Lyr Req: Old Reilly(here rattler)- Cisco Houston

Subject: Lyr Req: Old Reilly(here rattler)- Cisco Houston
From: George Ellias
Date: 03 May 10 - 05:26 PM

I'm not just looking for the lyrics im also wondering about the origins of this song. anyone have some cool stuff about it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Reilly(here rattler)- Cisco Houston
From: George Ellias
Date: 03 May 10 - 05:31 PM

Never mind got all i needed. awesome song.

"There are songs with symbolic language, as in Old Reilly who walked the water with his long clothes on. (Here, perhaps, you should be let in on the meaning of this: his "long clothes" refer to his chain gang prison garb. When an inmate tried to make a break for his freedom, he would run up the river bed through the shallow water, to lose his scent to the blood hounds who were in pursuit. This was called "walking the water." This discussion has some interesting variants. - Cisco Houston

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Reilly(here rattler)- Cisco Houston
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 May 10 - 03:46 PM

There is some discussion, as well as several versions of the lyrics, in the threads Lyr Req: Here Rattler Here and Lyr Req: Old Rattler (Leadbelly).