Origins: Hot Corn, Cold Corn

Subject: RE: Origins: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Apr 25 - 11:14 PM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Hot Corn, Cold Corn (I'll Meet You in the Evening)

DESCRIPTION: Stanzas about drink, courting, drink, slavery, drink (you get the idea). Recognized by the themes of the chorus: Corn, a demijohn, evening meetings: "Hot corn, cold corn, bring along a demijohn (x3), I'll meet you in the (morning/evening), Yes, sir."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1906 (recording, Arthur Collins)
KEYWORDS: drink nonballad courting floatingverses
FOUND IN: US(SE,So)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Randolph 267, "I'll Meet You in the Evening" (2 texts, 2 tune)
Randolph/Cohen-OzarkFolksongs-Abridged, pp. 228-230, "I'll Meet You in the Evening" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 267A)
Owens-TexasFolkSongs-1ed, pp. 238-240, "Green Corn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Cohen/Seeger/Wood-NewLostCityRamblersSongbook, pp. 164-165, "Hot Corn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #4954
RECORDINGS:
Fiddlin' John Carson, "Old Aunt Peggy, Won't You Set 'em Up Again?" (OKeh 40108, 1924)
Arthur Collins, "Hot Corn" (Columbia A-493, 1909; rec.1907) (CYL: Columbia 33075, 1907)
[Asa] Martin & [James] Roberts, "Hot Corn" (Champion 16520, 1932; Champion 45065, 1935) (Melotone 6-03-52 [as Fiddlin' Doc Roberts Trio], 1936; rec. 1934) [One of these discs is on KMM, but I don't know which]
Fiddlin' Doc Roberts Trio, "Hot Corn" (Perfect 6-03-52, 1936)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Hot Corn" (on NLCR03)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Black-Eyed Susie (Green Corn)" (floating lyrics)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Green Corn
NOTES [49 words]: It is possible that this song and "Black-Eyed Susie (Green Corn)" spring from the same sources, since they share lyrics and themes. However, they have evolved far enough apart that I feel I have to split them. - RBW
I place the Fiddlin' John Carson record here for want of a better place. - PJS
Last updated in version 3.5
File: R267

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Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 03:46 PM

BRING ON YOUR HOT CORN

Bing along yo' hot co'n,
Bring along yo' col' co'n;
But I say bring along,
Bring along yo' *Jimmy-john.

Some loves de hot co'n,
Some loves de col' co'n;
But I loves, I loves,
I loves dat Jimmy-john.

1922. Negro Folk Rhymes by Thomas W. Talley.   p. 29.

See here: https://books.google.com/books?id=tLfYAAAAMAAJ

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: GUEST,Kendra Goodin
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 02:58 PM

Ye-es Sir!

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: Fortunato
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 01:09 PM

Stringbean is also credited as writer (copyright holder) of Little Maggie and Cripple Creek.

Look out Buffy, don't play that mouthbow without paying BMI.

It's bullshit, but what can you do? Look before you record. If you look in www.Harry Fox.com and you see ONE NAME attached to the song, it's likely copyrighted. If you see more than one name credited, well, then it's public domain. IMHO of course.

regards, Chance

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 12:47 PM

Just from memory.....Frankie Laine used to sing a song called 'The Gandy Dancers Ball', which contained the phrase"Swing around the Jimmy-John"...or maybe "demi-John", it WAS a long time ago.

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 12:42 PM

Nice work, Earl!

Subject: Dang My Fangers are Tarred
From: GUEST,Thanks Folks,,,,
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 12:20 PM

That semi- legit copyright don't cut it with me, I know this tune is really old,, i'm even thinkin from england or thereabouts. nonetheless they still have the tune on hold,,until i fork over some money to the Harry Fox agancy in order to get a liscene... I have a Garcia and Grisman Album that lists it as Traditional.... jeeez....

Thanks a bunch for your help,,,i've looked all morning for info and came back and found you folks helpin out!!!

Fodder

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 11:43 AM

Good work Earl, ya beat me to the punch.

Stringbean (Dave Akeman) certainly has the copyright, but Flatt and scruggs tended to add a verse or two to a number of trad. songs (thus giving them a sort of legit copyright). They took the old song "Down the Road" and added things like "Old man Flatt he owned a barn....." Presto! A new song.

Rick

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: RWilhelm
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 11:35 AM

I think you're safe in calling it traditional. This was copied from _Old-Time String Band Songbook_ by John Cohen, Mike Seeger, and Hally Wood:

"This was a 'first tune' picked by a great many old-time banjo players. Leadbelly sang his own version of it, 'Green Corn, Come Along Charlie.' … L. of C. reports four versions of "Green Corn" and two of "Hot Corn, Cold Corn." Randolph has a related text 'I'll Meet You in the Evening' and refers to _Negro Folk Rhymes_, 1922."

(I assume "L. of C." is Library of Congress)

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: gnu
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 11:18 AM

No help from me. I just checked in to see what kind of corn my corn'dish'n was in. What ? Well, at least I tried.

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: MMario
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 11:03 AM

I was able to find recording back as far as 45 - but not a composer. my guess would also be that the song is traditional, the arrangement copyright.

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: Sorcha
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:43 AM

This site,
http://bluegrasspro.com/oldweb/hotcorn.htm says
copyright 1995, Michael D. Miessen, but this site
http://www.bluegrasslyrics.com/Flattscruggs/s2017.html
says "taken from Flatt and Scruggs".
This site
http://www3.clearlight.com/~acsa/introjs.htm?/~acsa/songfile/HOTCORNC.HTM
says "words and music traditional".

My guess is that it is trad and the arrangement is copyrighted. Happens often.

HOT CORN, COLD CORN

Hot corn cold corn bring along the demijohn
Hot corn cold corn bring along the demijohn
Hot corn cold corn bring along the demijohn
Fare thee well Uncle Bill see you in the morning yes sir

Well it’s upstairs downstairs out in the kitchen (3x)
See you Uncle Bill just a raring and a pitching yes sir

Well it’s old Aunt Peggy won’t you fill ’em up again (3x)
Ain’t had a drink since the lord knows when yes sir

Well yonder comes the preacher and the children are a crying (3x)
Chickens a running and the toenails a flying yes sir

Source: https://www.bluegrasslyrics.com/song/hot-corn-cold-corn/

Subject: RE: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:43 AM

I can only track this one back to 1963 on a Columbia Records recording (CL 2045) by Flatt & Scruggs at Carnegie Hall; the copyright there is by Pamper Music Inc. (BMI).

Subject: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
From: GUEST,Foddershock
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:31 AM

I've recorded this tune to put on my mp3.com site, http://www.mp3.com/Foddershock and always thought this was an old traditional tune,,,but they are saying it was written by Dave Akeman,,,, anybody know of any info on this tune being older than what the Harry Fox agency thinks it is. Hot Corn Cold Corn Bring Along The Demijohn.

Thanks Fodder