Lyr Req: Where the Lazy Murray River Rolls Along

Subject: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls along
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 13 Mar 01 - 10:27 PM

I was working at Fukuoka ATC center in Japan during the Korean war. Got pretty friendly with a couple of RAAF dispatchers at Iwakuni. One of them, Jim Curran, a queenslander had a record of this song by Slim Dusty, "The Yodeling Jackaroo" I'd really like to learn this song. The melody is "Little old Sod Shanty on my Claim" which seems to be the basis for almost all Bluegrass ballads, including my "Blue Water Bluegrass" song "Happy Home in Newport By the Sea".

Jody Gibson

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Sarah2
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 03:22 PM

Cranky Yankee,

Do you have any other snatches of the song? I did a quick search, and the only song I've come up with in the DigiTrad that mentions the Murray (as a river and not an earl!) is "Gumtree Canoe." It might help to have some other points of reference, especially a line or two; the opening line of the song can be very helpful, in case someone has it in a book but by a different title.

Sarah

Subject: Req: Where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 04:26 PM

Well, Jody, it looks like you've got the title right, "Where the Lazy Murray River Rolls Along." I did a Google Search (click here) and found a few references. My guess is that if you e-mail the people who operate those sites, one of them will respond and send you the lyrics or tell you how to get a recording. If you get the lyrics, please use the filter on the Forum Menu and resurrect this thread (put "Murray" in the box and set the age to 3 years) - and post the lyrics in this thread. Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 10:13 PM

G'day Crazy Yankee,

I responded on your earlier post of the identical title (it can be better to refresh, rather than duplicate, but I digress).

I just looked up Slim Dusty's web site at:

Slim Dusty.

I did a search for Murray River in the current titles and got no result. The site's Discography page has this message:
"This is a listing of titles still available. An historic listing of Slim's recordings prior to these will be on line shortly." so it might be an idea to bookmark the site and check back - or direct an email to whoever is running the site and they may be able to help you on the spot. (There are a few hundred recordings to list in then final historical tally, so it won't be up and running too soon!)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 10:25 PM

G'day again,

Sarah2: I must admit that The Gumtree Canoe is a ring in, as far as Australia goes. It has Australian words (collected in Victoria, from Simon McDonald who learned it from an old bloke called Fred Bolton ... no near relative). Like many popular songs of the day, it has American origins, in a song about a canoe made of Missisipi River Gum. Lines about the bloke ssteering with his toe, while strumming a banjo, are a dead giveaway!

A quick look through the artists listed at the end of Joe Offer's Google Search suggests that they are mostly the sort of younger artists who might well do a good old Slim Dusty song as a tribute ... or just because the audience want it. My quick search suggests that Slim does not have the song on any of his currently available discs (which have release dates going as far back as 1962 ... but not back to the Korean War period).

I could check with a discography nut of a friend, who lives up the Hunter Valley (if i don't see him at this weekend's Illawarra Folk Festival at Jamberoo.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: GUEST,Sarah2 (at work -- no cookie)
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 11:16 PM

Bob Bolton,

Oh, yes, a re-read shows what you mean. Not so many banjo players in Oz back then...? It would be interesting to know the origins and history of that one!

Sarah

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 12:33 AM

G'day Sarah,

I guess that I shouldn't be quite so flippant about that point. Australians on the eastern goldfields saw a lot of American banjo players as Yankee troupes (mostly "Nigger Minstrels") came out here to coax a bit of the gold their way. The banjo became quite popular in the latter part of the 19th century, reinforced by the incredible English involvement in the (~) 1880s banjo fad, which saw banjos in every string count from 3 to 13 being played and taught.

Australians seem to have stayed more America aligned on this issue and it was much more common to find 4-string banjos (mostly 5-stringers with a lost/removed 5th string) in the bush than the delicate and sensitive guitars of the day. I think the bit I found most unlikely, about the line I quoted, was any Australian bloke rowing a girl in a canoe and serenading her! (Or admitting it!)

Anyway, I cheat on the identification, because I have seen the earlier American sheet music for the original song and so know that it was a typical "folk process / parody adaptation to local terms and conditions. There is another version of the same song called Native Mate or Give me a Hut in my own Native Land, which is less of a parody and has more Australian content, so it is probably a bit later in the folk process.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 02:10 AM

Joe Offer, I'd be glad to do all those things that you suggest, when I get the lyric, If I knew what the hell you were talking about. I'm new to this electronic marvel, I love it, but I'm not really literate in Computereze. But then I suppose not too many of you are square rig sailing lingo. I bend over backw3ards to understand what "fore & afters" and landlubbers are saying, (Unlike some hard-asses), and without being snotty about it I try to put things in their language. I hope youll do the same for me. What's a thread?& how does one resirrect it? I know how to cut a frayed piece out of a rope or sampson braid and then splice it back together again, but I don't know how to resurrect a thread. (yes it is "Rope" and not "Line" as the US Navy calls the stuff) (there I go getting snotty) They have a good reason for calling it "line" which I'll explain if your curious. What's a "filter on the forum menu? Put "murray" in what box? Do you think he'll mind? and I haven't a clue how to set any age at all. You help me out here and I'll "put right" whatever "funny lines" I come across in your Maritime folk songs and Chanteys (two different things entirely) For instance, In the "Greenland Whale Fisheries", the third verse should read.....

---

Greenland Whale stuff moved to this thread (click)

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 15 Mar 01 - 03:31 PM

Joe Offer I did as you suggested with the google thing and E-mailed one of them, I'm waiting for a reply now. I'll follow through when I get a reply. Thanks a lot.

Jody Gibson

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 31 Mar 01 - 11:00 AM

Oh, Boy! If "ILLAWARRA FOLK FESTIVAL AT JAMBEROO" doesn't say, "This is Australian" then I don't know what does.
There's a message for you on the personal page.
g'night
Jody.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Roo
Date: 01 Apr 01 - 04:44 AM

Go to this site and click on PLAYERS. Select the Hayes Brothers. It shows a 1965 release by The Hayes Brothers & their Bluegrass Ramblers which had the song on it. It says it is in the process of being re- released on CD. The site is LAURIE GRUNDY'S BANJO WORKSHOP - he may be able to help you. cheers, Roo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 01 Apr 01 - 11:47 PM

G'day again, CRAZY YANKEE,

" ... If "ILLAWARRA FOLK FESTIVAL AT JAMBEROO" doesn't say, "This is Australian" then I don't know what does..."

Hmmm ... Actually it is a good Australian mixture: Illawarra is undoubtedly a Dharawhal (native Australian of the region south of Sydney) word - but Jamberoo is probably cognate with <Jamboree. Perhaps the Lands Register clerk could not spell - or read someone else's writing and jamboree is (at best lexicographical guess) an old Scots word.

Regards,

Bob Bolton (Who is currently suffering from "lateral epicondylitis" ... commonly known as Tennis Elbow ... but I know it is really Reference Book Elbow, from lifting down The Australian National Dictionary "... and serves him right!" you all say!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 02 Apr 01 - 11:44 PM

G'day CRAZY YANKEE,

I have my record buff and country sleuth looking for this one - he has a few possibilities ... but his work rate is sort of related to "the mills of God" - he grinds fine, but exceeding slow!

(Possible report back at Canberra for the Australian National Folk Festival ... Easter.)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: where the Lazy Murray River Rolls al
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:13 AM

Any RAAF types who were stationed at Iwakuni during the Korean war? It would be a real kick in the ass to commuincate with one of you again. I was King George at Fukuoka control. Don't get uppity, in the old "American-British" Phonetic alphabet, the letter K was "King" and the letter G was "George" my controller's initials (with which we acknowledged receipt of communication) just happened to be KG.
Jody