, and you won't see me hide.

Opossum looked in the window, beady eyes and all
Kitty's hair it stood straight up; right there on the chair.

You've heard of the possum in the paw-paw tree; shake them paw-paws down
Possum thinks he'll try his luck; he's lookin' all around

Possum in the hemlock tree, lookin' down at me
Ain't no paw-paws way up there, cause it's the wrong durn tree.

Possum strollin' throught the snow, trailin' his long pink tail
Tracks are like a long old snake, or maybe a monorail.

Possum lyin' by the road, stickin' out his tongue
looks as dead as dead can be; at least he's not high-strung.

There's a thousand verses to this song; I hope I sung 'em right
If I sang them all the way through, you'd all say nighty-night.