Origins: Salty Dog Blues

Subject: Salty Dog
From: Coralena
Date: 05 Mar 97 - 10:51 AM

The Dilliards sang this song and the only part I recall is

If you want be my salty dog then I want be your gal at all Honey want you be my salty dog

Does any one have the lyrics and what is a salty dog? :) Thank you.

Subject: Lyr Add: SALTY DOG BLUES
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 05 Mar 97 - 02:29 PM

A MUST on any bluegrasser's gig sheet, here's how it's done by Flatt and Scruggs.

........Tiger

-------------------

SALTY DOG BLUES: by Wiley and Zeke Morris

I was standin’ on the corner with the low-down blues,
A great big hole in the bottom of my shoes,
Honey, let me be your salty dog.

CHORUS
Let me be your salty dog,
Or I won’t be your man at all.
Honey, let me be your salty dog.

Now look-a here, Sal, I know you,
A-run-down stockin’s and a-worn-out shoes.
Honey, let me be your salty dog.

CHORUS

I was down in the wildwood, settin’ on a log,
Finger on the trigger and an eye on the hog.
Honey, let me be your salty dog.

CHORUS

I pulled the trigger and the gun said go,
Shot fell over in Mexico.
Honey, let me be your salty dog.

CHORUS

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 28-Jan-02.

Subject: RE: Salty Dog
From: Coralena
Date: 06 Mar 97 - 07:46 AM

Thank you. I heard it years ago on the Andy Griffith show and a actress playing the part of sister to "the boys" sang it. On one show "the boys" who were the Dilliards sang Dooley, they sure sounded good, I wonder if they can be found on CD. Thanks again. :)

Subject: RE: Salty Dog
From: Les Blank
Date: 06 Mar 97 - 09:24 AM

Coralena : I've really enjoyed your input and contributions and I'm glad I can finally offer something. You can try http://www.edge.net/folkera/index.html. FolkEra Records is a gold mine I recently discovered. Log in their guest book, request a catalog and you get something worth much more than you bargained for. The Dilliards are one of their featured artists -- along with so many others whom I thought had dropped down a crack. Hope this helps !!

Les Blank [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Salty Dog
From: Coralena
Date: 06 Mar 97 - 09:59 AM

Thank you so much! I'm headed there now! :)

Subject: Lyr Add: SALTY DOG (from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
From: Will
Date: 12 Mar 97 - 10:37 AM

Julius Lester and Pete Seeger credit "Salty Dog" to Huddie Ledbetter. Their guide to the 12-string has a Folkways version. I think that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band may have recorded a similar version. I have to admit that I like the tune better than the sentiments.

4/4, in A

CHORUS: Mama let me be your salty dog.
I don't want to be your man at all.
You salty dog, oh you salty dog.

God made a woman and he made her mighty funny.
When you kiss her round the mouth, just as sweet as any honey.

Scaredest I ever been in my life.
When my buddy like to caught me kissing his wife.

Little fish, big fish swimming in the water.
Come back her man, give me my quarter.

Subject: RE: Salty Dog
From: Bobby O'Brien
Date: 21 Mar 97 - 07:43 AM

The "boys" from the Andy Griffith Show, the Darlings (denver pyle, jane mancuso and the dillards) are all on a new album called "Songs heard on the Andy Griffith Show" to be released by Rhino CDs sometime in summer 97.

Remember Charlene, the mountain daughter of the family, and Denver Pyle (her dad Briscoe Darling) having this exchange:

Briscoe: Boys, give us a song. How 'bout playin' "Never Hit Yer Granny With a Great Big Stick"

Charlene: Aww, Paw, that one makes me cry.

Subject: RE: Salty Dog
From: Coralena
Date: 21 Mar 97 - 02:14 PM

I seem to recall that. Thank you for the info on the CD, I'll be sure to look for it. Hope they will have at the locale record store.

Subject: RE: Salty Dog
From:
Date: 16 Apr 97 - 09:01 PM

I have sung this verse at college parties

Two old ladies sittin' in the sand, Each one wishing the other was a man, Honey let me be your salty dog.

I have always thought a salty dog was a Crusty old sailorman

Subject: RE: Salty Dog
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Apr 97 - 11:45 PM

In the 40's and 50's, at least in the disreputable parts of New York I hung out in, Salty Dog referred to oral sex. Candy Man is obvious.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salty Dog
From: GUEST,Mark Barnett
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 08:37 PM

Hello,

What. please, would be the meaning of the Lizzie Miles' phrase in the last verse of her Salty Dog---"I believe my man's got a black cat at home, when I leave , I've got to run back home"

Thank you,

ps Vieux Carre in verse 4 means literally from the French--"Old Square"

Thank you

My email address is: [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salty Dog
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 18 Dec 09 - 11:03 AM

Jon Stewart and the Kingston Trio did a version of it years ago. I've heard it done by a couple of "hot jazz" combos as well. Supposedly, the name "Salty Dog" came from a locally produced soft drink somewhere in the deep south. Leadbelly performed it and so did Rick Nelson, of all people. It's great fun to do.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salty Dog
From: PHJim
Date: 18 Dec 09 - 12:14 PM

I think it was the Kingston Trio who sang:

Two old women layin' in the sand
Each one wishin' that the other was a man.
Honey won'tcha be my salty dog?

Two old maids lying in bed
One rolled over to the other and said:
"Honey won'tcha be my salty dog?"

I love you in blue and I love you in red,
But most of all I love you in blue.
Honey won'tcha be my salty dog?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salty Dog
From: Joe_F
Date: 18 Dec 09 - 09:18 PM

In the Flatt & Scruggs version,

    Let me be your salty dog,
    Or I won't be your man at all,

the meaning of the first line is pretty clear from the context. It means (as my roommate learnedly explained to me while I was in highschool) "Let me screw you".

Subject: Lyr Add: SALTY DOG (from Kingston Trio)
From: PHJim
Date: 22 Dec 09 - 06:17 PM

I just found the Kingston Trio's version of Salty Dog. It borrows from some old blues songs. The first line appears in Pink Anderson's version of BRING IT ON HOME and in Robert Johnson's THEY'RE RED HOT and others. The "two old ladies verses" can be found in versions of BROWN'S FERRY BLUES.

They also ask the same question as Corelina asked in the original post in the second last verse.


I got a gal; she's ten feet tall,
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet in the hall.
    Honey, let me be your salty dog.
There was two old ladies sittin' in the sand,
Each one wishin' the other was a man.
    Honey, let me be your salty dog.

CHORUS: If I can't be your salty dog,
I won't be your man at all.
    Honey, let me be your salty dog.

I smile when you go into town.
Now I'm sorry that your car broke down.
    Honey, let me be your salty dog.
You told me that your wheel was broke.
Now I'm sittin' with a broken spoke.
    Honey, let me be your salty dog. CHORUS

I love you in blue and I love you in red
But most of all I love you in blue.
    Honey, let me be your salty dog.
Floatin' down the river on an old oak log.
What the hell's a salty dog?
    Honey, let me be your salty dog. CHORUS

I think we better call this the end of this song
'Cause it's a-getting' too damn long.
    Honey, let me be your salty dog.
Honey, let me be your salty,
Honey, let me be your salty,
    Honey, let me be your salty dog

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salty Dog
From: TinDor
Date: 22 Dec 09 - 09:27 PM

Salty Dog Blues originated with blues musician Papa Charlie Jackson (1924).More info below..



Salty Dog

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salty Dog
From: GUEST,Ron
Date: 16 Sep 10 - 04:45 PM

Two old maids a lyin' in bed
one turned over to the other and said
Honey, let me be your salty dog.