Level: 2
Tuning: Standard

The music to the this very popular song was composed in 1907 by Kerry Mills, who also wrote such celebrated ragtime songs as "Georgia Camp Meeting" and "Whistling Rufus." The melody of the verse is based of Schumanns' piano composition "The Happy Farmer, Returning From Work," though the chorus is quite different. It has been covered by countless singers, including John Wayne in three different movies, and has been adapted by bluegrass bands, traditional jazz bands, western swing outfits, and even fingerpicking guitarists.