THE MARTINS AND THE COYS 
Recorded by Gene Autry (with Smiley Burnette) 
Words and music by Alan Cameron and Ted Weems 
 
D Gather 'round me children and I'll A7 tell a D story 
Of the mountains and the days when guns was A7 law 
When two D fam'lies got to feudin' 
It was G bound to end in shootin' 
So just D listen close, I'll A7 tell you what I D saw. 
 
Oh, the G Martins and the Coys they were D reckless mountain boys 
And they took up family feudin' when they'd A7 meet 
They would D shoot each other quicker 
Than it G took your eye to flicker 
They could D knock a squirrel's eye A7 out at ninety D 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.