some say it comes a rolling down the hollers of old ireland and up the mountains of east tennessee from back in north carolina with scottish tones and indian moans and wails of rail road liners they helped along that old time song them boys from north carolina well they rode and growed all in the west way out in old missouri then took off around the world like lighting in its fury there ain t no way to sound the string in major or in minor it disappears all in the years it brings a laugh throughout the tears form the boys in north carolina kentucky is the bluegrass state her sunny skies define her the western slope of east tennessee nothing could be finer them northern boys can make more noise the pick could not be finer to make that sound and get it down it helps if you have been around the boys from north carolina well they stood in line around the block right here at the ryman to hear that old mule kick from the boys from north carolina gastonia to boiling springs from flinthill back to charlotte they tried to find the place of birth still talking about who played it first the boys from north carolina 