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05 Nov 08 - 07:39 PM (#2486116) Subject: Lyr Req: 'Some Day You Might Be the President' From: Lanfranc Back in the 1960s Paul McNeil recorded a song on an album he made for Decca in the UK. I seem to recall that it was attributed to Woody Guthrie, and I think it began: "Hush, my baby, don't be forlorn For you were lynched before you were born Your skin is black, we'll have it understood You're one day old but you're no damn' good" and it contained a verse that went: "Some day you might be the President And have the White House for your residence Until that day we'll have it understood You're one day old, but you're no damn' good" I've never come across it anywhere else, and it has been running through my mind all day, for obvious reasons! It's hardly PC, but it demonstrates how far the USA has come in the last forty years. There must have been those who sang it back then without the irony that (I hope!) was implied. There is nothing in DT, Google doesn't find anything relevant. Can anyone elaborate on my imperfect memory of this? Alan |
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05 Nov 08 - 09:29 PM (#2486168) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'One Day Old' From: Effsee Oh my!...That's just set my memory banks racing! First thing that comes to mind is a name. David Campbell? Blues singer from the 60's? Aw Jeeze.... |
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06 Nov 08 - 12:01 AM (#2486255) Subject: Lyr Add: ONE DAY OLD (Langston Hughes / Fisher) From: GUEST,Peace from mysongbook.de/msb/songs/o/onedayol.html One Day Old (Langston Hughes / Fisher) Hush little babe, don't be forlorn Though you were lynched before you were born Your skin is black so it's understood Though you're one day old you're no damn good No hush my babe, you're right to squawk Your skin will creep before you can walk You live just as long as some people think you should When you're one day old and no damn good Some day you may be President You'll have a White house for your residence So dry your tears, don't you frown The rope and the whip can't keep you down This nightmare, babe, can't last the night We'll end it soon, the black and the white We'll mark its grave with a cross of wood Saying, One day old and no damn good (as sung by Hamish Imlach) |
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06 Nov 08 - 10:42 PM (#2487147) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'One Day Old' From: GUEST,Peace--LYRIC ADD in the above post. Thanks. |
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07 Nov 08 - 11:15 AM (#2487628) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'One Day Old' From: GUEST,Lanfranc at the Orifice I wonder if the "Fisher" credited as part author is Archie Fisher? Alan |
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07 Nov 08 - 12:16 PM (#2487688) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'One Day Old' From: Terry McDonald I'd almost forgotten this song, but there used to be a Scots singer who was a regular at the Bournemouth and Poole Folk Song Club in the mid sixties and he half taught me this one. He also used to sing MacColl's 'Big Hewer.' I think his name was Gordon McCulloch but I could be wronng. Given that Hamish Imlach sang it, and there's a suggestion that Archie Fisher was involved in its writing, there does seem to be a Scottish dimension to its origins. |
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07 Nov 08 - 03:47 PM (#2487891) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'One Day Old' From: Jim McLean Josh MaCrae recorded this in 1966 on Transatlantic TRA 150. The sleeve notes say 'This was just a lyric in a book by John Greenway until Archie Fisher put the melody to it. The whole thing is now self explanatory'. |
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07 Nov 08 - 07:03 PM (#2488028) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'One Day Old' From: Susanne (skw) Thanks, Jim and all! I never guessed Archie Fisher was involved, even though Hamish sang it. Info will be added to "My Songbook" in due course. |