The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #44860   Message #663429
Posted By: BK
05-Mar-02 - 11:31 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Tell Old Bill (Van Ronk?)
Subject: RE: Origins of 'Tell Old Bill' (Van Ronk)?
Sang it for years; I have that albumn, but I'm not sure I learned the song from that source. I seem to hear in my mind one, or more, apparently black, female voices in whatever source I learned it from g'zillion yrs ago. Anybody remember a female or mixed group doing it?

OTOH, I DEFINITELY learned "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" from Van Ronk; it was one of our courtin' songs - also abt a g'zillion yrs ago, along w/"Scotch & Soda." We sometimes remember those songs 'n crack up; it ("Baby Let Me Follow You Down") was SO VERY SUGGESTIVE & NAUGHTY back then! We were being WILD! Seems rather innocent compared to a lot of what's going about now..

Cheers, BK