The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #97649   Message #1923692
Posted By: Azizi
31-Dec-06 - 10:01 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Sail Away Ladies
Subject: RE: origin and lyr: Sail Away Ladies
Correction:

"My Mammy Stole A Cow" is not given with a "di-dee-do" refrain in Scarborough's "On The Trail Of Negro Folk Songs"

Maybe what I was thinking about when I wrote that is that I can imagine that refrain being used in that song.

I know I was thinking that the phase "steal up,lady" sounds like it's another instructional dance "command" like "sail away lady".

**

Btw, Ritchie {as I'm sure you know} much of the "Well my old auntie promised me" verse that is included in the
"Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" Van Morrison lyrics comes from the
"My ol' mistiss promised me" floating verse used in the "Poor Mourner" family of songs. An example of that verse is:

Mah ol' Mistis promised me
When she dies sh'd set me free.
She libed so long dat her head got bald;
Don't b'lieve old Mistis qwine die aytall.

[Source: Dorothy Scarborough, "On The Trail Of Negro Folk Songs",
p. 194]