Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones
From: GUEST,Hylda
Date: 22 Nov 12 - 03:59 PM

Just one amendment - not 'eastman' but 'easeman' : 'a natural born easeman' i.e he don't work that hard...the phrase occurs in one or two other songs of the period

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones
From: Roberto
Date: 06 Dec 07 - 02:58 AM

Thank you. Now I think the text can be set this way:

I heard the people say Casey Jones can't run
I'm 'on' tell you what the poor boy done:
Left Cincinnati 'bout half past nine
Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time
'Fore dinner time, at 'fore dinner time
Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time

Now Casey Jones said before he died
He'd fix the road so a bum could ride
And if he ride he had to ride the rod
Rest his heart in the hand of God
Hand of God, in the hand of God
And rest his heart in the hand of God

Now li'l gal say: "Mama it's that a fact
Papa got killed on the I. C. track"
"Yes, yes, honey, but hold your breath
Git that money from your daddy's death
From your daddy's death, from your daddy's death
You'll get money your daddy's death
Lord, your daddy's death, from your daddy's death
You'll get money your daddy's death

When the news reached town Casey Jones was dead
Women went home and now they're out in red
Slipping and sliding across the street
With their loose mother-hubbard and their stocking feet
Stocking feet, stocking feet
Loose mother-hubbard and their stocking feet

Now Casey Jones went from place to place
'Nother train hit his train right in the face
People got off, Casey Jones stayed on
Nat'al born eastman, but he dead and gone
Dead and gone, he's dead and gone
He's a nat'al born eastman, but he's dead and gone.

Here come the biggest boy coming right from school
Holl'ing and crying like a doggone fool:
"Look here, mama, now that papa dead
Women go home and now they're out in red
No good shoes and their evening gowns
Following papa to the burying ground
To the burying ground, to the burying ground
Following papa down to the burying ground"

"Now tell the truth, mama" he said "it's that a fact
Papa got killed on the I. C. track"
"Quit crying, boy, and don't do that
You've got another daddy on the same durn track
On the same track, on the same track
Say you've got another daddy on the same track"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 09:47 PM

Of the many versions, that by Jessie James is one of the most unusual. For comparison, here are a couple of verses from other versions.

From Furry Lewis:
Lord, some people said Mister Casey couldn't run,
Let me tell you what Mister Casey done;
He left Memphis, was a quarter to nine,
Got to Newport News, it was dinner time;
It was dinner time,
Got to Newport News, it was dinner time.
It uses a partial chorus,
On the road again,
I'm a natural born eastman, on the road again.

Possibly Cornelius Steen.
On a Sunday mornin' it begin to rain,
Around the curve he spied a passenger train;
On the pilot lay poor Jimmie Jones,
Dead and gone, oh, he's dead and gone;
He's a good old porter but he's dead and gone.

Versions like that sung by Jesse James show the hand of the Black railroad worker; they are quite different from the standard versions.
Verses above from Norm Cohen, "Long Steel Rail."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones
From: Stewie
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 07:07 PM

Roberto, I don't think it is 're-ragged in red'. Sounds to me more like 'now they're out in red'. I agree with Hoot - 'no good shoes' and 'a bum could ride' - but, like you, I hear 'I heard the people say'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 06:02 PM

Roberto,
your version seems pretty well accurate to me, more so than the words on the site referred to by Peace.
The words missing in the penultimate verse I have always heard as:

No good shoes and their evening gowns

The opening I have always heard as:

A lot of people say Casey Jones Can't run

Second verse; so a bum could ride

Haven't heard it for a few years but had the 78 for a long long time, one of the greats.

Hoot

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones
From: Peace
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 01:42 PM

http://www.dylan61.se/MTBluesJ_L/Michael%20Taft,%20Blues%20Anthology%20with%20Index%20by%20Artist%20J-L.htm#_Toc71651203

http://www.dylan61.se/MTBluesJ_L/Michael%20Taft,%20Blues%20Anthology%20with%20Index%20by%20Artist%20J-L.htm#_Toc71651203

Subject: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones
From: Roberto
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 11:30 AM

Please help with the text of this magnificent recording, Southern Casey Jones, by "Jesse James", 1936. Please, someone to check, correct and complete the text. Thanks. R

I heard the people say Casey Jones can't run
l'm 'on' tell you what the poor boy done:
Left Cincinnati 'bout half past nine
Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time
'Fore dinner time, at 'fore dinner time
Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time

Now Casey Jones said before he died
He'd fix the road so a bum couldn't ride
And if he ride he had to ride the rod
Rest his heart in the hand of God
Hand of God, in the hand of God
And rest his heart in the hand of God

Now li'l gal say: "Mama it's that a fact
Papa got killed on the I. C. track"
"Yes, yes, honey, but hold your breath
Git that money from your daddy's death
From your daddy's death, from your daddy's death
You'll get money your daddy's death
Lord, your daddy's death, from your daddy's death
You'll get money your daddy's death

When the news reached town Casey Jones was dead
Women went home and re-ragged in red
Slipping and sliding across the street
With their loose mother hubbard and their stocking feet
Stocking feet, stocking feet
Loose mother hubbard and their stocking feet

Now Casey Jones went from place to place
'Nother train hit his train right in the face
People got off, Casey Jones stayed on
Nat'al born eastman, but he dead and gone
Dead and gone, he's dead and gone
He's a nat'al born eastman, but he's dead and gone.

Here come the biggest boy coming right from school
Holl'ing and crying like a doggone fool:
"Look here, mama, now that papa dead
Women go home and re-ragged in red
..................children (?) in their evening gown
Following papa to the burying ground
To the burying ground, to the burying ground
Following papa down to the burying ground"

"Now tell the truth, mama" he said "it's that a fact
Papa got killed on the I. C. track"
"Quit crying, boy, and don't do that
You've got another daddy on the same durn track
On the same track, on the same track
Say you've got another daddy on the same track"