Uncle Eph
DESCRIPTION: About Uncle Eef/Eph/Ephraem's exploits, usually in hunting raccoons. May include recitations. Chorus: "Uncle Eph's got the coon and gone on And left us looking up a tree."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1931 (recording, Dunham Jazz Singers)
KEYWORDS: animal hunting nonballad floatingverses humorous talltale
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
BrownIII 433, "Broder Eton Got de Coon" (1 text); also 511, "The Preacher Song" (1 text, a complex mix of verses from "Turkey in the Stray" and "Some Folks Say that a Preacher Won't Steal" with the "Uncle Eph" chorus)
Scarborough-NegroFS, pp. 101-102, "Brother Ephrum Got de Coon and Gone On" (1 text, 1 tune, with even more floating material than usual, e.g. from "Don't Get Weary Children (Massa Had a Yellow Gal)")
DT, (BRORPHUS -- on the face of it, a combination of this with a song about Moses)
Roud #11775
RECORDINGS:
Anglin Twins, "Uncle Eph's Got the Coon" (Vocalion 03904, 1937)
Dunham Jazz Singers, "Ephraim Got the Coon" (Columbia 14609-D, 1931)
Grandpa Jones, "Uncle Eph's Got The Coon" (King 867, 1950)
Art Thieme, "Uncle Eph/The Great Raccoon Hunt" [combines song and tall-tale] (on Thieme03)
Wade Ward, "Uncle Eef" [instrumental] (on Holcomb-Ward1)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Uncle Reuben" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Mourner, You Shall Be Free (Moanish Lady)" (floating lyrics)
Notes: Presumably the same as Bob Allen's 1878 song "Old Uncle Eph," but I haven't seen the latter to prove it.
It is interesting to note that at least two versions of this song -- Brown's #511 and the Hedy West text recorded in the Digital Tradition -- combine this with the chorus, "Where you going, Moses? None of your business.Come here, Moses. I ain't gonna do it." - RBW