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Lyr Req: Backside Albany

29 Dec 00 - 07:43 PM (#365375)
Subject: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: GUEST,Jeff Warner

I'm looking for text and references to an early minstrel song, the first verse begins:

Backside of Albany is Lake Champlain And she's two thirds full of water..

The chorus begins:

On Lake Champlain Uncle Sam set his boats With Captain MacDonough to guide em...

Usually the song is in such heavy dialect that it is unsingable--but that's another problem. Thanks

30 Dec 00 - 12:42 AM (#365494)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Jimmy C

Jeff,

The songsheet can be found in the Lester D. Levy Collecton of Sheet Music.

Search for Lester. S. Levy and you should find it.

It was written by Michael Hawkins and sung by Hill and Brower. It has 4 verses. The words are difficult to decipher, but here is a little of what I could make out.

Verse 1

Backside of Albany dar Lake Champlain
One leetle pon half full of water

Verse 2
General ........wid de British Army
...............................
Come to Plattsburg,

the remainder is too difficult for these old eyes to read. hope you have better luck.

30 Dec 00 - 01:01 AM (#365501)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Jimmy C

Jeff, found a magnifying glass, but still missing some words.

Verse 1

Backside of Albany dar Lake Champlain One leetle pon half full of water Plattsburg dere too, close upon de main
Town small he grow bigger de here arter
On Lake Champlain uncle Sam set de boat
And Massa Macdonough he sail dem.
WhileGeneral Mac.......make Plattsburg his home
With the army whos courage neer fail em

Elizabeth Day September 1814
Gobner P.....and de British Army
.........................
Come to Plattsburg to party certin
.And de boats came too ?
Arter Uncle Sam ....
Massa Macdonough look sharp out de winder
Den General Mac.........
...........Br>Catch fire too, jus like tinder

I'm sorry this is as far as I can go with this.

30 Dec 00 - 01:11 AM (#365504)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Jimmy C

Jeff, Sorry if that seemed abrupt, but I hit the wrong key and my wording was submitted. As I meant to say, this is as far as I can go with what I got from the Lester Levy thread. Perhaps there may be some way on enhancing the image to make it clearer. When you get into the site, Click search the catalogue. A few search boxes appear.

Type "Backside" in the first one and click "Title" in the tag box. Then type "Albany" in the second. Hit search and you should be successful. If you need more info ,post a response here and I am sure someone will help.

Good luck.

31 Dec 00 - 04:39 PM (#366385)
Subject: Lyr Add: BACKSIDE ALBANY (Michael Hawkins)
From: Malcolm Douglas

BACKSIDE ALBANY

(Michael Hawkins, 1837)

Back side Albany dar Lake Shamplain,
One leetle Pon half full a water,
Platsburg dar too close upon de main,
Town small he grow bigger doe here arter,
On Lake Shamplain
Uncle Sam set he boat,
And Massa Macdonough he sail em,
While Gen'ral Maccomb,
Make Plattburgh he home,
Wid he army whose courage nebber fail 'em.

Elebenth day September 1814,
Gub'ner Probose wid he british army,
Dress 'imself up make all tings clean,
Cum to Plattburg tea party cortin;
An he boat cum too,
Arter Uncle Sam boat,
Massa Donough look sharp out de winder,
Den Gen'ral Maccomb,
Ah, he alway home,
Catch fire too jiss like tinder.

Bow wow wow den de cannon gin't roar,
In Plattsburg an all bout dat quarter,
Gub'ner Probose try he han pon de shore,
Wile he boat try he luck pon de water;
But Massa Macdonough,
Kick de boat in de head,
Broke he heart, broke he shin, stove(?) he caf in;
An Gen'ral Maccomb,
Start ole Probose home,
Tort me soul den I muss laffin.

Probose scart so he lef all behine,
Powder, ball, cannon, tea pot an kittle,
Sum say he catch he cold, wat perish in he mind,
Bloyg'd rat(?) so much raw an cold vittle;
Uncle Sam berry sorry,
Too be sure fur he pain,
Wish he muss imself up well an arty;
For Gen'ral Maccomb,
An Massa Donough, home,
Wen he notion for nudder tea party.

Best I can do, even with Photoshop.  The original image at Levy is rather poor.

Malcolm

31 Dec 00 - 05:16 PM (#366421)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Jeri

Looks like "Bloyg'd rat" to me, too.

Here's the Levy website.

05 Jan 01 - 12:17 PM (#369124)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: GUEST,Jeff Warner

Thank you all for your work. I have the tune in my head from my father's singing, but had long lost the text--either the original insane stuff or the "translation" he used to sing. Now I can get back to work. Thanks

11 Jan 01 - 08:35 PM (#373070)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Malcolm Douglas

I've sent a midi of the tune for this song -as given on the Lester Levy site- to Alan for the Mudcat Midi Pages.  I was very surprised by it; the song is, so far as I can tell, a comic "Ethiopian" fake dialect thing, by all appearances, and I was expecting a tune to match; in fact, though, it's a rather stately thing, in a minor key -I'm pretty sure that it's based on an English Morris tune, though I can't place it.  Once it's available to hear, I'd be interested in anything anyone can add.

Malcolm

12 Jan 01 - 04:45 PM (#373539)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: GUEST,Marc Bernier

Jeff there's a pretty legable version in one of the Lomax books. I'm at work right now so I'll check this evening on which book. It's called "the siege of Plasttsburg" in the book.

12 Jan 01 - 09:12 PM (#373687)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Malcolm Douglas

Oh, please do.  I really want to know what "Bloyg'd rat" is supposed to be!

Malcolm

12 Jan 01 - 09:58 PM (#373702)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Greg F.

Got myself a small headache squinting, but could it possibly be "Blyg'd eat" (or "bloyg'd eat") as in 'Obliged to eat'- which at least makes sense?? Now you've got me intrigued, too.

Best, Greg

16 Jan 01 - 04:16 PM (#375588)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Marc

Well I've got it in, American Ballads and Folk Songs, by Alan Lomax. Basically the words are the same, the dialect does very alittle bvut not much. The Line in question in this version reads.

Some say he catch a col', trouble in he min' 'cause he eat so much col' and raw victual'.

I think what might be in your version is simply B'cause he ... .

Marc Bernier

16 Jan 01 - 04:21 PM (#375593)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Marc

How about "B'cus he 'at"

I don't Know

16 Jan 01 - 06:20 PM (#375701)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Back Side of Albany'
From: Malcolm Douglas

"bloyg'd eat" looks like the answer to me, and I should have thought of it myself; it makes good sense (well, as much as any of this song does).  Thanks, Greg and Marc!

Malcolm