Lyr Req: Hand Me Down My Walking Cane

12 Dec 01 - 06:28 PM (#608631)
Subject: hand me down my walking cane
From: alison

anyone got the words to this one?

slainte

alison

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12 Dec 01 - 06:30 PM (#608632)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: alison

its not the one in the dt...... chorus of this one starts something like.....

hand me down my walking cane I've gotta catch the midnight train....

slainte

alison

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12 Dec 01 - 06:43 PM (#608635)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: Jeri

Here? (It's "walkin' - ain't got no "g.")

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12 Dec 01 - 07:33 PM (#608673)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: alison

thanks Jeri.... that's the one.......

slainte

alison

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12 Dec 01 - 08:04 PM (#608693)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: Stewie

The expression 'Hand me down my walkin' cane' seems to turn up in all manner of places from sea shanties ('Hog's Eye Man'), to blues ('Look Yonder Wall') to contemporary songwriters (John Prine). I read somewhere that it originated from the pen of James Bland in the minstrel era. Does anyone know the truth of this? I have been unable to find any verification on the usual sites - American Memory, Duke, Brown, Levy etc. Just curious.

--Stewie.

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12 Dec 01 - 09:30 PM (#608739)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Stewie, "Hand me down my walking cane" was a minstrel tune, but the author seems to be unknown. Bland gets credit in some sources, but apparently there is no evidence.
"All-er my sins are taken away" is an old spiritual (see Cleveland index) but I don't have the references cited. It probably is the antecedent of the minstrel song.

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12 Dec 01 - 10:56 PM (#608792)
Subject: lyr add: I am redeemed
From: alison

used to know a spiritual along the lines of....

I am redeemed (I am redeemed)
by the blood of the lamb (by the blood of the lamb)
I am redeemed (I am redeemed)
by the blood of the lamb
I am redeemed by the blood of the lamb
saved and sanctified I am
All my sins are washed (taken) away, I am redeemed

which then lead to other verses like

oh you'll never get to heaven on rollerskates / motor car / fruit cake tin.... etc.... but I doubt these were ever part of the original......*grin*

slainte

alison

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12 Dec 01 - 11:48 PM (#608806)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: Amos

This was discussed at length in this thread over here.

Regards,

A

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13 Dec 01 - 12:15 AM (#608816)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

The version in the DT is strictly from camp- scout or whatever. A minstrel song, a spiritual and old doggerel are all mixed in- almost as bad as Alison's. I found one of the spirituals, but not the closest to the minstrel song:
MARY WORE THREE LINKS OF CHAIN (American Songbag, Sandburg). The verse I like best is

My feet got wet in the midnight dew, (3 times)
An' de mornin' star was a witness too;
All my sins been taken away, taken away.

(Who cares about the morning star; my feet are frozen!)

A short version of this spiritual has been posted recently under All My Sins Been Taken Away. It is not the same as "All-er My Sins..." mentioned above (listed separately in the Cleveland Index.
American Memory lists a number of Bland songs, but Hand Me Down... isn't one of them. cufresno says unknown.

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13 Dec 01 - 12:49 AM (#608826)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: hand me down my walking cane
From: Stewie

Thanks Dicho and Amos - I had forgotten all about that previous thread.

--Stewie.

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