The Fate of Dewey Lee

On May 8, 1935, the Carter Family recorded seven songs for American Record Company in New York City. Five of them were re-recordings of earlier hits: Wildwood Flower, Keep On The Sunnyside, Lonesome Valley, River of Jordan and Single Girl Married Girl. They also recorded two new songs: God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign and The Fate of Dewey Lee.

The Fate of Dewey Lee was written by A.P. Carter about a shooting that had occured a few years earlier.

On January 31, 1931, Dewey Lee was shot at a party in the Wise County community of Ramsey. Joe Jenkins was eventually convicted for the slaying. Newspaper reports said Lee pulled a gun while arguing with another man, and as Jenkins fought to disarm Lee, the gun went off. Other accounts mentioned competition between Jenkins and Lee over a woman, and some local folks thought the party was a trap for Lee. In any case, Jenkins' claim of self-defense failed to sway the court and he was sentenced to five years in prison.

The Fate of Dewey Lee was released on Perfect Records as 13153-A, which had been purchased by the American Record Company and is part of my 78 r.p.m. collection.

Twas on one Saturday evening

About the hour of ten

In a little mining town

Where trouble did begin

Everybody there were drinking

There were whiskey everywhere

Dewey Lee got to thinking

He had no business there

He was so tall and handsome

His heart so true and brave

Joe Jenkins pulled his pistol

And sent him to his grave

He took the life of Dewey

When life had just began

And Dewey went to Heaven

While Joe went to the pen

He took the life of Dewey

Because he would not tell

We know he murdered Dewey

For Dewey's pistol fell

His mother sits now weepin'

She weeps and mourns all day

She prays to meet her boy

In a better world some day

So hearken to my story

And what I have to say

Get right with your Maker

We'll meet Him again some day

The clerk said, "Stand up, boy

And listen to your crime!"

They sent him down to Richmond

To serve out his time

Young men all take warning

For this you must outlive

Don't take the life of anyone

For life you cannot give

You may possess great riches

Put many beneath the sod

But money won't hire a lawyer

When you stand before your God