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14 Jun 04 - 06:48 PM (#1207265) Subject: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: Gerard From Mel Bay's Complete Folk Guitar Method by Jerry Silverman, I'm looking for any background information on the following songs: BEEN IN THE PEN SO LONG IT MAKES A LONG TIME MAN FEEL BAD IN THE PINES ALBERTA LET YOUR HAIR HANG LOW E6 A7 Been in the pen so long E6 A7 Am Honey, I'll be long gone E A7 Been in the pen, and I gotta go back again A7 D7 G7(b5) C7 Baby where you been so long? F#9 B7 E "C7" B7 Baby where you been so long? etc.... |
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18 Jan 13 - 09:56 AM (#3468065) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: GUEST,Pete I guess the song could originate from the blues era, since the songs it also in two other Mel Bay Blues songbooks. Do you like the melody of this song? The song could possible also have Jewish roots, since Jerry Silvermann, being a Jew, seems the be the only person who has put this song into print. |
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18 Jan 13 - 12:05 PM (#3468114) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: GUEST,Hootenanny Pete you are a little off beam. At least three of the above if not all four in one form or another show up in both black and white tradition. Jerry Silverman is only one of many Jewish performers and writers who have documented the American folk and blues tradition and done much over the years to keep it alive and kicking. My own personal feeling regarding Jerry's printed songs are that there seem to be too many chords. A little too sophisticated for my taste. Hoot |
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18 Jan 13 - 04:49 PM (#3468237) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: Stringsinger The song originally appeared in The American Songbag by Carl Sandburg. The arrangement with the chord sequence was mine performed years ago with my singing partner Guy Carawan. It was printed in SingOut! at one time and I think Jerry picked it up from our performance. I gave it a jazz tinge. |
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19 Jan 13 - 05:42 AM (#3468393) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: Mr Happy Been In The Pen So Long The ink's all dried up! |
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19 Jan 13 - 06:16 AM (#3468410) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: GUEST,Hootenanny Stringsinger, Thanks for pointing out the inclusion of the song in "Songbird's Sandbag". I checked out my copy and thought that as the original poster was looking for background he migh be interested to know Sandburg's comments: Learned by three regular army men in jail in Oklahoma "A white man's rearrangement of a negro wail such as one recorded in a publication of The Texas Folklore Society". Sandburg's book was published in 1927. I guess it was the late 50's when your version was in Sing Out. Hoot |
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19 Jan 13 - 03:59 PM (#3468674) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: Stringsinger Sure Hoot. It was about 1957 or so, can't remember when it came out. Sandburg's book was a "bible" of folk songs at that time. I have a 1927 edition when it first came out. |
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19 Jan 13 - 04:57 PM (#3468698) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: GUEST,Hootenanny Stringsinger, I thought my copy was 1927 too but now I am not so sure. It is copyrighted in 1927 with no other date but inside the dust jacket it shows a price of $4.95. It then goes on to state that the book was originally published at $7.50 but it's great success and it's assured popularity make possible it's republication in this new edition. I won my copy in an auction probably about 3 years ago. 1957. That's about the time I started buying Sing Out. I still have a whole heap of them but must admit I haven't seen a copy for a number of years now Hoot |
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05 Nov 14 - 02:47 PM (#3674856) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: GUEST,Joseph Scott Gates Thomas said he heard "Been In The Pen So Long" in approximately 1890 and gave lyrics and music; see his article in _Rainbow In The Morning_ ed. Frank Dobie. Given that Thomas wasn't consistent in his claims about when he heard "Boll Weevil," 1895 or 1900 might be more likely. Example stanza from Thomas: "Don't like no Fort Worth gal; don't like no Fort Worth gal;/She'll meet you on the street and it's, 'Baby, can't you treat?'/Don't like no Fort Worth gal." |
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05 Nov 14 - 02:59 PM (#3674860) Subject: RE: Origins: Been In The Pen So Long From: GUEST If you modify "Been in the pen so long" to "Where have you been so long," you get structurally similar white-sung stuff from 1907 (TN) and 1909 (WV) that E.C. Perrow reported on in the 1910s, with a melody given. On the structure, compare "Going Away From Home" by John Snipes, who was born about 1900 and learned songs from musicians much older than himself. (Forgetting the structure, Howard Odum came across a version of "Railroad Bill" before 1909 that happened to have the lyric "Where have you been so long" in it.) |