Lyr Req: The Old Cow Died (Nathan Frazier)

Subject: Lyr Req: Old cow died - Nathan Frazier
From: GUEST,lefty
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 08:26 AM

Hi
I'm trying to find the lyrics Nathan Frazier sings on Old Cow Died from the Altamont CD, can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Old Cow Died (Nathan Frazier)
From: GUEST,Juorgen, folkbrothersasone
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 12:01 AM

Old cow died in Mississippi

Bad old cow wont behave
Bad old cow stood on an Irishmans foot
Bad old cow just like me
Bad old cow dont like paddy

Old cow died dont mess with paddy

Old cow died in Mississippi

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Old Cow Died (Nathan Frazier)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 06:53 PM

I was only able to hear a short excerpt from the Altamont album at Allmusic.com. All I could make out was:

"Old cow died. Wasn't that a pity?" (or "Wasn't it a pity?")


The Crooked Jades also sing THE OLD COW DIED on their album "World's on Fire" (2006).


John Hartford sang THE OLD COW DIED on the various-artists collection "Telluride Bluegrass Festival: Alive at 25." He sings:

Old cow died.
Old cow died. Wasn't that a pity, now?
Old cow died. Wasn't that a pity, now?


An album called "Animal Folk Songs for Children" recorded by "Mike, Peggy, Barbara & Penny Seeger and their children" includes the song THE OLD COW DIED. I think the lead voice is Peggy Seeger (but I'm not sure). This may be a totally different song. Writing credit is given to Ruth Crawford Seeger:

The old cow died. (Sail around.)
The old cow died. (Sail around.)
Did you give her hot water? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did you give her any soda? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did you send for the doctor? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did the doctor come? (Yes, ma'am.)
The old cow died. (Sail around.)
The old cow died....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Old Cow Died (Nathan Frazier)
From: GUEST,topher
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 11:25 AM

I've been trying to figure this out for a while now too, so far I hear the following
Dang' ol cow won' behave
dag' ol cow she's done dead
come and ... like me in (mean?) the foot
does not.......in the "bvut"

The first two lines I'm pretty sure of, the last two could use some help obviously.
Any other guesses additions out there about the Nathan Frazier version, or other versions that might shed some light?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Old Cow Died (Nathan Frazier)
From: GUEST,clawhammerbill
Date: 30 Mar 13 - 01:51 PM

sounds to me like:

Dang old cow won't behave
dang old cow she's dropped dead
doesn't dare strike me in the foot
does not run me in the woods

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD COW DIED (from Peggy Seeger)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 31 Mar 13 - 03:33 PM

Here's the complete song. I have enclosed some words in parentheses because they seem like refrains, but Peggy Seeger sings both call and response by herself.


THE OLD COW DIED
As sung by Peggy Seeger on "Animal Folk Songs for Children"

CHORUS: The old cow died. (Sail around.)
The old cow died. (Sail around.)
The old cow died. (Sail around.)
The old cow died. (Sail around.)

1. Did you give her hot water? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did you give her any soda? (Yes, ma'am.) CHORUS

2. Did you send for the doctor? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did the doctor come? (Yes, ma'am.) CHORUS

3. What in world's ail her? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did she die of the cholera? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did the buzzards come? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did the buzzards eat her? (Yes, ma'am.) CHORUS

4. Did they sail high? (Yes, ma'am.)
Did they sail low? (Yes, ma'am.) CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Old Cow Died (Nathan Frazier)
From: GUEST,stevesg
Date: 01 Apr 13 - 04:09 PM

"Old cow died. Wasn't that a pity?" (or "Wasn't it a pity?")
to my ears is correct, but recording freq response precludes sibilance, so

"Old cow died. Was in Mississippi" can't be completely ruled out; plosive "p" is definitely there, "t" phoneme should occur several times in "...pity."...unclear

I used to sing:

"Dang old cow won't behave
bad old cow she dropped dead
does not strike me on the foot
does not drive me in the woods"

but I also hear "...just like me..." in line 3

Fraizer's banjo mastery is astonishing on the R hand; in this and other recordings he demonstrates up-pick and down pick clawhammer, thumb lead "clawhammer" (minstrel), 2 and 3 finger thumb and possibly finger lead, thumb riding the 5th string while downpicking, irregular metrics; L hand is pretty static, but I hear occasional pull-offs, banjo may be fretless (Corrina, Corrina)...

The "Paddy" lyrics are far fetched, but F. demonstrates a good understanding of racial discrimination in Bile Them Cabbage...

steve senderoff