Lyr Req: Ha Ha Thisaway (Leadbelly)

Subject: Lyric reqd. Ha ha this a-way - leadbelly
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 09 - 08:19 AM

I wonder if anyone can oblige with this song's original words. the only ones I can see on the net are Paul Daniels's theme tune.

Subject: Lyr Add: HA HA THISAWAY (Leadbelly)
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Jul 09 - 09:16 PM

HA HA THISAWAY
from Negro Folk Songs As Sung By Lead Belly; "King of the Twelve String Gitar Players of The World", Long-Time Convict In The Penitentiaries of Texas And Louisiana"
Transcribed, Selected and Edited by John A Lomax and Alan Lomax (New York-The Macmillan Company Mcmxxxvi), Pages 78-80

Chorus
Hi! this-a-way. Hi, that-a-way
Hi! this-a-way. Then, oh, then


When I was a little boy, little boy, little boy,
When I was a little boy, twelve years old,
Papa went an' left me, left me, left me,
Papa went an' left me, to save my soul.

Chorus

Mamma come an' got me, got me, got me,
Mamma come an' got me, to save my soul.
Mamma didn't whiff me* whiff me, whiff me,
Mamma didn't whiff me, so I was tol'.

Papa drinked whisky, whisky, whisky,
Papa drinked whisky, so I was tol'.
Mamma was frisky, frisky, frisky,
Mamma was frisky, so I was tol'.

I went to school, went to school, went to school, boys,
I went to school when I was twelve years old;
Obeyed the rules, the rules, the rules, boys.
Obeyed the rules as I was tol'.

Learned my lessin, lessins, lessins,
Learned my lessin, as I was tol',
Wasn't that a blessin', blessin', blessin'?
Wasn't that a blessin', to save my soul.

Liked my teacher, teacher, teacher,
Liked my teacher, as I was tol';
Prayed like a preacher, preacher, preacher,
Prayed like a preacher, to save my soul.

I went to school, went to school, went to school, boys,
I went to school when I was twelve years old;
Teacher didn' whiff me, whiff me, whiff me,
Teacher didn' whiff me, to save my soul.

Chorus
Ho! Ho! thisaway,
Ha! ha! thataway!
Ha! ha! thisaway!
Then, oh, then.


* Lead Belly used the words "whip" and "whiff" interchangeably.

+ For some reason, Lead Belly now and then omits the chorus which usually follows each four-line stanza.

-snip-

These are the exact words and notes from Negro Folk Songs As Sung By Lead Belly. The chorus to this song is now usually given as

Ha! Ha! thisaway,
Ha! ha! thataway!
Ha! ha! thisaway!
Then, oh, then.

Subject: RE: Lyric reqd. Ha ha this a-way - leadbelly
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 17 Jul 09 - 03:18 AM

Thanks Azizi!

Subject: RE: Lyric reqd. Ha ha this a-way - leadbelly
From: Azizi
Date: 17 Jul 09 - 07:31 AM

You're welcome, Alan.

And my thanks to the moderator who corrected the formating of my post.

Subject: RE: Lyric reqd. Ha ha this a-way - leadbelly
From: Leadbelly
Date: 17 Jul 09 - 05:25 PM

"Since I'm a newbie with regards to Blues music,..." (Azizi on Nov. 25,2007).
Because you have been the only one answering to this special question very soon I still renew my former statement, that you are an expert, dear lady. An expert! Take it or leave it. And obviously you own a lot of books about blues.

If Alan Whittle is identical with Big Al Whittle (formerly known as weelittledrummer): Hi Al, please come back to the forum. I do miss you! Don't care about others. Real Lead Belly would say: "Relax your mind!" And jump on this forum-train once again.

Manfred (from Germany)

Subject: RE: Lyric reqd. Ha ha this a-way - leadbelly
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 18 Jul 09 - 02:20 AM

Hi there Manfred - sorry, as I'm not a member I can't PM you.

No, I'm not coming back - the whole mudcat thing with Diane and Folkiedave made me re-evaluate my views on folk music. And in particular wonder why I was still looking for a toehold in the folkmusic of my own country after thirty years or so.

I still play my guitar and mudcat is a great resource - as in this case, and I still look in to see if anyone I know is dead. But that is the extent of my involvement

best wishes

al

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ha Ha Thisaway (Leadbelly)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Apr 16 - 07:52 AM

I'm away from my resources, and somebody asked me for lyrics for this song. Can anybody post a few versions? The one posted above is good, but quite different from the Leadbelly versions I've heard. If at all possible, please document where you got the lyrics you're posting at Mudcat.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ha Ha Thisaway (Leadbelly)
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 14 Apr 16 - 03:14 PM

Here is one from Lead Belly - No Stranger To The Blues, page 65:

Ha, Ha, Thisaway

Transcribed from 1942 Asch recording available on Lead Belly/Where Did You Sleep Last Night?, Smithsonian Folkways CD 40044. Other Lead Belly recordings: Lead Belly/Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen (1935 Library of Congress sessions), Rounder CD 1098; Lead Belly/Party Songs & Sings and Plays (1944 Asch sessions formerly released on Stinson LPs), Collectables CD 5609.

This is a little children play song. They make the ring and they sing, they put one inside of the ring and as they go round and sing, hold to each other's hands, they sing "Ha, ha, thisaway" and "ha, ha, thataway" and the one in the ring, he gonna jump thataway, and when he jump thataway, the others gonna jump on 'round the ring, and he gonna jump to the one and he gonna catch one by the hand and put him in the ring and he gonna get out in the ring with the other children and go around and here's what they sing.   Huddie Ledbetter

Chorus:
Ha, ha, thisaway, ha, ha, thataway,
Ha, ha, thisaway, then oh then.

When I was a little boy, little boy, little boy,
When I was a little boy, twelve years old,
Papa went and left me, left me, left me,
Papa went and left me, so I was told. (Chorus)

Mama come and got me, she got me, got me,
Mama come and got me to save my soul.
Mama never whup me, whup me, whup me,
Mama never whup me so I was told. (Chorus)

I went to school, went to school, went to school, boys,
I went to school when I was twelve years old.
Obeyed the rules, the rules, the rules, boys,
Obeyed the rules as I was told. (Chorus)

I went to a teacher, teacher, teacher,
I went to a teacher to save my soul.
Teacher was a preacher, preacher, preacher,
Teacher was a preacher so I was told. (Chorus)

I learned my lesson, lesson, lesson,
I learned my lesson to save my soul.
Wasn't that a blessin', blessin', blessin',
Wasn't that a blessin' so I was told? (Chorus)


(verses from Library of Congress recording)
I went a-walkin'… when I was eleven years old.
I was a-talkin'… so I was told.

I went a-ridin'… when I was eleven years old.
I was a-drivin'… when I was twelve years old.

I was writing… to save my soul.
I was typing… so I was told.

(Alternate chorus)
Ho, ho, thisaway, ha, ha, thataway,
Ho, ho, thisaway, then oh then.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ha Ha Thisaway (Leadbelly)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Apr 16 - 10:00 PM

Thanks a lot, Jay. That's far closer to the song I know.
My friend Mrs. Lev will be pleased with those lyrics.
-Joe-