All My Friends are Gone

Subject: All My Friends are Gone
From:
Date: 28 Jun 99 - 07:47 AM

Gary Davis wrote a song called "All My Friends are Gone". It is about a woman gambler named Delia. She gets shot by the sheriff. There is another version by Blind Willie McTell called "Delia" where she is shot by another gambler. I think "Delia's Gone, One More Round" is another (perhaps better known) version of the same story.

Do the songs describe a real incident and a real person? If so, what is the story?

By the way Gary Davis' version has almost the same tune as "Cocaine Blues".

Thanks

Murray

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From:
Date: 29 Jun 99 - 04:54 AM

I just thought I would refresh this one and try again.

Murray

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From: Jon W.
Date: 29 Jun 99 - 12:32 PM

Murray, I read this yesterday, have no concrete evidence but I'd bet this is a true story that has happenned lots of times to lots of different people - just like Frankie and Johnny. The song is put out as a warning to the listener and trying to tie it down to one particular incident is, beside the point. Of course that's just my opinion and I would be glad to be proven wrong.

Subject: LYR ADD: DELIE ( a different Delia)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 02 - 01:04 AM

This from John Garst, Univ. Georgia. In 1900 in Savannah, two teenagers; Moses "Cooney" Houston shot and killed Delia Green. "Cooney" claimed Green was his girl while she objected. The incident inspired the popular song "Delia's Gone" (aka Delia), "All I have is gone," and "All I got Done Gone." John Garst contributes to Mudcat; he may enlarge on this story.
In the DT, Delia 1 and 2 depart rather far from this story. Is there another Delia?
Here is another version from "American Negro Folk Songs." It doesn't really fit the story either.

Lyr. Add: DELIE

Delie, Delie, was a-goin' her last round,
When ole coon came by
An' shot her to the groun'.
All I done had done gone.

Delie, Delie, why didn't yo' run,
When yo' seen dat coon a-comin'
Wid his forty-fo' caliber gun?
All I done had done gone.

Rubber-tired cayage, rubber-tired hack
Done took poor Delie to de bone yard,
Ain't never brought her back.
All I done had done gone.

Men in Atalanta tryin' to pass fo' white,
Delie's in de bone yard
Six foot out o' sight.
All I done had done gone.

Men in Atalanta drinkin' out a silver cup,
Delie's in de bone yard,
Ain't never goin' to get up.
All I done had done gone.

Reported from Durham, NC, 1924. "from memory of a song taught Frank Goodell of Spartenburg, SC,...by an old Negro to whom he paid $1.00 to teach him to play the guitar. Learned possibly between 1900 and 1904." Note the convergence with "Frankie and Albert." "Ole coon" in the song may be a mis-hearing of "Cooney." Atalanta commonly replaces Atlanta in rural Georgia. From Newman L. White, 1928, American Negro Folk Songs, 1965 reprint, p. 215.
@crime @Negro @ballad

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 02 - 01:09 AM

Also see thread 5181: She's all I've got

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 02 - 03:29 PM

Delia thread: Delia

Looking for an old jug band song: All I have (had) is gone; All I got done gone or similar. Sometimes had Depression Era words. Nothing about Delia and murder.

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Jun 02 - 03:41 PM

I apologize in advance if I am wrong but I believe Murray is gone. He passed away a few months ago.

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Jun 02 - 04:07 PM

Yes Sins.......And another of our friends are gone. I thought of how ironic this thread title was when I read that Murray had started it. He was a really great guy with a fine sense of both music and humor and often asked some truly great questions which led to some equally great discussions here......And I find it kinda' nice that his request here was finally answered.........I think he'd say, "Better late than never."

Thanks Dicho.........And Murray, I hope it's what you were looking for!

Spaw

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 02 - 04:25 PM

A shame to lose any of the contributors here. Sorry to hear it.

Subject: RE: All My Friends are Gone
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 07:50 PM

I can't locate the words to Dylan's "AMFHGone" on any web listing. What are they? Jim