What song is this? (Close the Minstrel Show)

Subject: What song is this?
From:
Date: 18 Jun 98 - 11:13 PM

I was recently at a local concert by Mike Agranoff, a NJ folk musician. He sang a beautiful little piece that's the signature piece of the Minstrel Coffeehouse.. anyone know what it is or who sings it? The chorus is:

Lay me down Carolina, lay me down
Don't wanna wake up in the morning no more
Sing me one old, sad song
For this one last old time
Before they close the minstrel shows.

Sla/n,
Kiwi

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Jenny
Date: 19 Jun 98 - 12:52 AM

I'm not familiar with the lyrics, but they sound haunting. I hope someone picks up the thread and can help.

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 19 Jun 98 - 04:04 AM

You can get familiar with the lyrics (and the tune) by looking it up in the Digital Tradition database. Try a search on [minstrel show]

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From:
Date: 19 Jun 98 - 11:27 AM

Jenny - oh, it's beautiful and haunting. I heard it in an intimate little setting, just about a dozen and a half of us and the folk singer with a guitar... it's wistful and gives you goosebumps.

Dick greenhaus - thanks much.. I'll go do a search right away!

Sla/n, Kiwi

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Jun 98 - 12:46 PM

It is Before They Close the Minstrel Show, if that helps ...harpgirl

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jun 98 - 06:14 PM

It doesn't seem like this song would fit her style, but Jean Redpath did a wonderful recording of it. You should be able to find it by doing a song title search at one of the online CD sales places, like www.tunes.com.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Barbara
Date: 21 Jun 98 - 05:06 PM

Can't remember now if the story is on Bob's album or I heard it from Ed, but according to one of them Bob Coltman, the song's author, had the chorus kicking around for a while, and then wrote the verses to a different tune, and when he spliced them together was not at all convinced that it worked. Or maybe he had the verses first, I forget, but he wasn't convinced that the two parts worked together and he was particularly apologetic about the time on the chorus; could anyone sing it? Guess we answered that question.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From:
Date: 22 Jun 98 - 11:04 AM

harpgirl - thanks, I found the song doing a contents search on the database.

Joe - Hm.. I'll have to look into that.

Barbara - Interesting... is that the same verse and chorus that he uses still? Or was that the first draft? IMHO, the verses and chorus fit together very well, and it's not that hard to sing the chorus. :) At the folk thingy I went to, Mike Agranoff invited us all to join in on the chorus and we sang lustily but sweetly. :)

Sla/n, Kiwi

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Barbara
Date: 22 Jun 98 - 11:18 AM

Yep. same tune to each. If you think about it, the tune to the verses is quite different from the chorus. I think it works great, but if you look at it from a music theory basis, it doesn't fit the rules. So much for rules, hey?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Jenny
Date: 23 Jun 98 - 01:09 AM

www.cdnow.com has the Jean Redpath cd.

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From:
Date: 23 Jun 98 - 09:33 AM

The song is "Before They Close The Minstrel Show". It was written by Bob Coltman and recorded on one of his Minstrel label lp's. I have it somewhere in my stacks and can look the title up for you if you like.

Wally Macnow

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Wally Macnow
Date: 23 Jun 98 - 09:55 AM

Located it. The album is entitled "Before They Close The Minstrel Show". It's Minstrel JD-202 recorded in 1975.

Wally Macnow Camsco Music http://www.camsco.com

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: kiwi
Date: 23 Jun 98 - 06:13 PM

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From:
Date: 29 Jun 98 - 08:21 AM

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Richard Wright
Date: 29 Jun 98 - 08:58 PM

You will find the words and chords in Rise Up Singing, page 22. They mention an album by Ed Trickett "People Like You", Folk Legacy. Alos in Sing OUt 22-4.

Richard

Subject: RE: What song is this?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 29 Jun 98 - 09:46 PM

Wish I had read this tread before I went to the Old Songs Fest., happened to meet up & sing a bit with Mike, he's got some very interesting stuff, a great verse on (I think a recent thread) the Anne Bolyen song with her head tucked underneath her arm, she's still a spirit, that still loves Henry but finds it confusing when he's askes her for head. I should stop short here. Barry