Folktunes.org - Cannon's Jug Stompers

Viola Lee Blues by Cannon's Jug Stompers

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:34:42 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

The judge decreed it, clerk he wrote it,
The clerk he wrote it down indeed-eh,
The judge decreed it, the clerk he wrote it down,
If you miss jail sentence, you'll be Nashville bound.

Some got six months, some got one solid,
Some got one solid, year indeed lord,
Some got six months, some got one solid year,
But me and my buddy, oh got lifetime here.

Fix my supper, mama, let me go to,
Let me go to bed, indeed lord,
Fix my supper, let me go to bed,
I've been drinking white lightning, and it just gone to my head.

Notes:

Recorded on September 20, 1928 presumably in Memphis. The lineup is the same as on "Minglewood Blues," only Noah Lewis sings. The line "ain't got a jail sentence, you must be Nashville bound," refers to the common practice in the South at that time of sometimes not sentencing black men who were arrested for certain crimes. Rather, they would often be sent to places where they had to work very hard, which was often worse than a jail sentence.

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.

Pig Ankle Strut by Cannon's Jug Stompers

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:27:06 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

A great example of a jug-band harmonica tune to learn.

Recorded on September 5, 1928 in Memphis. Features Gus Cannon on the jug, Ashley Thompson on guitar, and Noah Lewis on the harmonica.