The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #97649   Message #1923711
Posted By: Richie
31-Dec-06 - 11:02 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Sail Away Ladies
Subject: RE: origin and lyr: Sail Away Ladies
Thanks Peace for posting Andrew's info, which is fairly extensive on this song.

Here's one question. A doney (maybe pronounced dough-ner, so it sounded like daughter) is an African-American slang for "woman." It's found in many blues. So I agree with Mitchell here:

I chew my tobacco and I spit my juice.
I love my own daughter but it ain't no use.

(Paul Mitchell and others believe the words in Macon's last line sometimes heard as own daughter is really Dona, pronounced Dough-nee in the American South, a Spanish/Italian word for a mature love object, a woman.)

But where does the verse come from? Macon?

And this verse should be:

I) got the news from *Shallow (or "Charlotte") Town.
Big St. Louis is a‑burning down.

*Shiloh not Shallow