Researching the ramblin' man

Subject: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST,ramblin-joe
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 03:10 AM

I am writing a thesis about the character of the "rambler" or "ramblin' man" in American music. The rambler seems to be a unique character in American mythmaking, holding a special place in folk and blues.

So far, I have found that American rambler songs are more tragic than British and Irish rambler songs. Old world songs were more comedic and sexual. (Did you know "ramble" probably comes from an old Dutch word for an animal roaming in heat?) This difference seems to grow during and after the Dust Bowl, turning the rambler into the lost, dusty character we know today.

I would be interested to hear other people's thoughts on the rambler. Why has he become such a popular character in American folk music? What real-life characters or stories gave rise to this character? What were the key songs in the creation of this character? (So far my key songs are "Rude and Rambling Man," "Oh, Didn't He Ramble," "Ramblin' Round," "House of the Rising Sun," and both the Hank Williams and Allman Brothers' "Ramblin' Man.") Thanks!

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 05:35 AM

How about Woody Guthrie's 'Ramblin' Around'? Then there is the Carter Family's 'A Distant Land to Roam', which might qualify. Are you including Hobo songs, such as Burnett & Rutherford's 'Ramblin' Reckless Hobo'?

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Dec 21 - 05:44 AM

There are over twenty songs with 'Ramblin' or 'Rambling' in their title, in Tony Russell's excellent book 'Country Music Records - A Discography, 1921 - 1942'. Some titles were recorded by several performers.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST,ramblin-joe
Date: 13 Dec 21 - 05:03 PM

I am definitely including "Ramblin' Around" in my project. I hadn't heard of "Ramblin' Reckless Hobo." Woody Guthrie seems to keep coming up in my project. He seemed really fond of the word "ramble," but others also like to call him a ramblin' man. I wonder if one could call Woody the archetypal ramblin' man.

I will have to check out the Russell book. Thanks for that!

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Dec 21 - 08:11 PM

Here's a couple of western swing instrumentals that are not without their charm:

Rambler's rag - Bill Boyd

Rambler's stomp - Doug Bine


It is interesting that when Charlie Poole reworked and recorded WC Handy's 'Beale Street Blues',
he titled it 'Ramblin' Blues':

Ramblin' Blues

Riley Puckett's doleful 'Ramblin' Boy' has mixed emotions, but ultimately blames the women.

Ramblin' Boy

My favourite of the genre is Hank Williams' 'Ramblin' Man, mentioned above, which he recorded as Luke the Drifter.

Ramblin' Man

Steve Young did a splendid cover recording:

Ramblin' Man

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Dec 21 - 08:27 PM

I just recalled that Steve Young also wrote a ripper of a song on the topic of rambling or travelling:

Traveling Kind

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Dec 21 - 08:42 PM

And don't overlook this classic:

Boomer's Story

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 04:43 AM

You might be interested to see how a Child Ballad influenced the making of Kelly Harrell's 'The Dying Hobo'. I've written about this in an on-line Musical Traditions article 'The Ballad of George Collins - versions or variants?'

Sorry that I forgot to add my name to the unnamed piece by GUEST above.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: cnd
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 05:43 PM

Stewie beat me to the Bill Boyd reference; also worth noting is that his band was the Cowboy Ramblers.

Here's a list of songs I have with some variation of the word ramble in the title:

TRADITIONAL
Darling Corey (my recordings by Dave Evans and Larry Sigmon & Barbara Poole, titled "Poor Rambler")
Come All You Lonesome Ramblers [maybe? the CD notes say it is "widespread" but I haven't been able to find the song's provenance]
Rake and Rambling Boy - Gid Tanner (not to be confused with Riley Puckett's Rambling Boy)
I've Always Been A Rambler - Grayson & Whitter
The Rambling Pitchfork (aka The Fisherman’s Widow, among others)
You Rambling Boys Of Pleasure

MODERN
Born Ramblin' Man - Balsam Range
I'm a Ramblin' Man - Waylon Jennings
Don't Give Your Heart To a Rambler - Earl Scruggs & Tom T. Hall
Big City Rambling - Mike Cross
I Was Born a Rambler - Ralph Stanley
Mean Old Ramblin' Blues - Jim Shumate (instrumental)
Trucker's Ramble - Red Sovine (instrumental)
Midnight Ramble - Ralph Stanley (instrumental)
Reflection Ramble - The Grass Reflection (instrumental)
Blue Grass Ramble - Bill Monroe (instrumental)

Plenty of other songs I have touch on the aspect of rambling; I'll try and add them as I think of them.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: Stewie
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 09:58 PM

A few more that might be of interest:

Emery Arthur:
Ramblin' hobo blues

Ashley's Melody Men:
The Rambling Woman

Peggy Seeger:
The Rambling Gambler

Delmore Brothers:
Ramblin' minded blues

Hackberry Ramblers:
Rambling

Woody Guthrie:
Hard Traveling'

Cliff Carlisle:
Ramblin' Jack

Bill Cox
Ramblin' hobo

I couldn't find a YT clip of the original of this favourite of mine by Don Lange, but you can hear
Ed Trickett singing it here (with Bob and Muir):
Here's to you ramblers

And, of course, everyone knows this warhorse:

Ramblin' boy

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 02:30 AM

Thanks for all the recommendations!

In your thoughts, who is the ramblin' man? Is he just a hobo, or more of a wandering troublemaker, or maybe a wandering musician? Some sources seem to remember Woody Guthrie as THE ramblin' man. Was he the model for all future ramblers?

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: cnd
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 08:12 AM

I usually thought of it as a way of escapism more often than not, though some are musicians or based on characters they may meet in life.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 09:48 AM

And Ed Cray's biography of Woody Guthrie was entitled Ramblin' Man.

Linn

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 12:36 PM

A rambler can be any kind of person travelling around, either as a life choice or just a hobby. There are British precedents going back at least to the 17th century. Would you like some titles?

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 02:43 PM

Piney Wood Hills - Buffy St Marie

I'm a rambler and a rover
And a wanderer it seems
I've traveled all over
Chasing after my dreams
But a dream should come true
And a heart should be filled
And a life should be lived
In the piney wood hills

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 15 Dec 21 - 04:09 PM

Which reminds me 'rambler' and 'rover' are synonyms.

May songs often start with 'I've been a rambling most of the night and the best part of the day.' so it can be applied to seasonal customs.

'Young Ramble-away' is obviously a nickname, someone rambling from town to town looking for work. Like Gypsies, beggars, pedlars and soldiers on the march, they were often in ballads depicted as amorous and exotic, so attractive to young impressionable women.

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 03:28 AM

Thomas Moran sings The Jolly Tinker

As I went down a shady lane, at a door I chanced to knock.
The servant she came to the door and axed me could I stop,
Or could I mend a rusty hole that never had a drop?

She brought me up the stairs for to show me what to do.
She fell on the feather bed, and I fell on it, too.
Well, indeed, I did, don't you know I did? …

Thanks to Mainly Noefolk

Subject: RE: Researching the ramblin' man
From: GUEST,Back Beat Pat
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 11:07 AM

I have two old folk type songs on my facebook page. One talks about Willie going West and another of him going East but he always comes back to Molly.

https://fb.watch/9X7f928gkq/

and

https://fb.watch/9X7iS1Kmmw/

Give us a 'Like' if you get there.