"Feather Bed" - Cannon's Jug Stompers

Set Three: Songs; Disc Two; Track Two: "Feather Bed" performed by Cannon's Jug Stompers. "Vocal solo with harmonica, banjo, jug, guitar." Recorded in Memphis on September 9, 1928. Original issue Victor V-38515B.

For biographical information on Gus Cannon and the other members of Cannon's Jug Stompers, see the entry on "Minglewood Blues."


"Feather Bed" is bluesy song with a rambling lyric.

I remember the time just before the war,
Colored man used to hunt him out chips 'n' straw.
But now, bless God, old master's dead.
Colored man plumb fool about feather bed.
Eee-hee, my gal Nancy. Over the road I'm bound to go.

I went uptown goin' to shriek and howl.
Think I heard my baby cry.
Eee-wee-mmm, honey. Oh, Lord, I'm bound to go.
Wee-eee-eee, baby. Oh, Lord, I'm bound to go.

I went downtown, didn't mean no harm.
Police grab me right by my arm.
Soon I began to pitch; I began to rear,
Feel like strollin' in the air.
Ooo-woo-ooo, baby. Over the road I'm bound to go.

I went downtown, doin' my best,
Find the boys that stole the vest.
Went on around 'bout the Court Square
Find the boys that done stole the coat.
Hee-hee-eee, baby. Oh Lord, I'm bound to go.

Now I knew Joe Louis was in the stand,
Had them law books in his hands.
I began to pitch, pull out a writ, began to read to me.
Said, "Nigger, you been stealin' in the first degree."
Eee-eee-eee, baby. Over the road I'm bound to go.

Ev' old Britt and Moses Brown
Said, "I'm going 'cross Cripple Creek, go into town."
Ooo-ooo-ooo, baby. Over the road I'm bound to go.

Unlike "Minglewood Blues," which featured Ashley Thompson on vocal, "Feather Bed" features the singing of Cannon himself. Cannon's voice is remarkable both for its richness, but also for the wordless moans sung at the end of each verse. Cannon also performs on banjo and jug. The song also features the remarkable harmonica playing of Noah Lewis. The guitar is played by Elijah Avery, who replaced Thompson in the group.

The lyrics veer quickly from a recollection of life before emancipation (a "Colored man" slept on "chips 'n' straw," while today he sleeps on a feather bed) to a somewhat jumbled account of a trial. In his notes, Smith points out that the lyric "over the road I'm bound to go" is "seldom heard other than in songs dealing with prison." Although it is never explicitly stated in the song that the speaker is found guilty and sent to jail, it may be inferred by the constant refrain "over the road I'm bound to go." It is significant that the next three songs that follow "Feather Bed" all deal with, or make mention of, prisons or jailhouses. For this reason, the first line's comment that "colored man plumb fool about feather bed" may be intended to be ironic, given that the speaker is headed for accommodations that a far from plush.

The song makes mention of a "Joe Louis," although the context of the lyric makes it clear that this Joe Louis is not the boxer. The fighter named Joe Louis does, however, turn up in a song that appears on volume four of the Anthology.

According to Smith's notes, "the melody used in this recording is usually called "Lost John."" There are several songs recorded as "Lost John" and there is some suggestion that this song is related to the song written by W.C. Handy as "Long Gone John From Bowling Green." Here are the lyrics to a version titled "Long John" that was recorded by John and Alan Lomax in 1934:

It's a long John
He's a long gone
Like a turkey through the corn
Through the long corn

Well my John said
in the ten chap ten
If a man die
He will live again
Well they crucified Jesus
And they nailed him to the cross
Sister Mary cried
My child is lost

Well Long John
He's long gone
He's long gone
Mister John John
Oh Big-Eye John
O John John
It's a long John

Says-uh Come on gal
And-uh shut that door
Says The dog's is coming
And Ive got to go

Its a long John
He's long gone
Its a long John
He's a long gone

WEll-a two three minutes
Let me catch my wind
In-a two three minutes
I'm gone again

He's long John
He's long gone
He's long gone
He's long gone

Well my John said
Just before he did
Well I'm going home
See Mary Lid

He's John John
Old John John
With his long clothes on
Just-a skippin through the corn

Well my John said
On the fourth day
Well to tell my rider
That I'm on my way

Hes long gone
He's long gone
He's long gone
Its a long John

Gonna call this summer
Aint gon'call no more
If I call next summer
Be in Baltimore


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Here's Merle Travis performing a version of "Lost John" that makes the connection with W.C. Handy's song quite explicit.



Download and listen to Cannon's Jug Stompers - "Feather Bed"

"Poor Boy Blues" - Ramblin' Thomas

Set Three: Songs; Disc Two; Track One: "Poor Boy Blues" performed by Ramblin' Thomas. "Vocal solo with guitar." Recorded in Chicago in November, 1928. Original issue Paramount 12722A (21020-4).

Willard "Ramblin'" Thomas was born in Logansport, Louisiana in 1902. He was one of nine children. His father was a fiddle player. Thomas learned to play guitar as a child, along with two of his brothers: Joe and Jessie. Jessie "Babyface" Thomas would go on to be a professional bluesman who would perform until his death in 1995.

Willard Thomas moved to the Deep Ellum district in Dallas, Texas at some point during the late 1920s where he fell under the influence of Lonnie Johnson. In 1928, Thomas journeyed to Chicago where he recorded several tracks for Paramount Records, including this version of "Poor Boy Blues." Thomas recorded twenty-six sides for Paramount between 1928 and 1932, all of which were recorded in either Chicago or Dallas. The Depression seems to have ended Thomas' recording career as it did those of countless other musicians.

There is some disagreement on where Thomas acquired his "Ramblin'" nickname. Some claim that it derives from the "rambling" style of his songwriting. Others claim that it was due to his itinerant lifestyle. Apart from traveling between Chicago and Dallas for recording sessions, Thomas was also known to have performed in San Antonio, St. Louis, and in parts of Oklahoma.

Thomas reportedly died of tuberculosis in 1945. His exact birth and death dates remain unknown.

"Poor Boy Blues" is a traditional blues song of unknown origin. It has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including Furry Lewis, Mississippi John Hurt, Booker Washington White, Howlin' Wolf, John Fahey, and the Black Keys, among others.

Poor boy, poor boy.
Poor boy long ways from home.

I was down in Louisiana,
Doing as I please.
Now I'm in Texas.
I got to work or leave.

Poor boy, poor boy.
Poor boy long ways from home.

If your home's in Louisiana,
What you doing over here?
Say my home ain't in Texas
And I sure don't care.

Poor boy, poor boy.
Poor boy long ways from home.

I don't care
If the boat don't never land.
I'd like to stay on water
As long as any man.

Poor boy, poor boy.
Poor boy long ways from home.

Poor boy, poor boy.
Poor boy long ways from home.

And my boat come a rockin',
Just like a drunken man,
And my home's on the water
And I sure don't like land.

Poor boy, poor boy.
Poor boy long ways from home.

Ramblin' Thomas' recording of "Poor Boy Blues" is a classic Paramount blues performance. Thomas' vocal delivery is lazy and laconic. He performs his homesick lament (with autobiographical content, considering that Thomas really was from Louisiana and moved to Texas) with just the right mixture of detachment and pathos. His guitar is allowed to do most of the crying for him, as Thomas makes excellent and evocative use of the slide technique. It is interesting that Thomas was recruited by Paramount in the wake of Blind Lemon Jefferson's success, yet Thomas' technique and style have more in common with Delta blues musicians (such as Tommy Johnson and Charlie Patton) than with Jefferson.

According to Smith's notes, "Poor Boy Blues" "and the next four selections are probably facets of a single folk-lyric complex."

The first song on the last disc of the original three-volume Anthology set, "Poor Boy Blues" is the third blues track in a row.

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Here's YouTube user daddystovepipe performing a wonderful rendition of "Poor Boy Blues."



Here's the late, great John Fahey performing an instrumental version of "Poor Boy."



Download and listen to Ramblin' Thomas - "Poor Boy Blues"

"Expressman Blues" - John Estes

Set Three: Songs; Disc One; Track Fourteen: "Expressman Blues" performed by John Estes. "Vocal solo with piano, mandolin, guitar." Recorded in Memphis on May 17, 1930. Original issue Victor 23318B.

"Sleepy" John Estes was born on January 25, 1899 in Ripley, Tennessee. His father was a sharecropper who also played guitar. In 1915, the family moved to Brownsville, Tennessee. It was in Brownsville that Estes lost the sight in his right eye due to an accident that occurred during a baseball game. Due to the appearance of his blinded right eye, he was nicknamed "Sleepy."

By nineteen, Estes was working as a field hand and performing on guitar at local parties and picnics. During this period, he began performing with harmonica player Hammie Nixon (January 22, 1908 - August 17, 1984) and guitarist and mandolin player James "Yank" Rachel (March 16, 1910 - April 9, 1997). Estes would perform on and off with these two men for nearly fifty years.

Estes made his recording debut for Victor Records in 1929 in a session produced by Ralph Peer in Memphis. This recording of "Expressman Blues" was recorded roughly a year later. Estes is one of the few Anthology artists to weather the Depression. He continued to record regularly until 1941, working with such record labels as Decca and Bluebird. Estes briefly returned to recording in 1952 when he recorded for Sam Philips' Sun Records (meaning that he was recorded by the men who discovered both the Carter Family and Elvis Presley). Except for his Sun session, Estes remained retired from music until his rediscovery in 1962. Following his revival, Estes toured with Hammie Nixon and recorded several albums for the Delmark label. He continued to tour until his death from a stroke on June 5, 1977.

While Estes is the only artist credited on "Expressman Blues," he only plays guitar on this recording. The vocal is performed by mandolin player Yank Rachel. Born in Brownsville, Tennessee in 1910, Rachel is possibly the longest lived of the Anthology
artists. Before retiring from music due to the Depression, Rachel recorded with such performers as Peetie Wheatstraw and the original Sonny Boy Williamson. Following his revival in the '60s, Rachell went on record for Delmark and Blue Goose, and to work with artists such as Taj Mahal and John Sebastian. He also appeared in the 1986 documentary Louie Bluie, directed by Terry Zwigoff, who later directed such films as Crumb and Ghost World. Rachell died April 9, 1997, the same year the Anthology was released on CD.

"Expressman Blues" is a hard driving blues with an impassioned vocal.

I said expressman, expressman, lord,
You have parked your wagon wrong.
Lord, you have parked your wagon wrong.
You took and moved my good gal,
When I was a long long way from home.

Don't a woman make a man do things,
And she know darn well that's wrong.
Lord, she know darn well that's wrong.
Lord that's why you hear poor James,
Singin' these lonesome song.

Babe if you never,
You never hear me any more.
Lord, hear me any more.
Lord you can 'member one morning baby,
When I walked up on your porch.

Well I'll sing this song.
Jim ain't gon' sing no more.
Lord, ain't gon' sing no more.
I'm gonna put this mandolin under my arm,
To the North Memphis Cafe I'll go.

The words to "Expressman Blues" are almost incidental to the incendiary performance by vocalist/mandolinist Rachel, guitarist Estes and pianist Jab Jones. The song deals with many common tropes of blues lyrics: The train that takes the loved one a "long long way from home; the woman who does wrong; the threat that the man will go away and will never be heard "any more"; self-referential lyrics (Rachel refers to himself as "James" and "Jim" in the song). What makes this recording stand out Rachell's impassioned vocal and his driving mandolin, as well as Jones's barrel house piano. Rather than repeating the entire first line (as was common in the blues form), Rachel repeats only the last part of the line, following a drawn out "loooord." It is one of the most modern sounding recordings on the Anthology. In his notes, Smith points out that by 1930, the banjo was going out of style, replaced by the guitar or (as in this case) guitar/mandolin combos.

"Expressman Blues" is the first of two recordings on the Anthology to feature John Estes. The second recording, "Milk Cow Blues," appears on the posthumously released fourth volume. "Expressman Blues" is also the second of three blues recordings in a row and is the last track on the first disc of volume three, "Songs."

The Shameless Plug Department: The sixth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all fiddle episode featuring fiddle tunes from both black and white artists, as well as three tracks from the Middle East! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

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Remember that I host "Doin' The Thing," a weekly jazz program on KRML 1410 AM and 94.7 FM in Carmel, California. The show airs from 8 PM to 10PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday nights. You can also listen online by visiting the KRML website at 8 PM Pacific, 11 PM Eastern Time. Please tune in and give me feedback!

Here's a 1993 performance by Yank Rachel performing at the Chicago Blues Festival.



Here's Sleepy John Estes and Hammie Nixon performing "Careless Love" in 1976.



This here's a YouTube user identified only as Radioshoe performing a solo guitar version of "Expressman Blues."



Download and listen to John Estes - "Expressman Blues"

"Rabbit Foot Blues" - Blind Lemon Jefferson

Set Three: Songs; Disc One; Track Thirteen: "Rabbit Foot Blues" performed by Blind Lemon Jefferson. "Vocal solo with guitar." Recorded in Chicago in December 1926. Original issue Paramount 12454A (3089-1, 497).

Born near Coutchman, Texas on September 24, 1893, Lemon Jefferson was the son of Alex and Clarissa Jefferson. He was one of eight children born to the couple and was born blind. His parents were sharecroppers. "Lemon" Jefferson is the only name he was known to go by. There have been reports that "Lemon" was a family nickname that referred to his light skin color, but there is no evidence that he had any other first name. Jefferson took up the guitar in his teens and began playing for picnics and parties. He became a street musician, one of the few careers open to the visually impaired during the early 20th century.

By the 1910s, Jefferson was making frequent trips to Dallas where he became involved in the burgeoning blues scene in the Deep Ellum district. Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter (who appears on the fourth volume of the Anthology) later claimed that he met Jefferson during this period and played with him. Given Lead Belly's penchant for self-mythologizing, it is difficult to know whether or not this is true.

There are also reports that during his early years, Jefferson supported himself by working as professional wrestler.

By 1917, Jefferson had moved to Deep Ellum where he met Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker. Jefferson instructed Walker in blues guitar in exchange for Walker's services as a guide (Lead Belly also claimed to have worked as a guide for Jefferson). By the early 20s, Jefferson was reportedly earning enough money as a musician to support himself.

In late 1925 or early 1926, Jefferson was discovered by Paramount Records and brought to Chicago to record. His first releases were religious songs released under the pseudonym Deacon L. J. Bates. His first blues releases were smash hits and Jefferson became the first successful blues artist to record with just guitar and voice, a paradigm that quickly became standard for blues releases.

Between 1926 and 1929, Jefferson recorded 100 tracks, 43 of which were issued (all but one on Paramount). As was usual for Paramount, the sound quality was extremely poor, and even though most of Jefferson's records were made in professional studios, most of them sound like field recordings. Jefferson, along with Blind Blake and Ma Rainey, was primarily responsible for Paramount's dominance as a blues label.

"Rabbits Foot Blues" was recorded in December of 1926, during Jefferson's first flush of fame. Reportedly, Jefferson became successful enough to buy a car and hire a driver. There are conflicting reports of his life during this period. There are claims that Jefferson was a "sloppy drunk." A neighbor of Jefferson's in Chicago reports, however, that he was "warm and cordial." Singer Rube Lacy reported that Jefferson refused to perform on Sundays, no matter how much money was offered.

In 1927, upset by the royalties he was receiving from Paramount, Jefferson briefly switched to the Okeh label, recording only one record ("Matchbox Blues" b/w "Black Snake Moan"). Contractual obligations quickly brought him back to Paramount.

Jefferson died in mid-December of 1929. His death remains something of a mystery. He reportedly died on the streets of Chicago. There have been claims that Jefferson had been poisoned by a jealous husband. Most scholars believe, however, that Jefferson died of a heart attack after getting lost during a snowstorm. Other accounts have Jefferson freezing to death on the street. Jefferson was buried in an unmarked grave in the Wortham Negro Cemetery in his native Texas.

Jefferson exerted a greater influence on future generations of musicians as a songwriter. Many of his songs have been covered by artists ranging from Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead to B.B. King and Counting Crows. Jefferson's most covered song, "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," appears on later on this volume.

"Rabbit Foot Blues" is a typical twelve bar blues filled out with floating lyrics.

Blues jumped a rabbit, run him one solid mile.
Blues jumped a rabbit, run him one solid mile.
That rabbit sat down, cried like a natural child.

Well, it seem like you hungry. Honey, come and lunch with me.
Seem like you hungry. Honey, come and lunch with me.
I wanna stop these nice looking women from worrying me.

I have Uneeda biscuits, gal, and a half a pint of gin.
Uneeda biscuits, gal, and a half a pint of gin.
The gin is mighty fine, but them biscuits are a little too thin.

Baby, tell me something about the meatless and wheatless days.
I want to know about those meatless and wheatless days
This not being my home, I don't think that I should stay.

I cried for flour and meat, I declare, it was strong.
Well, I cried for flour and meat, I declare, it was strong.
Keep a feeding me cornbread, I just can't stick around long.

Got an airplane, baby, now we're gonna get a submarine.
An airplane, now we're gonna get a submarine.
Gonna get that Kaiser and we'll be seldom seen.

Mmmm, hitch me to your buggy, mama; drive me like a mule.
Hitch me to your buggy; drive me like a mule.
Reason I'm going home with you, sugar, I ain't much hard to be fooled.

Modern listeners might have a little difficulty understanding just why Jefferson was so incredibly popular among audiences in his day. This is primarily because, although his records sold very well, Jefferson did not exert much influence on the blues musicians that followed him. His style is quite different from the Delta blues musicians of the same period, and it was the Delta blues musicians who informed the direction of the electrified blues that emerged in Chicago following World War II. Jefferson's guitar is less rhythmic than his Delta contemporaries. In addition, Jefferson would finish each line with what Smith in his notes calls "short independent melodic guitar phrases." The effect is quite beautiful, but probably more lyrical than what most modern listeners recognize as "the blues."

"Rabbit Foot Blues" does feature a rabbit that is "run one solid mile" by the blues which "jump" it, but it does not actually mention a rabbit's foot. The floating verses then go into a description of eating lunch consisting of "a Uneeda biscuit and a half a pint of gin" and demanding that the woman the speaker is lunching with tell him about the "meatless and wheatless days." Later in the song, the speaker declares that he has an airplane and is going to get a submarine, both of which he will employ to get the Kaiser (Smith's notes point out that the World War I reference in this song was "unusual" by 1926). The song ends with a masochistic demand from the speaker that his woman "hitch [him] to [her] buggy and drive [him] like a mule," which seems to fit in with the rather negative relationships depicted in the songs that precede "Rabbit Foot Blues" on this set.

Rabbit's feet, as a good luck charm, appear in folklore all over the world. Rabbits are often associated with trickster gods and, in some Western folklore, with witches. Jefferson would likely have been familiar with the rabbit's foot charm from local hoodoo folklore. According to some accounts, a rabbit's foot is not truly lucky unless it is taken from a rabbit at midnight, in a cemetery, during either a full moon or (in some versions) a new moon. Some versions have the rabbit killed with a silver bullet, while others say that the rabbit must be alive when the foot is taken. Some versions even state that the rabbit providing the foot must be a witch in rabbit form! The sheet music cover to "Rabbit Foot Blues," seen above, certainly raises sinister and supernatural connotations that aren't really there in the song.

This is the first of three tracks by Jefferson that appear on the Anthology.

The Shameless Plug Department: The sixth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all fiddle episode featuring fiddle tunes from both black and white artists, as well as three tracks from the Middle East! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

Remember that I host "Doin' The Thing," a weekly jazz program on KRML 1410 AM and 94.7 FM in Carmel, California. The show airs from 8 PM to 10PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday nights. You can also listen online by visiting the KRML website at 8 PM Pacific, 11 PM Eastern Time. Please tune in and give me feedback!

Here's Jim Murray performing a version of "Rabbit Foot Blues."



Download and listen to Blind Lemon Jefferson - "Rabbit Foot Blues"

"Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme (The Old Drunkard and his Wife)" - Clemo Breaux and Joseph Falcon

Set Three: Songs; Disc One; Track Twelve: "Le Vieux Soulard Et La Femme (The Old Drunkard and his Wife)" performed by Clemo (Cléoma) Breaux and Joseph Falcon. "Vocal solo and talking with accordion, guitar." Recorded in New York on August 27, 1928. Original issue Columbia 14301D(146908).

Cléoma Breaux was born on May 27, 1906 in Crowley, Louisiana. She was born into a musical family. Her father was August Breaux, an important early Cajun accordionist. Her three brothers, Amédée, Clifford, and Ophy, were also musicians who recorded together as Les Breaux Freres. Their recording of "Home Sweet Home" appears on volume two of the Anthology. Cléoma recorded often with her brothers, including "Ma Blonde Est Partie," the very first recording of "La Jolie Blonde," often called "the Cajun National Anthem."

She is often considered to be the first important female Cajun musician and was highly influential as both a vocalist and as a guitarist. She was the first woman to be inducted into the Cajun Music Hall of Fame.

In 1928, Breaux married Joseph Falcon with whom she performed and recorded until 1940, when an automobile accident put an end to her career.

On August 27, 1928, Breaux and Falcon recorded this version of "Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme" at a session for Columbia records in New York City.

Breaux died on April 4, 1941 from the injuries sustained in the car accident the previous year.

"Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme" is a humorous song about a drunkard and his wife.

You-c-que t'es parti?
Dis mon bon vieux mari,
Et you que t'es parti
Toi qui vieux fair ma mort?
Et you que t'es parti
Dis mon bon vieux mari
Qu'il est l'meilleur buveur du pays?

J'suis parti au cafe!

Quoi t'es parti faire?
Dis mon bon vieux mari,
Et quoi t'es parti faire
Toi qui vieux fair ma mort?
Et quoi t'es parti faire
Dis mon bon vieux mari
Qu'il est l'meilleur buveur du pays?

J'suis parti m'saouler!

Quand tu t'en reviens?
Dis mon bon vieux mari,
Et quand tu t'en reviens
Toi qui vieux fair ma mort?
Et quand tu t'en reviens
Dis mon bon vieux mari
Qu'il est l'meilleur buveur du pays?

Oh d'main ou aut'jour!

Quoi to veux j'fais cuire?
Dis mon bon vieux mari,
Et quoi to veux j'fais cuire
Toi qui vieux fair ma mort?
Et quoi to veux j'fais cuire
Dis mon bon vieux mari
Qu'il est l'meilleur buveur du pays?

Cuis moi cinq douzaines d'oeufs,
puis un gallon d'couscous!

Ca, ca va te tuer.
Dis mon bon vieux mari,
Ca, ca va te tuer
Toi qui vieux fair ma mort.
Ca, ca va te tuer
Dis mon bon vieux mari
Qu'il est l'meilleur buveur du pays.

Oh, c'est pas qu'j'veux mourir quand meme.

Et you qu'tu veux qu'j'enterre?
Dis mon bon vieux mari,
Et you qu'tu veux qu'j'enterre
Toi qui vieux fair ma mort?
Et you qu'tu veux qu'j'enterre
Dis mon bon vieux mari
Qu'il est l'meilleur buveur du pays?

Enterr' mois dains l'coin d'la ch'minee;
tu l'eteins un peu avant, autrement, elle va
et'chaude!

Where are you going?
My good husband.
Where are you going,
You, who'll be the death of me?
Where are you going, my good old man,
The biggest drunk in the countryside?

I'm going to the cafe!

What are you going to do there?
My good husband.
What are you going to do there,
You, who'll be the death of me?
What are you going to do there, my good old man,
The biggest drunk in the countryside?

I'm gonna get drunk!

When will you come back?
My good husband.
When will you come back,
You, who'll be the death of me?
When will you come back, my good old man,
The biggest drunk in the countryside?

Oh, tomorrow or another day!

What do you want me to cook for you?
My good husband.
What do you want me to cook for you,
You, who'll be the death of me?
What do you want me to cook for you, my good old man,
The biggest drunk in the countryside?

Cook me five dozen eggs and a gallon
of couscous!

What, that'll kill you!
My good husband.
What, that'll kill you,
You, who'll be the death of me!
What, that'll kill you, my good old man,
The biggest drunk in the countryside!

Well, maybe I want to die anyway!

Then where do you want me to bury you?
My good husband.
Then where do you want me to bury you,
You, who'll be the death of me?
Then where do you want me to bury you, my good old man,
The biggest drunk in the countryside?

Bury me in the chimney corner, but put it out
a little before or it'll be hot!

"Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme" is another comic dialogue sung between a man and a woman. The part of the wife is sung by Cléoma Breaux, who also plays guitar on this recording. The part of the husband is spoken rather than sung, and is performed by Joe Falcon who also plays the accordion. The music is jaunty, as befits a humorous piece. The subject matter takes us all the way back to disc one and "Drunkard's Special," another comic song about a drunk man and his wife. Of course, the wife in "Drunkard's Special" is deceitful, while the wife in "Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme" is depicted as long suffering, but ultimately supportive.

The husband in the song requests that his wife give him "a gallon of couscous." I'm not sure what "couscous" is in this context, but I suspect that it is not the Moroccan pasta dish...

It is curious that Smith opted to place this song after "Single Girl, Married Girl" rather than the two male-female dialogues recorded by Ernest and Hattie Stoneman. Undoubtedly, Smith chose to place this song in sequence with "Single Girl, Married Girl" as both songs depict a pessimistic view of marriage (and depict long-suffering wives). It is also possible that Smith wanted to draw a parallel between Cléoma Breaux (known for her contributions to Cajun music as a guitarist) and Maybelle Carter (who holds a similar place in country music).

This song represents the second appearance of Breaux and Falcon on the Anthology. It is the second Cajun song to appear on this volume and the sixth to appear on the Anthology overall.

The transcription of this song was by Alain Papeneuau and appeared in the book The Anthology of American Folk Music edited by Josh Dunson and Ethel Raim.

The Shameless Plug Department: The sixth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all fiddle episode featuring fiddle tunes from both black and white artists, as well as three tracks from the Middle East! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

I would like to announce that beginning May 9, 2010, I will be hosting "Doin' The Thing," a weekly jazz program on KRML 1410 AM and 94.7 FM in Carmel, California. The show airs from 8 PM to 10PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday nights. You can also listen online by visiting the KRML website at 8 PM Pacific, 11 PM Eastern Time. Please tune in and give me feedback!

Here's a short video on Cléoma Breaux and Joe Falcon that features a couple of her nieces, at least one of whom performed with her!



Download and listen to Cléoma Breaux and Joseph Falcon - "Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme (The Old Drunkard and his Wife)"

"Single Girl, Married Girl" - The Carter Family

Set Three: Songs; Disc One; Track Eleven: "Single Girl, Married Girl" performed by The Carter Family. "Vocal solo (by Sara Carter) with autoharp, guitar." Recorded in Bristol, Tennessee on August 2, 1927. Original issue Victor 20937A.

"Single Girl, Married Girl" is the fourth recording by the Carter Family to appear on the Anthology. For biographical information on the Carter Family, see the entry for "John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man."

This record was recorded at the historic Bristol Sessions and was among the first records by the Carter Family to be released. Its immediate success launched the group on an historic career as country music's "first family."

The song, like so many others on this set, is about love and (in this case) marriage.

Single girl, single girl,
She's going dressed fine.
Oh, she's going dressed fine.

Married girl, married girl,
She wears just any kind.
Oh, she wears just any kind.

Single girl, single girl,
She goes to the store and buys.
Oh, she goes to the store and buys.

Married girl, married girl,
She rocks the cradle and cries.
Oh, she rocks the cradle and cries.

Single girl, single girl,
She's going where she please.
Oh, she's going where she please.

Married girl, married girl,
A baby on her knees.
Oh, a baby on her knees.

"Single Girl, Married Girl" is about as elemental as it gets. The song contrasts the lives of a typical single girl and a married girl. The song is very pessimistic about marriage. The single girl gets to dress up, spend her money, and go wherever she likes. The married girl dresses plainly, cries as she rocks the cradle, and sits with a baby on her knee. The song has nothing positive to say about the institution of marriage. It also focuses almost exclusively on the negative impact marriage has on the lives of women. It would be interesting to know where and how this song originated. Was it, in fact, written by a woman? Did women sing it as a way of warning younger women about marrying too young? Or was it seen as a humorous song? A parody of a woman's lament?

Reportedly, Ralph Peer had to coax Maybelle and Sara Carter into recording this song, as A.P. "didn't like it."

It's quite easy to see why this song took off the way it did. The instrumental backing (featuring Maybelle Carter's energetic picking and Sara's autoharp) is upbeat and immediately engaging. Sara Carter's laconic voice sounds simultaneously youthful and world-weary. You can tell that she knows whereof she speaks (even though it was Maybelle who was heavy with child during this recording session).

A.P. Carter, perhaps wisely, stays out of this one completely.

The Shameless Plug Department: The sixth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all fiddle episode featuring fiddle tunes from both black and white artists, as well as three tracks from the Middle East! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

I would like to announce that beginning May 9, 2010, I will be hosting "Doin' The Thing," a weekly jazz program on KRML 1410 AM and 94.7 FM in Carmel, California. The show airs from 8 PM to 10PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday nights. You can also listen online by visiting the KRML website at 8 PM Pacific, 11 PM Eastern Time. Please tune in and give me feedback!

Here's Petra Haden (daughter of bassist Charlie Haden and a member of the Haden Triplets)performing a delightful version of "Single Girl, Marred Girl" from the Harry Smith Project.



Download and listen to The Carter Family - "Single Girl, Married Girl"

"Bob Lee Junior Blues" - Memphis Jug Band

Set Three: Songs; Disc One; Track Ten: "Bob Lee Junior Blues" performed by The Memphis Jug Band. "Vocal solo with kazoo, banjo-mandolin, jug, guitar." Recorded in Atlanta on October 19, 1927. Original issue Victor 21356A (40324).

Will Shade was born on February 5, 1898, possibly in or near Memphis, Tennessee. He was also known as "Son Brimmer," a nickname apparently conferred by his grandmother, Annie Brimmer. Whether his real name was Shade or Brimmer is unknown, nor is anything known of his early life or education.

In 1925, Shade was exposed to the music of the Dixieland Jug Blowers, a jug band based in Louisville, Kentucky. Shade was so impressed that he started his own jug band featuring several local musicians. Aside from Shade, the original members of the Memphis Jug Band were guitarist Tee Wee Blackman, vocalist Ben Ramey, and a jug player known only as Lionhouse. Shade himself played washtub bass, guitar, and harmonica. It was as a harmonica player that Shade exerted the most influence. Among his followers were Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy Williamson I and II, and Charlie Musselwhite.

Shade was known to hang around other Memphis musicians, including Gus Cannon, Jim Jackson, and Furry Lewis. Shade was also in demand as a session musician, accompanying numerous local artists on his own and with the other members of the Memphis Jug Band. Among his sideman credits is his performance on "He Got Better Things For You" by the Memphis Sanctified Singers.

Active for more than forty years, the Memphis Jug Band had a constantly changing personnel. By the time of the 1927 Victor session that produced "Bob Lee Junior Blues," the group consisted of Will Shade on guitar, Ben Ramey on kazoo, Will Weldon on guitar, Vol Stevens on banjo-mandolin and Jennie Clayton on vocal.

The group was incredibly prolific. Between 1927 and 1934, the Memphis Jug Band made more than eighty recordings for such labels as Victor, Gennett, and Okeh.

As with so many other bands and musicians of the period, the fortunes of the Memphis Jug Band flagged during the Depression. The group broke up after 1934, although individual members of the group continued to perform actively until the 1940s.

Shade made his last recording session in 1963 with Gus Cannon, Sam Lindsay, and Milton Roby. Shade died of pneumonia on September 18, 1966 and was buried in an unmarked grave. In 2008, a group of musicians held a fundraiser and bought a headstone for Shade's grave. Shade and the Memphis Jug Band were also honored in 2009 with a brass note on Beale Street's "walk of fame," the first jug band to be so honored.

For more information on jug bands and the jug as a musical instrument, see the entry for "Newport Blues" by the Cincinnati Jug Band.

The banjo-mandolin is a hybrid developed in the late 19th or early 20th century. It gave the mandolin player the volume of the banjo, as well as a similar sound, without having to learn the banjo's fingering. Like the mandolin, the banjo-mandolin (sometimes called a "manjo") is strung with four "courses" that are tuned identically to the mandolin and the violin. The bridge stands on a banjo-like head that ranges from five to ten inches in diameter (larger heads were favored because they produced a louder sound). With the advent of amplification, the banjo-mandolin went out of style and is now seldom played.

"Bob Lee Junior Blues" is yet another song of lost love.

I can't sleep for dreamin'.
I can't stay awake for tryin'.
I can't sleep for dreamin'.
Can't stay awake for tryin'.
That man I'm lovin',
He's trouble all the time.

Wish my man could holler
Like Bob Lee Junior does.
Wish my man could holler
Like Bob Lee Junior does.
I would follow my daddy
Most everywhere he goes.

And I asked the conductor,
"Let me ride the blinds."
I asked the conductor,
"Let me ride your blinds."
He said, "Buy you a ticket,
This garbage (?) train ain't mine."

Oh, I hate the train
That take my man away.
I hate the train
That take my man away.
But the same train carry him
Gonna bring him back someday.

"Bob Lee Junior Blues" is the third song in a row to feature a female voice. It is a typical lament of lost love, featuring a couple if curiosities. The first is the title, which clearly comes from the line, "I wish my man could holler/Like Bob Lee Junior does." The question is, who is Bob Lee Junior? That the speaker wishes that her man could "holler" like him, suggests that Bob Lee Junior was a vocalist of some kind. Was he somebody who was popular in Memphis during the '20s? Or is the lyric a holdover from some earlier time and place?

The second curiosity is the interpolation of the song "Careless Love" following the last verse. Nowadays, we'd call this a "sample." Back then, it was called a "quote" or a "snatch." Its use here is interesting, since it clearly comments on the action of the song.

"Careless Love" is a traditional song of unknown origin. Like most traditional songs, the lyrics vary from version to version, but they usually deal with heartache and lost love, and sometimes with revenge. One fairly typical verse is as follows:

Love, oh love, oh careless love,
You fly to my head like wine,
You've ruined the life of many a poor girl,
and you nearly wrecked this life of mine.

"Careless Love" has been recorded numerous times, including version by Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, and Harry Connick, Jr. W.C. Handy appropriated the melody for his "Loveless Love."

The Shameless Plug Department: The sixth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all fiddle episode featuring fiddle tunes from both black and white artists, as well as three tracks from the Middle East! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

I would like to announce that beginning May 9, 2010, I will be hosting "Doin' The Thing," a weekly jazz program on KRML 1410 AM and 94.7 FM in Carmel, California. The show airs from 8 PM to 10PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday nights. You can also listen online by visiting the KRML website at 8 PM Pacific, 11 PM Eastern Time. Please tune in and give me feedback!

Here's a version of "Careless Love" performed by Odetta on the Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour.



Here's another version of "Careless Love" performed by Strange Love, a blues duo consisting of harmonica player Roger Strange and Bob Love on guitar.



Download and listen to The Memphis Jug Band - "Bob Lee Junior Blues"

"The Spanish Merchant's Daughter" - Stoneman Family

Set Three: Songs; Disc One; Track Nine: "The Spanish Merchant's Daughter" performed by The Stoneman Family. "Vocal duet by Hattie and Ernest Stoneman with harmonica, violin, guitar." Recorded in Bristol, Tennessee on October 31, 1928. Original issue Victor V-40206.

For biographical information on Ernest and Hattie Stoneman, see the previous entry on "The Mountaineer's Courtship."

Recorded a little over a year after the previous selection, "The Spanish Merchant's Daughter" is another humorous dialogue between a man and a woman.

Father was a Spanish Merchant and before he went to sea,
Made me promise to say "no sir" to all you say to me.
No sir, no sir, no sir, no sir.

I know your father was against me. Should he not return from sea,
And they say you have no mother, would you then say no to me?
No sir, no sir, no sir, no sir.

Yes, I know I have no mother. Should father not return from sea,
Then you see I have a brother who would take good care of me.
No sir, no sir, no sir, no sir.

If we were walking in the garden, plucking roses wet with dew.
Would you be in any way offended if I walked and talked with you?
No sir, no sir, no sir, no sir.

I know the world is very cruel, if you have no one to care.
But I always will say no sir until from father I do hear.
No sir, no sir, no sir, no sir.

As we tarry in the garden and I linger by your side,
Would you tell me I must leave you and refuse to be my bride?
No sir, no sir, no sir, no sir.
No sir, no sir, no sir, no no!

"The Spanish Merchant's Daughter" tells the simple story of a young girl being courted by a cunning man. The girl's father has instructed her to say "no, sir" to anything the suitor says. Knowing this, the suitor deliberately asks questions that will elicit the response he wants, all while the girl continues to say "no, sir." According to Smith's notes, "The Spanish Merchant's Daughter" is likely modeled on an earlier song called "Oh, No John."

On yonder hill there stands a maiden.
Who she is I do not know.
I’ll go and court her for her beauty.
She must answer yes or no.
Oh, no John, no John, no John, no.

Oh, maiden, in your face is beauty.
On your lips red roses grow.
Will you take me for your lover?
Maiden, answer yes or no.
Oh, no John, no John, no John, no.

Maiden. I will give you jewels.
I will make you rich and free.
I will give you silken dresses.
Maiden, will you marry me?
Oh, no John, no John, no John, no.

My father was a Spanish captain,
Went to sea a month ago.
First he kissed me, then he left me.
Told me, "Always answer no."
Oh, no John, no John, no John, no.

Oh, maiden, since you are so cruel,
And since you do scorn me so,
If I may not be your lover,
Maiden, will you let me go?
Oh, no John, no John, no John, no.

Then I will stay with you forever
If you will not be unkind.
Maiden I have vowed to love you.
Would you have me change my mind?
Oh, no John, no John, no John, no.

"The Spanish Merchant's Daughter" features both Ernest and Hattie Stoneman on guitar, with Ernest Stoneman doubling on harmonica and Eck Dunford on fiddle.

Hattie Stoneman's voice can be a little much to take, I find. While Ernest Stoneman's contributions to country music are undeniable, one has to wonder if it wasn't Smith's obvious affection for the bizarre that led him to choose not one, but two songs featuring Hattie's singing.

The Shameless Plug Department: The sixth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all fiddle episode featuring fiddle tunes from both black and white artists, as well as three tracks from the Middle East! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

I would like to announce that beginning May 9, 2010, I will be hosting "Doin' The Thing," a weekly jazz program on KRML 1410 AM and 94.7 FM in Carmel, California. The show airs from 8 PM to 10PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday nights. You can also listen online by visiting the KRML website at 8 PM Pacific, 11 PM Eastern Time. Please tune in and give me feedback!

Here's Raymond Crooke, with an unnamed young woman sharing the vocals, performing a version of "Oh, No John."



Download and listen to The Stoneman Family - "The Spanish Merchant's Daughter"

"The Mountaineer's Courtship" - Mr. and Mrs. Ernest V. Stoneman

Set Three: Songs; Disc One; Track Eight: "The Mountaineer's Courtship" performed by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest V. Stoneman. "Vocal duet with harmonica, guitar." Recorded in New York on May 12, 1927. Original issue Okeh 45125 (W81080B).

Born on May 25, 1893 in Carroll County, Virginia, Ernest V. Stoneman was steeped in the musical traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Left motherless at the age of three, Stoneman was raised by his father and three cousins who taught him guitar, banjo, autoharp, harmonica, and the jaw harp. Stoneman also sang and wrote his own songs.

In November of 1918, Stoneman married Hattie Frost, who also came from a musical family. Hattie Stoneman gave birth to twenty three children, thirteen of whom lived to maturity and all of whom played at least one musical instrument.

Stoneman was primarily a carpenter who played music for pleasure until 1924. That year, Stoneman reportedly heard a record by Henry Whitter. Stoneman believed he could do better and by September of that year managed to convince the Okeh record label to record him. Directed by Ralph Peer, Stoneman recorded several sides for Okeh and Victor, as well as freelancing for several other labels (including Paramount and Gennett). By 1926, he formed a string band featuring Hattie and fiddler Eck Dunford. Various children would round out the Stoneman Family band over the years.

In July and August of 1927, Stoneman worked with Ralph Peer to organize the historic Bristol Sessions in Bristol Tennessee.

In May of that year, Ernest and Hattie Stoneman recorded "The Mountaineer's Courtship" at a session in New York City. Hattie Stoneman plays guitar and Ernest plays harmonica. Both sing on this recording. Stoneman continued recording until 1929.

The Stoneman family relocated to Washington, DC during the Depression. In 1941, Stoneman bought land in Carmody Hills, Maryland and went to work in a Naval gun factory. In 1947, the Stoneman Family returned to show business, winning a talent contest that landed them six months exposure on local television. In 1956, Stoneman appeared on The Big Surprise, a game show, winning $10,000. By this point, several of Stoneman's children had formed a bluegrass band called The Bluegrass Champs, winning Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. Meanwhile, Ernest (now known as "Pop" Stoneman) and Hattie recorded for Folkways Records.

In the early '60s, the Stoneman Family reunited, moving to Nashville, signing with MGM, and launching a syndicated television program. The group won the Country Music Association's "Vocal Group of the Year" award in 1967.

Ernest Stoneman died on June 14, 1968.

"The Mountaineer's Courtship" is also known as "When You Comin' To Court Me," "Dear Old Mountain Boy," "Buffalo Boy," and "The Country Courtship." It's a shaggy dog story sung as a dialogue between a bride-to-be and her fiancee.

Oh, when are you coming to see me?
To see me, to see me?
Oh, when are you coming to see me,
My dear old reckless boy?

I expect I'll come next Sunday.
Next Sunday, next Sunday.
I expect I'll come next Sunday,
If the weather is good.

Oh, how long you think you'll court me?
You'll court me, you'll court me?
Oh, how long you think you court me,
My dear old reckless boy?

I expect I'll court you all night.
All night, all night.
I expect I'll court you all night,
If the weather is good.

Oh, when do you think we'll marry?
We'll marry, we'll marry?
Oh, when do you think we'll marry,
My dear old reckless boy?

I expect we'll marry in a week.
In a week, in a week.
I expect we'll marry in a week,
If the weather is good.

Oh, what're you gonna ride to the wedding in?
To the wedding in, to the wedding in?
Oh, what're you gonna ride to the wedding in,
My dear old reckless boy?

I expect I'll bring my log sled.
My log sled, my log sled.
I expect I'll bring my log sled,
If the weather is good.

Oh, why not bring your buggy?
Your buggy, your buggy?
Oh, why not bring your buggy,
My dear old reckless boy?

My ox won't work to the buggy.
To the buggy, to the buggy.
My ox won't work to the buggy,
'Cause I've never seen him try.

Oh, who're you gonna bring to the wedding?
To the wedding, to the wedding?
Oh, who're you gonna bring to the wedding,
My dear old reckless boy?

I expect I'll bring my children.
My children, my children.
I expect I'll bring my children,
If the weather is good.

Well, I didn't know you had any children.
Any children, any children.
Well, I didn't know you had any children,
My dear old reckless boy.

Oh, yes I have six children.
Six children, six children.
Oh, yes I have six children,
Joe, Jim, John, Sally and the baby.

Run and tell aunt Sally,
Aunt Sally, aunt Sally,
Oh, run and tell aunt Sally,
The old gray goose is dead.

The one that she's been saving,
Been saving, been saving,
The one that she's been saving,
To make her feather bed.

The song is a dialogue between a man and a woman. In most of the verses, the woman asks a question and the man answers. Each of the questions ends with the line, "my dear old reckless boy". In other versions of the song, the "reckless by" is a "mountain boy" or a "Buffalo boy." The answers nearly always end with the line, "if the weather is good." Some sources claim that the song goes back as far as the 1600s. Most versions of the song have the woman break off the engagement, singing something along the lines of,

There ain't gonna be any wedding.
Any wedding, any wedding.
There ain't gonna be any wedding.
Even if the weather is good.

This version leaves out the punchline, preferring to add two unrelated verses about "aunt Sally" and her "old gray goose," possibly inspired by the mention of "Sally" as one of the man's six previously unknown children (although only four are named and five are mentioned).

In his notes, Smith points out that the two unrelated verses come from "one of the most widely known American songs," sometimes known as "The Old Gray Goose" or "Go Tell Aunt Rhody."

The Stoneman's appear again on the very next selection, "The Spanish Merchant's Daughter," another humorous dialogue.

The Shameless Plug Department: The sixth episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is finally up! It's an all fiddle episode featuring fiddle tunes from both black and white artists, as well as three tracks from the Middle East! Also available on iTunes! Subscribe today so you don't miss a single episode. It's free and it doesn't hurt. Who can ask for more?

You can also become a fan of "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using today's technology to promote yesterday's music!

I would like to announce that beginning May 9, 2010, I will be hosting "Doin' The Thing," a weekly jazz program on KRML 1410 AM and 94.7 FM in Carmel, California. The show airs from 8 PM to 10PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday nights. You can also listen online by visiting the KRML website at 8 PM Pacific, 11 PM Eastern Time. Please tune in and give me feedback!

Here's the Stoneman Family during the '60s (you can see Pop Stoneman in the background) performing "The Five Little Johnson Girls."



Here's another appearance by the younger Stonemans performing "Big Ball In Monterey" in 1965.



Here's a version of "The Mountaineer's Courtship" performed by an unknown duo.



Download and listen to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest V. Stoneman - "The Mountaineer's Courtship"