Reading most of the above posts, I'm reminded of a song a banjo playing buddy & fellow bandmate Claude Hammer sings called Goin' Down to Cairo I have always thought that the Cairo referred to in the song was Cairo, IL. It has all the earmarks of being an antebellum minstrel show song. One of the verses he sings goesSwing Ma, swing Pa
Good-bye, bye-bye
Swing that gal from Arknasas
Good-bye Liza Jane
Oh, how I loved her
Ain't that a shame
Oh, how I loved her
Good-bye Liza Jane
It is as you could tell by the lyrical structure, a call and response song. It also is a sixteen bar melody, making a dandy contra dance tune, if you take the repeats. Over the years, I suspect it has picked up many floating verses. I should also think that some version is pobably in the DigiTrad. Anybody have any history on this song?