Lyr Add: Zeb Tunney's Girl

Subject: Zeb Tunney's Girl
From: harpgirl
Date: 26 Dec 99 - 10:17 PM

...AP Hudson's collection of "Folksongs of Mississippi", a sourcebook I have been seeking, lists this song as a good example of the feud ballad. It comes from Tishomongo County, Mississippi:

Zeb Tunney's Girl

It was out in the Tennessee Mountains
Away from the sins of the world
There Dan Kelly's son stood leaning on his gun
Thinking of ZebTunney's girl

Dan was a hot blooded youngster
His dad raised him thirty hand right
And he had him sworn from the day he was born
To shoot every Tunney in sight

"Powder and shot for the Tunney's
Don't save a hair on their head!"
Old Dan Kelly cried as he lay down and died
With young Danny there by his bed

Dan took the vow to his pappy
He would kill every one
His heart in a whirl with his love for the girl
He loaded his double-barrel gun

Moon shining down on the mountains
The moon shining down on the still
Young Dan took a sip, hung his gun to his hip
Started out to slaughter and kill

Over the mountains he wandered
Son of a Tennessee man
With fire in his eyes and his gun on his thigh
Lookin for old Zeb Tunney's clan

Shots ringing out on the mountain
Shots ringing out on the breeze
Old Dan Kellys son with the smoke in his gun
The Tunney's all down on their knees

The fame of old Dan Kelly's moonshine
Had gone far and wide of the world
How Dan Kelly's clan shot them down to a man
And brought back old Zeb Tunney's girl


...another charming Mississippi song...harpgirl

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zeb Tunney's Girl
From: Dale Rose
Date: 26 Dec 99 - 11:03 PM

Hank Snow recorded this twice as Zeb Turney's Gal, first in 1951 as a part of the Thesaurus Transcriptions, and the following year for RCA Victor. At the moment I don't know where I left the notes for the latter, but The TT gives composer credits to Marjorie Lampkin and Maggie Andrews. I find that a bit curious, as he (in my opinion) was better than the average at crediting sources properly. I am not saying it is not traditional, just that that is what I found.

The version he sings has only minor variations to that given by harpgirl. The greatest variation is in line 6, His dad raised him sturdy and right.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zeb Tunney's Girl
From: harpgirl
Date: 26 Dec 99 - 11:30 PM

...Dale...I see now that it is in the DT as Old Zeb Tourney's Girl...harpgirl

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zeb Tunney's Girl
From: harpgirl
Date: 26 Dec 99 - 11:33 PM

..er, I mean Zeb Tourney's Girl...and those 'greenie things'in the SHOP led me to this....much as I USED TO hate them...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Zeb Tunney's Girl
From: Dale Rose
Date: 27 Dec 99 - 12:40 AM

The Folk Music Index lists three recordings, by Bradley Kincaid, Vernon Dalhart and the Williams Family (from Arkansas). It lists it as Laws E18 - Lamkin, Marjorie/Robison, Carson. The DT listing noted by harpgirl sez From Traditional American Folk Songs, Anne and Frank Warner Collected from Frank Proffitt, 1941 note: A song by this title was copyrighted in 1925 by Carson Robison, Shapiro, Bernstein.(notes by Mr. RG!)

So we have multiple author credits, tallying up it seems to come to two votes each for Lamkin and Robison, one each for Andrews, Shapiro, and Bernstein.