Folktunes.org - The Folktunes Archive for teaching and learning.

John Brown's Dream (at FanBelt's Jam)

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 18 May 2006 14:24:23 -0400

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Whitesburg (at FanBelt's Jam)

Forrest Oliphant — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:46:37 -0400

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

I have encoded and uploaded a jam session from Halloween of last year. There are lots of great modal tunes, some hooting and hollering, and general fun. It will take some time to add each track to folktunes.org, so if you want to see the tracklist and listen now go to the archive.org Halloween at FanBelt's 2005 page. Recorded by Vernon Tilley and edited by Rob VanVeld.

Stealin' Stealin' by The Memphis Jug Band

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:58:23 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be

Now, put your arms around me like the circle round the sun
I want ya to love me, mama like my easy rider done

If you don't believe I love ya, look what a fool I've been
If you don't believe I'm sinkin', look what a hole I'm in

Stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't ya tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be

(kazoo and harmonica break)

The woman I'm lovin', she's just my height and size
She's a married woman, come to see me sometimes

If you don't believe I love you, look what a fool I've been
If you don't believe I'm sinkin', look what a hole I'm in

I'm stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be

(break)

Stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't ya tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be

Notes:

This is the first recording of this song, which has since been recorded by everyone from Taj Mahal to The Greatful Dead.

Recorded on September 15, 1928. Will Shade sings the lead with Vol Stevens on guitar, Ben Ramey on kazoo and Jab Jones on jug.

Hiram's Valley by Judge Sturdy's Orchestra

Forrest Oliphant — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:50:14 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Quadrille! Take your partners boys, c'mon...

Notes:

It's funny how impatient the caller sounds in these recordings. "C'mon boys, shake a leg!"

Judge Sturdy and his "Orchestra" (a small string band) play the traditional country dance tune "Hiram's Valley", complete with calls, in this 1925 recording. From 78rpm disk.

Minglewood Blues by Cannon's Jug Stompers

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:34:39 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Don't you never let one woman rule your mind
Don't you never let one woman rule your mind
Said she keep you worried, troubled all the time

Don't you think your fairer was li'l and cute like mine
Don't you wish your fairer was li'l and cute like mine
She's a mar- She's a married woman,
But she comes to see me all the time

Don't you never let one woman rule your mind
Don't you never let one woman rule your mind
Said she keep you worried, troubled all the time

Well I got a letter mama and you ought to hear it read
Well I got a letter Lord and you ought to hear it read
If you comin' back baby now be on your way

Notes:

There is an interesting breakdown of the history of this song in the folk tradtion at the Roots of the Greatful Dead page.

Recorded on January 30, 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee. This recording features Gus Cannon on banjo and jug (Cannon created a contraption to hang the jug from his band so he could blow and pick banjo at the same time), Ashley Thompson on vocals and guitar and Noah Lewis on the harp. Minglewood was a lumber camp in Ashley, Tennessee, which was popular amongst musicians in the Mississippi Delta as a "hot spot." This tune became a popular staple of the Grateful Dead. Along with the Memphis Jug Band, Cannon's Jug Stompers was one of the great jug bands of the twenties.

The Dying Soldier by Buell Kazee

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 01:59:08 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Oh brother Green, oh come to me,
For I am shot and bleeding,
Now I must die, no more to see,
My wife and my dear children.

The southern () has layed me low,
On this cold ground to suffer,
Stay brother stay and lay me away,
And write my wife a letter.

Tell her that I'm prepared to die,
And want to meet her in heaven,
Since I believed in Jesus Christ,
My sins are all forgiven.

My little ones, I love them well,
Oh could I once more see them,
That I might bid them a long farewell,
But we will meet in heaven.

Oh brother I am dying now,
Oh see I die so easy,
Oh surely death has lost it's sting,
Because I love my Jesus.

Go tell my wife she must not grieve,
Oh kiss my dear little children,
For they will call for me in vain,
When I am gone to heaven.

Notes:

This amazingly haunting piece grabs the listener by the heart and dares them not to shed a tear for the dying brother and soldier, who is so content in death because he loves "his Jesus."

Recorded on January 18, 1928 in New York City.

Links Elsewhere

Forrest Oliphant — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 11:12:32 -0500

Other podcasts of interest

The How and the Tao of Folk Music - podcast centered on teaching folk guitar and oldtime banjo one song at a time
Honey, where you been so long? - prewar blues and other stuff
Long Sought Home - songs about the afterlife
Workbook - wonderful tapes of folk and other music traded with a friend back in the 80’s

Folk sheet music

Musipedia, The Open Music Encyclopedia - alternative search methods for tunes, including humming at your computer!
JC's abc tune match - when you search for a tune you can get it as sheet music, midi, and abc

Greenback Dollar by Weems String Band

Forrest Oliphant — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:06:07 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Over the hill and down in the holler,
All I want is a greenback dollar,
Over the hill and down in the holler,
All I want is a greenback dollar...

Rovin' Gambler by Kelly Harrell

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 16:00:51 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

I am a roving gambler,
I gambled down in town,
Whereever I () for the sake of the cards I'll lie my money down

I had not been in Washington many more weeks than three,
When I fell in love with a pretty little girl and she fell in love with me

She took me in he parlor,
She cooled me with her fan,
She whispered low in her mother's ear I love a gamblin' man

Oh daughter oh dear daughter,
Why do you treat me so,
To leave your old dear mother and with a gambler go

Oh mother oh dear mother,
I know I love you well,
But the love I have for the gamblin' man no human song can tell

I've gambled down in Washington,
I've gambled down in Spain,
I'm going down to Georgia to gamble my last game

I hear the train a-coming,
A-coming round the curve,
A-whistling and a-blowing and staining every nerve

Oh mother oh dear mother,
I'll tell you if I can,
If you ever see me coming again I'll be with a gamblin' man

Notes:

An old traditional song described on the record label as a "Mountaineer's Song with violin and guitar". Kelly Harrell made his living in the Virginia textile mills but sang on the side and recorded several sessions in the later 1920s. "Rovin' Gambler" was recorded on January 7, 1925. From the original 78rpm disk.

Author: Kelly Harrell
Date: 1925-01-07
Source: Original 78rpm disk digitized by old78collector
Keywords: oldtime; folk; country; appalachian

Fourteen Days In Georgia by Blue Ridge Highballers

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 7 Feb 2006 10:37:34 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

Traditional "Mountain Dance Music" tune, recorded March 23, 1926 by the Blue Ridge Highballers ("led by Charley La Prade, fiddler").

Original 78rpm disk (Columbia 15081-D) digitized by old78collector

Sally Goodin by Obed "Dad" Pickard on Mouth Harp

Forrest Oliphant — Sun, 5 Feb 2006 19:59:56 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Had a little gal and her name was Sally Goodin,
Asked her to marry me and then she said she wouldn'

Had a peice of pie and I had a peice of puddin',
And I give it all away to kiss Sally Goodin

Went up on hill to see Sally comin',
Thought to my soul I'd kill myself runnin'

Possum up a gump stump, coon up a holler,
Wish to my soul I had a silver dollar

Went to the creek, the creek was muddy,
Hugged Sally Goodin 'til she couldn't stand steady

Notes:

Great mouth harp work on this 1929 recording of the traditional folk tune "Sally Goodin" by Obed "Dad" Pickard, one of the first "Grand Old Opry" performers. From original 78rpm disk.

Folktunes.org Alpha 2.0

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 2 Feb 2006 14:26:57 -0500

You might have noticed that there is a new layout for folktunes.org. We are working on the visual design of the site, but the new tag-based foundation of the collection will not change:

http://folktunes.org/tags (all of the "tags" below will be collected in this list)

This new tag-based system will allow every recording to have more than one artist, instrument, or song title attached to it. Also, any of these tags will be playable as a webjay-powered playlist.

We will post updates as we make improvements. Please leave us feedback and suggestions in the comments.

We are also looking to add collections to our collection. Please contact us if you know of any library or university collection of field recordings that would be willing to have their collections digitized and added to Folktunes.org.

PS: our podcast, which for now will feature certain recordings in the collection, is available at http://feeds.feedburner.com/folktunes

Dark Holler - Clarence Ashley

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 08:40:32 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

I was born in old Viginia
South Carolina I did go
There I courted a pretty little woman
But her age I did not know

Well her hair was brown and curly
Her cheeks were rosy red
On her dress she wore white lilies
Oh the cares that I have ()

When I'm asleep I'm dreaming about you
When I wake I have no rest
Ever' moment seems like an hour
Oh the pain () my breast

I'd rather be in some dark holler
Where the sun don't ever shine
For you to be some other man's darling
When you ain't no longer mine

Pappa says I must not marry
Momma saya it'll never do
But little girl if you are willing
I will run away with you

For I'd rather be in some dark holler
Where the sun don't ever shine
For you to be some other man's darling
When you ain't no longer mine

When I'm asleep I'm dreaming about you
When I wake I have no rest
Ever' moment seems like an hour
Oh the pain () my breast

Notes:

Recorded on October 23, 1929 in Johnson City, Tennessee. This tune has become a bluegrass standard under this name, as well as "Dark Holler Blues" and "East Virginia Blues." It shares the same melody as "Greenback Dollar," and performers often mix the lyrics of the two in ever differing versions.

Coo Coo Bird - Clarence Ashley

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 08:32:52 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Gonna build me a log cabin
on a mountian so high
So I can see Willie
as he goes on by

Um hmm hmm...

Oh the coo-coo is a pretty bird
She wobbles when she flies
She never hollers coo-coo
'Til the fourth day of July

I've played cards in England
I've played cards in Spain
I'll bet you ten dollars
I'll beat you next game

Jack of diamonds, Jack of diamonds
I've known you from old
Now you've robbed my poor pockets
Of my silver and my gold

Um hmm hmm...

I've played cards in England
I've played cards in Spain
I'll bet you ten dollars
I beat you this game

Oh the coo-coo is a pretty bird
She wobbles when she flies
She never hollers coo-coo
'Til the fourth day of July

Notes:

Recorded on October 23, 1929 in Johnson City, Tennessee. Greil Marcus describes this tunes as a "folk-lyric" tune "made up of verbal fragments that had no direct or logical relationship to each other." Ashley's banjo is tuned to G-modal, also referred to as Sawmill tuning. Some folklorists note that the cuckoo is an ancient symbol for the coming of summer.

How and Tao

Forrest Oliphant — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 12:32:46 -0500

I first learned of Patrick Costello's Pik-Ware Publishing from his Creative-Commons-licensed The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo. Now he has launched The How and the Tao of Folk Music, the first folk music instructional podcast that I have ever come across. This is a great resource for people learning old-time banjo and guitar, as he is putting a new tune up almost daily.

Folktunes.org - The Folktunes Archive for teaching and learning.

John Brown's Dream (at FanBelt's Jam)

Whitesburg (at FanBelt's Jam)

Stealin' Stealin' by The Memphis Jug Band

Hiram's Valley by Judge Sturdy's Orchestra

Minglewood Blues by Cannon's Jug Stompers

The Dying Soldier by Buell Kazee

Links Elsewhere

Other podcasts of interest

Folk sheet music

Other links

Greenback Dollar by Weems String Band

Rovin' Gambler by Kelly Harrell

Fourteen Days In Georgia by Blue Ridge Highballers

Sally Goodin by Obed "Dad" Pickard on Mouth Harp

Folktunes.org Alpha 2.0

Dark Holler - Clarence Ashley

Coo Coo Bird - Clarence Ashley

How and Tao