The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #67126   Message #1119724
Posted By: Joe Offer
19-Feb-04 - 09:58 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Old Chisholm Trail
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: OLD CHISHOLM TRAIL
There are four entries in the Traditional Ballad Index:

Chisholm Trail (I), The

DESCRIPTION: Stories of the troubles of a cowboy watching the herds. Characterized by the chorus, "Come-a ti yi yippy, yippy yea, yippy yea, Come-a ti yi yippy, yippy yea, yippy yea." Dozens of verses, printable and unprintable, cover all parts of the cowboy life
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1910
KEYWORDS: cowboy work
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (14 citations):
Randolph 179, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text, 1 tune)
BrownIII 217, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text, though one suspects it's composite since it's 29 stanzas long!)
Sandburg, pp. 266-267, "The Lone Star Trail" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fowke/Mills/Blume, pp. 136-138, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fife-Cowboy/West 78, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (2 texts, 1 tune, the "B" text being "Eleven Slash Slash Eleven")
Lomax-FSUSA 57, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Lomax-ABFS pp. 376-379, "The Old Chizzum Trail" (1 long text (compiled from many sources), 1 tune)
Lomax-FSNA 188, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 851-852, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text, 1 tune)
LPound-ABS, 76, pp. 167-170, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text)
Arnett, p. 125, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 108, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 long text, probably composite)
Saffel-CowboyP, p. 184-186, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1 text)
DT, CHISHLM*
Roud #3438
RECORDINGS:
Jules Allen, "Chisolm Trail" (Victor V-40167, 1929; Montgomery Ward M-4463, 1933)
The Cartwright Brothers, "On The Old Chisolm Trail" (Columbia 15346-D, 1929)
Edward L. Crain, "The Old Chisolm Trail" (Crown 3275, 1932)
Girls of the Golden West, "Old Chisolm Trail" (Bluebird B-5718, 1934)
Tex Hardin, "The Old Chisolm Trail" (Champion 16552, 1933)
Harry "Haywire Mac" McClintock "The Old Chisholm Trail" (Victor 21421, 1928; on AuthCowboys, BackSaddle)
Patt Patterson & his Champion Rep Riders, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (Perfect 164/Banner 32091 [as Patt Patterson & Lois Dexter], 1931)
Sain Family, "The Texas Trail" (Montgomery Ward M-7187, 1937)
Jack Weston, "The Texas Trail" (Van Dyke 84292, n.d.; on MakeMe)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Chisholm Trail (II)" (tune & meter)
cf. "Eleven Slash Slash Eleven" (tune & meter)
Notes: It should be noted that there is no clear distinction between the "clean" and "dirty" versions of this song (the latter being "Chisholm Trail (II)"); a particular singer could make it as raunchy as desired.
E. A. Brininstool wrote a poem, "The Chisholm Trail." It is unrelated -- a reminiscence of cowboy days. - RBW
File: R179

Chisholm Trail (II), The

DESCRIPTION: This is a virtually endless sexual adventure of a cowboy punching the "goddam" herd. Versions of this ballad vary greatly, including laments for having contracted venereal disease from either the minister's or the Old Man's daughter.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE:
KEYWORDS: bawdy cowboy humorous sex disease
FOUND IN: Australia US(Ro,So,SW)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Cray, pp. 186-192, "The Chisholm Trail" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Randolph-Legman I, pp. 199-205, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (5 texts, 2 tunes)
DT, (CHISHLM -- a combination of clean and dirty versions)
Roud #3438
RECORDINGS:
Cowboy Rodgers, "Old Chisholm Trail" (Varsity 5044, c. 1940)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Gonna Tie My Pecker to My Leg"
cf. "The Chisholm Trail (I)" (tune & meter)
Notes: Annotator G. Legman in Randolph-Legman I lumps "Chisholm Trail" with "Gonna Tie My Pecker to My Leg" versions. - EC
It should be noted that there is no clear distinction between the "clean" and "dirty" versions of this song; a particular singer could make it as raunchy as desired. - RBW
File: EM186

Eleven Slash Slash Eleven

DESCRIPTION: A song of the cowboy's life: Finding himself in jail, but released by the sheriff (a former cowboy), going to town and "mak[ing] the tenderfoot dance"; playing cards with a crooked gambler. The conclusion: "You'll find every dirty cuss exactly the same."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928
KEYWORDS: cowboy work gambling rambling cards prison
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Fife-Cowboy/West 78, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (2 texts, 1 tune; this is the "B" text)
Roud #3438
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Chisholm Trail (I)" (tune & meter)
Notes: Since, as it has been remarked, the song "The Old Chisholm Trail" is longer than the trail itself, it is possible that this is simply a version of that piece (Roud lumps them). However, except for its tune and the cowboy theme, it lacks the distinctive features of the earlier song. I have therefore (tentatively) listed them separately. - RBW
File: FCW078

Gonna Tie My Pecker to My Leg

DESCRIPTION: Usually short fragments of "The Chisholm Trail" distinguished by the unique chorus which gives this variant its title.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE:
KEYWORDS: bawdy
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,So)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Cray, pp. 192-194, "Gonna Tie My Pecker to My Leg" (3 texts)
Randolph-Legman I, pp. 203-204, "The Old Chisholm Trail"
DT, (CHISHLM)
Roud #3438
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Chisholm Trail (II)"
Notes: Versions are lumped with the similar "Old Chisholm Trail" in Randolph-Legman I. - EC
File: EM192

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