Lyr Req: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson)

Subject: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner
From: graywolf1980
Date: 16 Jun 03 - 05:41 PM

Can anyone add to the following lyrics? It's from Yazoo's Kentucky Mountain Music.

The Moonshiner
By Daw Henson

I've been a moonshiner for seven long years
I've made my own whiskey, I steal my own beer
I'll go to the cold??? stream and I'll drink with my friends
No woman to follow to see what I spend
No woman to follow, no children to squall
If you want to life happy, don't marry a dog???
God bless them little women, I wish they would mind
To ____ as sweetly as should??? all moonshine
Come all you little women take warning by me
Don't place your affliction on a young man like me
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry
If trouble don't kill me, I'll live 'til I die

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Jun 03 - 05:56 PM

This (click) is what's in the DT here.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MOONSHINER (Clancy Brothers)
From: Tiger
Date: 16 Jun 03 - 06:12 PM

Here's the Clancy's version.


The Moonshiner — Clancy Brothers

I've been a moonshiner for many a year.
I spent all my money on whiskey and beer.
I'll go to some hollow and I set up my still,
And I'll make you a gallon for a ten-shillin' bill.

CHORUS (each stanza)
I'm a rambler, I'm a gambler,
I'm a long ways from home,
And if you don't like me,
Well, leave me alone.
I'll eat when I'm hungry,
And I drink when I'm dry,
And if moonshine don't kill me,
I'll live 'til I die.

I'll go to some hollow in this country,
Ten gallons of wash, I can go on a spree.
No women to follow, the world is all mine,
And I love none so well as I love the moonshine.

Oh, moonshine, dear moonshine, Oh, how I love thee.
You killed my old father, but you are good by me.
Oh, bless all moonshiners and bless all moonshine,
Oh, their breath smells as sweet as the dew on the vine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Jun 03 - 07:25 PM

Isn't that AFFECTION, rather than AFFLICTION?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 11:47 PM

Graywolf: I listened to a sound sample. I believe line 6 is

"If you want to live happy, don't marry at all."

"At all" is pronounced to sound like "a tall", which is typical of Kentucky dialect. (My father spoke that way.)

Sorry, I can't help with the rest of the song, since I haven't heard it.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MOONSHINER (Daw Henson)
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 03:25 AM

Graywolf, this is what I hear:

I've been a moonshiner for seven long years
I've made my own whiskey, I still my own beer
I'll go to the cold stream and I'll drink with my friends
No woman to follow to see what I spend
No woman to follow, no children to squall
If you want to live happy, don't marry at all
God bless them little women, I wish they was mine
Their breath smells as sweetly as a jug of moonshine
Come all you little women take warning by me
Don't place your affection on a young man like me
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry
If trouble don't kill me, I'll live 'til I die


It is what Gershon Legman would categorise as mal-mariee song with a twist that the man is warning women. The 'breath' line is a variant of the more common 'Their breath smells as sweet as the dew on the vine'.

--Stewie.

Subject: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson recording)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 04:12 AM

The songs in this box set are wonderful, but it sure is tough to understand them. It really helps to work through songs like we're doing. I suppose "cold stream" is as good a guess as any, but it's not what I hear. Here are the lines where I differ with Stewie. The first one is anybody's guess, but I'm pretty sure of the last two. "Affection" is the word you expect to hear, but "affliction" may work if you think about it - and "affliction" is definitely what I hear.
-Joe Offer-

I'll go to the grocery and I'll drink with my friends

Their breath smells as sweetly as good old moonshine

Don't place your affliction on a young man like me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson)
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 06:31 AM

Joe,

Listening again, I agree you are correct with 'to the grocery' and 'good old moonshine'. However, I won't resile from 'affection' - the way he slurs it , though, makes it sound a bit like 'affliction'. There is a definite 'ect' syllable there if you listen closely.

Regards, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 06:32 PM

"Still my own beer" doesn't make sense. Beer isn't made by distilling. Poetic license? Or is he referring to something else?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson)
From: biglappy
Date: 15 May 05 - 09:40 PM

I hate to pick up on a verrrrrry old thread but I can't help adding that "beer" is the fermented mash that put in the kettle to be "stilled" in the first step of distilling whiskey.

Sorry again for the very late info-- although I don't see how you can portray yourselves as folk musicians if you didn't even have a still in your hollow. How did your parents support you, anyway?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson)
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 16 May 05 - 02:52 PM

Hi biglappy,

To answer your last question, My parents supported me with the money they made from iron and steel.

Ma would iron, and Pa would steal......I'll get me coat!

Don T.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Feb 16 - 07:27 PM

its not "dog" its dont marry at all...or really " a tall"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Moonshiner (Daw Henson)
From: cnd
Date: 16 Feb 16 - 06:38 AM

Stewie's lyrics are correct for Daw Henson's version, except he says "as sweetly as good ol' moonshine" instead of "as a jug of moonshine." You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdmmLH_uf1U