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Lyr Add: Prodigal Son (Dock Boggs) Related threads: Dock Boggs - ethamotel/ethermotor drops (9) Lyr Req: Drunkard's Lone Child (Dock Boggs) (2) doc boggs (6) (origins) Origins: Prodigal Son (Dock Boggs) (4) Lyr Req: Mother's Advice (Dock Boggs) (2) Lyr Req: I Hope I Live a Few More Days (Dock Boggs (5) |
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Subject: Lyr Add: PRODIGAL SON (Dock Boggs, Sara Grey) From: Charlie Baum Date: 29 Jun 99 - 11:14 PM At a sing-around at the Old Songs Festival on Saturday night, I sang "The Prodigal Son" by Dock Boggs, a rhymed version of the biblical parable. Several people (Mudcatters mainly) asked me for the lyrics. Here they are:
Prodigal Son
The song is usually credited to Dock Boggs (1898-1971), who actually learned it from his brother-in-law, Lee Hunsucker, around 1930 or so. (But everyone who performs it today traces their version back to the Dock Boggs recording). Lee Hunsucker was a holiness preacher with many sacred songs in his repertoire. Dock's version was recorded by Mike Seeger in 1963, and issued on Folkways Records; this version has been recently reissued on Dock Boggs: His Folkways Years 1963-1968, Smithsonian Folkways SF 40108. I was mostly influenced by the version recorded by Sara Grey on her Harbourtown recording Sara. Yet another recording can be found on Rick Lee's Natick, Waterbug WBG0016. All three of these recordings are accompanied by banjo; I sing it a cappella. My timing/rhythm is most like that of Sara Grey's version. The recorded versions also vary in the repetitions of the chorus: Sara Grey repeats it between every verse, while Dock Boggs puts the chorus only after verses 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8. I like to repeat it every time myself. --Cbarlie Baum |
Subject: Lyr Add: PRODIGAL SON (Dock Boggs)^^ From: Charlie Baum Date: 30 Jun 99 - 01:37 PM I realize that the version I've given above has a lot of Sara Grey's variants in it. (Listening to her sing it was what made me decide to add it to my repertoire.) Dock Boggs' original has some differences. He sings it this way:
Prodigal Son |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Chris Seymour Date: 30 Jun 99 - 10:50 PM Thanks much, Charlie -- great song. I remember the chorus melody, and I see all the various sources for the tune, if need be - especially since I play banjo and can imagine all of those folks doing neat things with the song on their banjos... but, out of curiosity and laziness, are the verses sung to the same tune as the chorus? |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Date: 30 Jun 99 - 11:37 PM Chorus and verses have a different tune. And each of the three noted recordings has a very different banjo style from the others. --Charlie Baum |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Tom Scola feedback@gis.net Date: 23 Nov 99 - 10:57 AM Thank You Charlie. I am familar with the Rolling Stones version. I knew it was a traditional folk song and they took the gist of the song and did their own thing with it. I am new to computers & the net, as you can see with the handle I choose and haven't changed yet,and I'm astonished at what's out there. Again thank You for the education abiut the song and lyrics. Tom S. |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Stewie Date: 23 Nov 99 - 06:59 PM Information about Boggs and the lyrics to all his songs: click here |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: stonejohn Date: 23 Nov 99 - 07:19 PM Never heard this version. Got the melody anywhere? Thanks, sj |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: stonejohn Date: 06 Dec 99 - 07:50 AM Really would like to know about the tune to this if anyone can help. |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Charlie Baum Date: 07 Dec 99 - 02:08 AM Stonejohn-- My first post above mentioned three sources for Prodigal Son: Dock Boggs, Sara Grey, and Rick Lee. The Boggs and Grey recordings may be obtained through Cmasco (click on "help support the mudcat" above); Rick Lee can be found at www.waterbug.com or through your favorite folk-music recording source. Also, if you click on the green clicky thing above, the Mudcat music store will bring you to a recording of the piece by Fay Baird, who is a nice banjo player and one of the "Short Sisters". -Charlie Baum |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Rick Fielding Date: 08 Dec 99 - 12:53 AM Don't forget to check out the Stones' source, Reverend Robert Wilkins. His version is stunning. Rick |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Stewie Date: 08 Dec 99 - 01:35 AM I agree, Rick, Wilkins' 'Prodigal Son' is great. It can be found on Various Artists 'Blues at Newport 1959-64' Vanguard VCD 115/16. Most of his excellent (and secular) pre-war output is on Robert Wilkins 'The Original Rolling Stone' Yazoo CD 1077. Regards, Stewie. |
Subject: RE: Son lyrics "man who'll never return?,mta?, From: GUEST,tom Scola tscola@gis.net Date: 12 Aug 00 - 11:10 AM mr. Boggs, you've helped me last fall with lyrics and you were quick,efficient,and added knowledge to what I wanted to know.If at all possible,I'm lookig for a '60's folk song from the Boston area,I'm not sure of the title,I believe it's,He'll never return,[it might be:mta,streets of Boston, charlie of the MTA]it was a popular song about a man who rode the mbta trolley's in the streets of Boston.Any help about the artist,song title,or lyrics whould be of great help. I'm playing a wedding for a bus driver in Boston and he requested the song. Thank You for the time,Tom Scola tscola@gis.net |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Peter T. Date: 12 Aug 00 - 11:18 AM Tom, if you punch in MTA in the box at the top right (Digitrad Lyrics Search) of this page, you will find the lyrics of the song. It was a rewrite of the "Ship that Never Returned" (or "Wreck of Old 97") by Jackie Steiner and Bess Hawkes for Walter O'Brien (Progressive Party candidate) in 1948. yours, Peter T. |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Dec 01 - 02:51 PM Also see lyrics posted by Roger in Baltimore here (click) (two versions), and by Dicho here (click) -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: Dock Boggs' Prodigal Son lyrics From: wysiwyg Date: 14 Feb 02 - 12:02 PM indexed |
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