The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #54642 Message #847568
Posted By: Stewie
14-Dec-02 - 09:40 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Long John / Lost John
Subject: Lyr Add: LONG GONE (from John & Alan Lomax)
The Lomaxes also collected a chopping work song from Lightnin' in a Texas prison farm that differs substantially from the one posted above by Greg. The lines in square brackets are by the chorus:
LONG GONE
Leader:
Wid his di'mond blade [Wid his di'mond blade]
Got it in his han' [Got it in his han']
Gonna hew out de live oaks [Gonna hew out de live oaks]
Dat are in dis lan' [Dat are in dis lan']
Refrain:
He's long gone [He's long gone]
He's Long John [He's long John]
He's gone, gone [He's gone, gone]
Like a turkey throught the corn [Like a turkey through the corn]
Wid his long clo'es on [Wid his long clo'es on]
He's gone, gone [He's gone, gone]
He's gone John [He's gone John]
He's long gone [He's long gone]
Stanzas:
Ef I had a-listened
What Rosie said
I'd a-been sleepin'
In a-Rosie's bed
But-a I wouldn' listen
Got to runnin' aroun'
An' de firs' thing I knew
I was jailhouse bound
Well, I got in de jail
Wid my mouf poked out
Now I'm in the pen
An I cain' get out
Well-a John made
A pair of shoes
Funnies' shoes
Dat ever was seen
Had a heel in front
An' a heel behind
Well, you couldn tell where
Dat boy was a-gwine
Well-a, come on, honey
Let me shet dat do'
Well de dogs is a-comin'
An' I got to go
Well-a, hear dat sergeant
Just a-huffin' and a-blowin'
Well, I b'lieve I hear
Ol' Rattler moanin'
Well, I crossed that Brazos
In de mornin' dew
Well, I leave you, sergeant
An de' captain too
Well-a, good mornin', Mary
How do you do?
Well I crossed dat river
Jus' to see you
All dis summer
Won' call no mo'
Ef I call nex' summer
Den I'm gone some mo'
He's long gone
He's Long John
He's gone, gone
Like a turkey through de corn
Wid his long clo'es on
He's gone, gone
He's gone John
He's long gone
Source: John A. Lomax & Alan Lomax 'American Ballads and Folk Songs' MacMillan 1934 pp 75-79.
--Stewie.