Origins: Say, Darlin', Say

Subject: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,Wally Macnow
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 03:59 PM

A friend of mine is looking for background info on a couple of old time songs. One is "Say, Darlin', Say" and the other is "Hop High My Lulu Girl".

I've checked the folk music index at the Johns Hopkins website and found that Hop High has only been recorded once, by Dirk Powell, and the earliest recording of "Say, Darlin', Say" was performed by The Stoneman Family and released on Folkways in 1957. A websearch hasn't yielded anything else. Anybody know anything about them?

Wally

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: JenEllen
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 12:21 PM

*refresh*
Still looking. Do you have any other information?
~J

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: nutty
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 12:31 PM

Hi Wally ...... I'm not sure what kind of info you need but putting "say, darlin', say" into GOOGLE brough up over 20 hits.
Didn't get anything on the HIP HOP song

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: Fortunato
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 12:33 PM

Hey, Wally, this Chance. I have Darlin' Say on a Redclay Ramblers Album: RAMBLER : Sugar Hill; ASIN: B000000F24 (1992) I think it's their arrangement of the traditional song. I'll check for background info but I think they just cite Pop Stoneman. Rafe Stefani recorded it with the Wildcats, I'll try to email him. Happy Holidays, Wally.

Subject: Hop High, My Lulu Gal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 01:10 PM

Hi, Wally - if you need help resetting your Mudcat cookie, post a message in the Help Forum.

I found a recording of Hop High, My Lulu Gal (click) on a Rounder album called Hand Me Down, by Dirk Powell.

Might you be able to post lyrics for these songs?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:11 PM

I have the Stoneman recording of Say, Darling, Say, and one by the Sweet Brothers (a group related to Ernest Stoneman) but finding them and getting around to transcribing them is another matter. I will depend on Joe to remind me if I don't get around to it in a week or so. Naturally, if anyone else has it, go right ahead!

Oh, and it is on the Yazoo collection of The Story That The Crow Told Me, vol. 1, by the Virgina Mountain Boomers. Speaking of Joe, I expect he will be running to his collection to look for that one.

Subject: Lyr Add: SAY DARLING SAY (Virginia Mtn Boomers)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:42 PM

Now, there has to be a lesson here. Note that Dale in Arkansas has a better knowledge of Joe's CD collection than Joe has himself. Could it be that Joe's faculties are fading?
-Joe-

---

SAY DARLING SAY

Oh little darling if you were mine,
you wouldn't do nothing but starch and iron
Say darling say
Starch and iron would be your trade,
and I'd get drunk and lie in the shade
Say darling say

Hush up darling, don't say a word,
I'm gonna buy you a mocking bird
Mocking bird, if it don't sing,
I'm gonna buy you a diamond ring

Diamond ring, if it turns to brass,
I'm gonna buy you a looking glass
Looking glass, if it gets broke,
I'm gonna buy you a billy goat


Transcribed from a 78 rpm recording by the Virginia Mountain Boomers on the Yazoo CD, The Story That the Crow Told Me, Vol. 1

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: lamarca
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:59 PM

Hi, Wally - have you tried asking Dick Spottswood? He's still doing his show for WAMU, now on Sundays from 1-3. His radio station e-mail is [e-mail].

Since Bruce Molsky recorded it recently, maybe he has some info (although I bet he learned it from the Stonemans...) His website is here with an e-mail link.

Hope you and Berta are well!

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,Wally Macnow
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 09:04 PM

Joe,

is there a date of the 78 recording on that tract by the Virginia Mountain Boomers? My guess is that it's earlier than the Stonemans.

Mary,

I've dropped notes to both Dick and Bruce. Thanks for the links. Hope you and that guy you share quarters with are both OK. Say hello to folks for me.

W

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: Stewie
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 09:32 PM

Wally,

It is the same recording. Virginia Mountain Boomers was a pseudonym for Ernest Stoneman and the Sweet Brothers on Gennett and Supertone. The recording, GE14017A, was made in Indiana on 9 July 1928. Ernest 'Pop' Stoneman recorded it subsequently for Folkways ca 1956-57. Elizabeth Lomax made an unissued recording of it by George Stoneman for the Library of Congress in 1941.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 11:40 PM

I figured that, Stewie. When I listened to the internet clip it sounded exactly like him, and said as much to Joe. I was not aware of that particular pseudonym, though I knew of the Sweet Brothers connection. Thanks for the confirmation.

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 11:51 PM

That's one thing about the Yazoo recordings - the documentation is a little light. I'm glad Stewie was able to come up with the information, because I couldn't find it on the Yazoo CD.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: Stewie
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 02:02 AM

Hi Dale and Joe,

My info was from Ivan M. Tribe 'The Stonemans' Uni of Illinois Press and Kip Lornell 'Virginia's Blues, Country & Gospel Records 1902-1943' Uni Press of Kentucky. I agree that a shortcoming of the wonderful Yazoo 2000 series is its lack of discographical information, and County's reissues, unfortunately, are also none too flash in that regard. However, I read somewhere recently that Tony Russell's long-awaited (10 years?) country music discography is with the publisher - we can but live in hope.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,Wally Macnow
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 12:36 PM

Thank you, one and all.

W

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: harpgirl
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 11:13 PM

dale, any chance you could send me an mp3 of the stoneman version? Guess I'm not gonna drive all the way to MV this year yet. So have fun!

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: Stewie
Date: 12 Apr 05 - 12:11 AM

In his above reference to 'Hop High My Lulu Gal' on Dirk Powell's 'Hand Me Down', Joe omitted to mention the album also contains a wonderful rendition of 'Say Darling Say'. I picked up a copy of this album in a CD sale only a couple of weeks ago and it is first-rate. Powell's banjo accompaniment on 'Say Darling Say' is delightful, with Jim Miller on vocal. Powell's 'Hop High', again with Miller on vocal, has been reissued on the very recent Rounder compilation 'Come to the mountain: old-time music for modern times'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GLoux
Date: 12 Apr 05 - 08:00 AM

The liner notes to Dirk's recording of 'Hop High My Lulu Gal' say that it is known to come from Fred Cockerham. I don't have a recording of Fred doing it, though...

-Greg

Subject: RE: Origins: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,peter beck
Date: 07 Jul 11 - 04:23 PM

In re: "Hop High My Lulu Gal," the song is also (better) known as "Roustabout."
Bright moments--
Peter Beck

Subject: RE: Origins: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jul 11 - 10:11 PM

http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=1671#6057 - A Spanish Cavalier:

CHORUS:
Oh, say, darling, say, when I am far away,
Sometimes you may think of me, dear;
Bright sunny days will soon fade away.
Remember what I say and be true, dear.

Subject: Lyr Req: harpy nds wrds: 'Stay darlin' stay'
From: GUEST,hg
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 11:45 PM

I'm not sure if this is the correct title but I'm missing some words in it. Can anyone help?

"S(t)ay little darlin won't you marry me
Livin in the holler neath the old tree..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: harpy nds wrds: 'Stay darlin' stay'
From: GUEST,me, again
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 11:46 PM

found it! nevermind...Sheila Kay Adams!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: harpy nds wrds: 'Stay darlin' stay'
From: GUEST,hg
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 11:49 PM

" you wouldn't do nothin but starch and iron
starch and iron would be your trade
and I'l get drunk and lay in the shade...

no wonder I blocked on this....LOL

Subject: RE: Origins: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,hg
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 11:52 PM

uptop