Merle Haggard — The Girl Turned Ripe

[Intro] Well the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today [Verse 1] Had an uncle who was farming down in Tennessee And I stopped by to see him there and brought this friend with me He had a daughter seventeen whose name was Clementine And sure enough they fell in love, her and this friend of mine [Chorus] He said the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today He said there ain't no need in me begging her to stay Old Uncle Dave just shook his head and turned away He said the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today [Verse 2] Fell in love with a gal that made her home in Louisian' And her daddy was a hard and strict but very humble man And he shook me up that day I went to ask him for her hand But I felt better when I heard them same old words again [Chorus] Well the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today Said there ain't no need in me begging her to stay He just shook his head and slowly walked away He said the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today [Verse 3] Now me and this gal from Louisian', we got a family We got a little doll with big brown eyes that we call Chamarie And there's a great long line of pickers waiting to talk to me About the sweet little gal of mine that we call Chamarie [Chorus] Well the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today Said there ain't no need in me begging her to stay He just shook his head and slowly walked away He said the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today [Outro] I said the girl turned ripe and the pickers came today