High Sheriff and Police

Subject: High Sheriff and Police
From:
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 08:02 AM

Can anyone give me the name of a song recorded in the '50's or '60's by a Weaver's or Limelighters type group in which a portion of the lyric is "High sheriff and po-lice coming after me..."?

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"Re previous posting: Correct email address is [e-mail] Sorry for my error."
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Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: Gary T
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 08:55 AM

I'm familiar with the song although I'm not sure I know the correct title. The chorus starts out something like "I've laid around and stayed around this old town too long" and ends with "I feel like I've gotta travel on." The DT has a version with the title "Done Laid Around" but it doesn't have the verse you mention. Possible titles are "I've Gotta Travel On" or "Gotta Travel On".

Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: kendall
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 09:00 AM

Sounds like Worried Man Blues to me

Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: Banjer
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 11:23 AM

Sounds like "Gotta Travel On" and I think Billy Grammer did it at one time.I'll go out on my limb on step further and say it was on the Monument label somewhere around 1958 or 9.

Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: Banjer
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 11:26 AM

I checked my 45rpm data and it WAS on Monument. The flip side was Chasing A Dream. Why can I remember stuff like this from years ago and I can't tell you what I had for dinner just last night?

Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: Amos
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 11:27 AM

It is a line from the Worried man blues ("It takes a worried man to sing a worried song...") as performed among others by the (shudder) Kingston Trio.

A

Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 01:32 PM

Sorry Amos and Kendall, the line is not from "Worried Man Blues." BTW, there are much better versions of "Worried Man Blues" than the Kingston Trio. The Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Deborah Holland, Pete Seeger, to name a few. "It Takes A Worried Man" is an alternate title.

As Gart T. and Banjer point out, the line does come from "Gotta Travel On," alternately known as "Done Laid Around. It's a revival era song and there are versions by, among others, the Weavers, the Kingston Trio, the Au Go Go Singers, Joe & Eddie, Bob Dylan, and Eric Bibb.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 01:34 PM

The song from which it was derived (at least one of its roots) is from Galax VA, Fields Ward's Bogtrotter's band; and they called it Deadheads and Suckers.
Deadheads and suckers, how can you live
How can you live, darling how can you live
Deadheads and suckers, how can you live
When good men are dyin' every day

and a couple verses later
High sheriff and police are runnin' after me
And darlin' I don't know what I'll do

(And I did this from memory without consulting DT; it's probalby there!

Subject: Lyr Add: GOTTA TRAVEL ON (Paul Clayton)
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 01:39 PM

GOTTA TRAVEL ON
Recorded by Billy Grammer
Words and music by Paul Clayton

I've laid around and played around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone; Yes, winter's comin' on
I've laid around and played around this old town too long
And I feel like I've gotta travel on

Papa writes to Johnny; But Johnny can't come home
Johnny can't come home; No, Johnny can't come home
Papa writes to Johnny; But Johnny can't come home
'Cause he's been on the chain gang too long

High sheriff and police; Ridin' after me
Ridin' after me; Yes, comin' after me
High sheriff and police ridin' after me
And I feel like I've gotta travel on

Want to see my honey; Want to see her bad
Want to see her bad; Oh! want to see her bad
Want to see my honey; Want to see her bad
She's the best gal this poor boy ever had

Subject: RE: High Sheriff and Police
From: Amos
Date: 18 Nov 00 - 02:53 PM

Oh, damn, I HATE brainfarts. The tunes are pretty close and I crosswired them in long-term memory. At least i think i remember doing that.... Thanks, Mike.

A