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"Stoneboat" audio, lyrics & notes

An Appalachian rock picking song

Here are the lyrics and audio for "Stoneboat," an original bluegrass song by Lannie Dietle. The song, which is based on the songwriter's childhood experiences, describes the annual Pennsylvania farming task of picking frost-heaved rocks from the fields. Enjoy the free lyrics, personal notes, and streaming audio below.

Stoneboat — an Appalachian rock picking song
© Lannie Dietle 2025

Jack Frost, he comes in winter,
And does his frost heave thing.
We go out and pick them rocks
Come each and every spring.

Stone boat, stone boat,
Oh, how I hate that thing.
Yah cain't even ride upon it,
Cause it ain't got any springs.

The farmer on the tractor,
He's really got it made.
Creepin' along in low gear,
And drinkin' lemonade.

Me? I'm a bendin' down,
And liftin' up them rocks.
I'm gettin' plumb tired out,
From my hat down to my socks.

Stone boat, stone boat,
Oh, how I hate that thing.
Yah cain't even ride upon it,
Cause it ain't got any springs.

When the stone boat's loaded up,
To the big rockpile we head.
We lift them rocks off one by one
Cause it ain't got no dump bed.

The hot sun's a beatin' down,
Sweat's drippin' in the heat,
The stone boat's unloaded now,
But the job, it ain't complete.

Back to the field it rolls,
And I tag along behind.
Got ta fill that stone boat up,
Oh, what an awful grind.

Stone boat, stone boat,
Oh, how I hate that thing.
Yah cain't even ride upon it,
Cause it ain't got any springs.

Jack Frost, he comes in winter,
And does his frost heave thing.
We go out and pick them rocks
Come each and every spring.

All day I'm bendin' down,
And liftin' up them rocks.
I'm gettin' oh so tired
From my hat down to my socks.

Stone boat, stone boat,
Oh, how I hate that thing.
Yah cain't even ride upon it,
Cause it ain't got any springs.

Stone boat, stone boat,
Oh, how I hate that thing...

Stone boat, stone boat,
Oh, how I hate that thing...

Thoughts on my Appalachian rock picking song

"Stoneboat" takes a lighthearted, bluegrass-flavored look at one of the less glamorous rites of spring on a rocky Appalachian farm: clearing the fields of stones heaved up by winter frost. The song is written from the perspective of a youngster who would rather be doing almost anything else. While the farmer eases along on the tractor in low gear, the kids lift and carry heavy rocks to load and unload the stone boat — a simple homemade springless two-wheeled wagon towed behind a tractor. There is no dump bed and there are no shortcuts; every rock has to be loaded and unloaded manually before the whole process starts over.

The annual cycle the song describes — Jack Frost doing his frost-heave thing all winter, then picking the rocks in the spring — was a familiar part of rural life when I was growing up in Pennsylvania. Each rock removed was one less to potentially break a plow point or a mower sickle. The humor in the lyrics (the hated springless "boat," the contrast with the tractor driver's ease, the weary refrain) softens the reality without erasing it. Long days of repetitive heavy lifting built strength, patience, and a clear-eyed appreciation for both the labor of earlier generations and the opportunities that education could open up. Looking back, chores such as rock picking were part of the texture of mid-century country kid life in Appalachia — the same world of farm work, family stories, and simpler times captured in the 2024 book "In the Land of Used to Be."

Although the song is playful storytelling, the stone boat, the frost heave, and the kid's-eye view of the chore are rooted in my rural Pennsylvania experiences as a youth. It is offered as a free, original bluegrass tune for anyone who remembers (or wants to imagine) those long, hard days working in the fields.

Artistic license

The phrase "Yah cain't even ride upon it, cause it ain't got any springs" is only a slight exaggeration. On rough ground, a springless two-wheeled stoneboat jolts violently, resulting in a surprisingly painful seated ride — especially on rocky farm lanes. You can ride it, but do you really want to? Attempting to ride a stoneboat is considerably worse than riding a springless four-wheeled hay wagon on an autumn hayride, because you aren't seated on a nice comfortable hay bale. Even on a hay wagon, it's best to stand up and hold on to the rack for balance if the wagon is empty, so your legs can flex to absorb the jolts.

Additional songs about life in rural Pennsylvania

Now that you've heard my boyhood rock picking song, here are a few other rural Pennsylvania-inspired folk and bluegrass songs you might like:

Acceptable use

The song is available to stream and download for personal use or radio air play at no cost. For commercial use, such as performing or recording covers of the song, contact me to discuss licensing terms.

L. Dietle
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