Wild blackberries bloomin' in the thic kets on the mountain
S heep shire and water cress are gro win' round the fountain
Where a bi g black bear is drinkin' lappin' wat er like a d og
Tig er Whitehead's in the bed slee pin' like a lo g.
But to morrow he'll see bear tracks sev en inches w ide
And by sund own he'll be bri ngin' in the hi de.
P retty Sally Gar land comin' dow n the mountain si de
Where Tiger Whitehead's tryin' to nap a mill at the mill
She si ts down on a bear skin and she sa ys "You'll be my ma n
I'll have m e the best bear hun ter in these hi lls."
A wil d child was Tig er Whitehead an d they say he kil led
Ninety- nine bears before he went to rest went to rest
Once he le ft two bear cubs orpha ned but he bro ught 'em right on hom e
And Sally nu rsed the two bear cu bs upon her bre ast.
Wild blackberries bloomin' in the thic kets on the mountain
S heep shire and water cress are gro win' round the fountain
Where a bi g black bear is drinkin' lappin' wat er like a d og
Tig er Whitehead's in the bed slee pin' like a lo g.
But to morrow he'll see bear tracks sev en inches w ide
And by sund own he'll be bri ngin' in the hi de.
Tig er now is eig hty-five and he la y upon his b ed
And the bea rs he killed now num bered ninety-ni ne ninety-ni ne.
Some fel lers trapped the be ar but Tiger sai d "Just let him go
If h e ain't running wi ld he won't be mi ne."
But at the ni ght when the wind howls
C ross the hills of eastern Tenne ssee
And wh en the lightnin' flashes
There's the strange thing that the peo ple say they se e :
An ol d grey headed ghost runnin' thro ugh mountains the re
It's Tiger Whit ehead after hi s one hundredth be ar.
Wil d blackberries bloomin' in the thi ckets on the mountain
S heep shire and water cress are gro win' round the fountain
Where a bi g black bear is drinkin' lappin' wa ter like a d og
Tig er Whitehead's in the bed sle epin' like a lo g.
But tom orrow he'll see bear tracks se ven inches wi de
And by sund own he'll be bri ngin' in the hi de.
