The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #74176   Message #1292700
Posted By: Joe Offer
08-Oct-04 - 07:30 PM
Thread Name: Origins: The Dodger Song
Subject: RE: Origins: The Dodger Song
Joy, it would probably help to post "We're All Cheating" and any other related songs in this thread. Best thing is to change the message title to the title of the song - but I change that automatically if I see it's missing.
I have to say I was a bit disappointed in what you siad. I had always thought, Dickens notwithstanding, this was one of the true American songs. It's always been a bit of a mystery to me. It will be interesting to see what comes up - even if it's proof that the song is really from Ireland...
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Dodger, The

DESCRIPTION: Comments on the less-than-honest nature of various professionals: "Oh the (candidate's) a dodger, yes, a well-known dodger, Yes, the (candidate's) a dodger and I'm a dodger too. For we're all dodging... Our way through the world"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1930 (Randolph)
KEYWORDS: political trick
FOUND IN: US(SE,So)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Randolph 462, "We're All Dodging" (1 text)
BrownIII 333, "The Dodgers" (1 text, less political than some; candidates are not mentioned)
Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 875-876, "The Dodger" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, pp. 24-25, "The Dodger Song" (1 text)
DT, DODGRSNG*
Roud #3758
RECORDINGS:
Almanac Singers, "The Dodger Song" (General 5019B, 1941; on Almanac01, Almanac03, AlmanacCD1)
Neil Morris, "Corn Dodgers" (on LomaxCD1706)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "We're All A-Singing" (lyrics, form)
File: R462

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The Ballad Index Copyright 2004 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

I feel see somewhat vindicated, since I see that folktrax.org has only American entries (except for a sneaky cross-reference to Rigs of the Time):