Lyr Add: Ole Bull and Ole Dan Tucker

Subject: Lyr Add: OLE BULL AND OLE DAN TUCKER
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 08:19 PM

OLE BULL AND OLE DAN TUCKER
Minstrel, c. 1850

1. Ole Bull and Tucker met one day,
Five hundred dollars for to play,
De women ran an de men too,
To hear dem fiddle up something new.

CHORUS: Loud de banjo talked away
An beat Ole Bull from de Norway,
We'll take de shine from Paginini,
We're de boys from ole Virginny.

2. Ole Bull he made his elbow quiver,
He played a shake and den a shiver;
But when Dan Tucker touched his string,
He'd make him shake like a locust's wing. CHORUS

3. Now old Bull he sweat an tug,
An his eye shine like de lightnin bug.
Den played till his eye stuck out quite hot,
Like a dumplin in an ole black pot. CHORUS

4. Bull put some rosin on his bow,
An put a little inside too,
Dan soaked his wrist wid possum taller,
An his music made de sky turn yaller. CHORUS

5. Dey stop awhile to blow an rest,
De people thought that both was best,
But when Dan Tucker played dis tune,
You'd thought each eve dar was a full moon. CHORUS

6. De ole Bull drew up his fiddle,
An squeeze him from de toe to de middle,
He played "Niagara" rapids an all,
Till he sweat like dat same waterfall. CHORUS

7. His music sounded, dat am a fact,
Like de quick march od de pus-a-cat-a-ract,
Some hoisted umbrellas, by Joby,
An some folkes shook wid de waterfoby. CHORUS

8. But ole Niagara was no use,
Dan Tucker up de banjo screws,
An plays a hurrycane so true,
Dat up to de air de trees all flew. CHORUS

9. Ole Bull he vanished from de scene,
As quick as a nigga's fork an bean,
Far he ride to Norway home again,
On de air ob ole Dan's hurrycane. CHORUS

Ole Bull and his fiddle contest with Dan Tucker is mentioned in the minstrel song, "Hop Lite Loo," thread 27246: Hop Lite Loo

There was a fiddle with the brand name Old Bull; perhaps based on the song or v. v.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ole Bull and Ole Dan Tucker
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 08:23 PM

"Ole Bull and Ole Dan Tucker" from Christy's Panorama Songster, on line, http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/christy-panorame/christy-songs.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ole Bull and Ole Dan Tucker
From: open mike
Date: 28 Aug 08 - 02:46 AM

Ole Bull was a Norwegian fiddler who started a colony in America http://home.online.no/~aarvoll/ole_bull.htm
He was a world renowned violinist
http://www.violinman.com/Violin_Family/performer/Violinist/bull/0001.htm

there is a state park in Pennsylvania where there is a castle he started
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ole_Bull