Lyr Req: Stealing back to my...

Subject: Stealing back to my .....
From: j0_77
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 01:48 PM

Itz a jug band song. I've hear many different artisits do it used to be mighty poular with 'skiffle' bands ...

more words 'Put your arms around me like a circle round the sun
.....????? like my ?????? done
I think the original title was 'Stealin' but the db did not find it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 01:55 PM

Good song. It's called "Circle Round the Sun," written by James Taylor in 1969. Arlo Guthrie did my favorite recording of it. I don't have time to type the lyrics until next week, but maybe somebody else will look it up in "Rise Up Singing." If not, remind me after Sept. 1.
-Joe, on vacation-

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Here's the James Taylor version, which may or may not be the same song. I'm familiar with the Arlo Guthrie recording, which is definitely "Stealin".

CIRCLE 'ROUND THE SUN
(James Taylor, 1969)

O I love my baby and she's bound to love me some (2x)
When she throws her arms around like a circle 'round the sun.

I lay down last night, I was trying to take my rest (2x)
But my thoughts they just kept wanderin' like them wild geese in the nest.

Now I know that sunrise, it's gonna shine in my backyard someday (2x)
And all that wind's just bound to rise up, gonna blow, blow all my blues away.


from the Rise Up Singing songbook.

Posted Feb 16, 2009

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: j0_77
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 02:06 PM

Thanx Joe - I believe you are right but there is a much older version way back in the twenties - by some jugband. Thats the one I need.

Subject: Lyr Add: STEALIN', STEALIN'^^^
From: Tiger
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 02:17 PM

This is Arlo's version from his website, but it goeall the way back to Gus Cannon's jug band. It's way, WAY older than James Taylor......Tiger

STEALIN'
Words and Music by Gus Cannon
Arranged and Adapted by Arlo Guthrie

Put your arms around me like a circle `round the sun
You know I'll love you baby when my easy ridin's done

CHORUS:
You don't believe I love you
Look at the fool I've been
You don't believe I'm sinkin'
Look at the hole I'm in
Stealin', stealin',
Pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be

Well I got me a woman `bout my size and height
She's a married woman so you know she treats me right

CHORUS

Put your arms around me like a circle `round the sun
You know I'll love you baby when my easy ridin's done

CHORUS

Well I got me a woman `bout my size and height
She's a married woman so you know she treats me right
I don't believe I love you
Look at the fool I've been
I don't believe I'm sinkin'
Look at the hole I'm in

Stealin', stealin',
Pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be

Stealin' back to my same old used to be
Stealin' back to my same old used to be

(C)1969 Howard Beach Music, Inc (ASCAP)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: Wally Macnow
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 03:24 PM

There are a couple of recordings of it in the Camsco catalog:

One is by The Memphis Jug Band, another by Jesse Fuller.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 04:00 PM

It's also in Digitrad, cleverly concealed under the name "Stealin'"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: j0_77
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 04:32 PM

Dick
I did a search and found the song Gypsie Laddies.
So can you pulease give me the URL
Thanx

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: tim tracy
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 05:07 PM

hey there,,, there is a wonderfull cover by david bromberg on the album reckless abbandon done ala jugband style they call it" stealin"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: Tiger
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 06:13 PM

I have a great version of this by Dave Van Ronk with the Ragtime Jug Stompers, 1964.

Terrific disk with a great cast, including Barry Kornfeld, Artie Rose, Sam Charters, and one of my own personal favorites, Danny Kalb.

This is early stereo, easy to separate left and right tracks, thereby hearing each instrument as it does solo or backup. Great!

....Tiger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: CarlZen
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 07:20 PM

Tiger - you lucky cat;

That's one of those albums which will probably never be rereleased on CD. I remember hearing cuts on the FM radio back in 64, 65. I've searched for it all over. It's a 'hard card to find'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 08:16 PM

I just love this song. The chorus just rolls off the tongue and the music just lopes along! I could sing it all night!

The trouble with that is there aren't many verses. To my mind the verses in a song like this are just a good excuse to sing the chorus one more time. I wish this song had ten verses. Tiger has put down all the ones I know. Anybody know anymore? Has anybody ever made any more? The usual blues "plug-in" verses don't seem to fit the song very well.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 08:21 PM

j0_77,

Dick has cleverly hidden it under Stealin', stealin' so you had just half the message. I just went to the digitrad search and hit the letter "s". A little slower, but surer. I was happy to see there are a few "extra" verses there. Time to burnish my repertoire.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: j0_77
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 08:24 PM

*t*H*a*N*x*

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: Mungo
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 09:54 PM

The oldest version of "Stealin'" that I've ever run across was on a tape in the LSU library archives. It was of a 78 record from the late 20's by Buck and His Band--heavy blues influenced dixieland. "Stealin'" was on one side, and "Walk Right In" on the other--the one the Rooftop Singers made a big hit with in the 60's.

I use the Bromberg version in my performances.

Mungo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: CarlZen
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 10:38 PM

I had played and sung the song for years before hearing the Memphis Jug Band version. I love the harmony on "You don't believe I love her lookit the fool I been" which seems to be just a straight descending scale, repeated on "don't believe I'm sinkin' lookit the hole I'm in" which is a great line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 11:34 PM

Ah Jesus RiB....what memories. Ya know, come to think about it, we DID sing this all night. At Berea, we had a folkie, protestie, juggie kind of group and we played at the college owned coffeehouse (a bizarre concept) as a group and as singles, duets, trios, damn near every night. The regular bunch of students and faculty that came to listen numbered about 50 or so on a good night and 5 or 10 on a bad one. We didn't care....we were there singin' and sneakin' booze (dry school in a dry county---meant that everybody drank a LOT) and other substances. I think the college figured that keeping us happy in one place would slow down our BS elsewhere and they were probably right. Anyway, it was a great time, great friends, great music from both traditional and newer sources.........One of the best things to do was start on "Stealin'" and add verses. We'd go round and round the group looking for new additions and repeating the old. Honest to God, I remember (vaguely) an especially "blasted" kind of night where we quite literally played, I was told, for about 45 minutes while verses were rehashed and added and repeated. Here are a few either written or stolen from other sources in the best tradition of folk:

I got me a woman
Well she's ten feet tall
She sleeps in the kitchen
With her FEET in the hall

That hazel eyed woman
She loves me a lot
Keeps my cooler full of beer
And my bag full of pot.

Buffy sings about VietNam
And old huntin' dogs
But her voice is so shrill
It could sterilize frogs.

That big auburn haired beauty
Gives me lovin' so good
She burns long, slow, and easy
Just like E-Z Wider should.

Enough....you get the idea. It was an easy and fun one, almost like a zipper song. The other song that got the same "treatment" was "Baby Let Me Follow You Down." I won't get into that one.

But we did a lot of others too......Mountain songs, Woody, Dylan, Leadbelly, Ochs, Paxton songs, Jug band songs............................Me and Andy and Jeff and Neil and Donna and Joyce and Pam......................

"Bob Dylan's Dream" speaks so loudly to those times, I can't sing it anymore...and I'm sitting here on the verge of tears, just thinkin'. What I wouldn't give for one more night like those........................

But I'll see YOU in DC RiB.....Karen and the kids are coming too!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 25 Aug 99 - 08:10 AM

This thread immediately had the song buzzing in my head. I knew I had a recording of it but couldn't recognise the voice in my head. First thought Joe Brown or Eric Clapton but drew a blank. Then about half-way through the evening (even my everloving had failed to come up with it) I remembered: it is on the Blues Band (Paul Jones & Co) "Wireless" recording (their version of "Unplugged") with Davy Graham on vocal. They acknowledge Memphis Jug Band as originators.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 25 Aug 99 - 08:26 AM

Jim Kweskin recorded this with Mel Lyman on a collection called 'America'. Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: j0_77
Date: 25 Aug 99 - 09:01 AM

Spaw - I know the feelin well.... BTW we called our lil singing parties 'foo foos' complete with washtub bass and homw made jugs. Guess lots of people did this stuff. I still love and sing a lot of those gureat songs. I still enjoy em and probably play em more that any thing else. How bout that 7 days blues by Leadbelly.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: paul in seattle
Date: 25 Aug 99 - 08:37 PM

Hi there -- I just found this site and am already a convert! Just wanted to add that Dave Grisman/Jerry Garcia covered this song on the Shady Grove album as well as all the other recorded versions mentioned above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: GUEST,Ffilharmonious
Date: 16 Feb 09 - 06:47 PM

The song is properly titled "Stealin' stealin'". It was written by Will Shade and first recorded by the Memphis Jug Band in 1928 or 1929. It has been covered by all of the people you mention but original credit goes to Will Shade and the Memphis Jug Band.

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Thread #40621   Message #582173
Posted By: Jim Dixon
29-Oct-01 - 03:40 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Yazoo CD- Best of the Memphis Jug Band
Subject: Lyr Add: STEALIN' STEALIN'^^

14. STEALIN' STEALIN'

Stealing, stealing. Pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

Now, put your arms around me like the circle round the sun.
I want you to love me, mama, like my easy rider done.

If you don't believe I love you, look what a fool I've been.
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in.
Stealing, stealing, pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.
I'm stealing, stealing. Pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

The woman I'm loving she's just my height and size.
She's a married woman come to see me sometimes.

If you don't believe I love you, look what a fool I've been.
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in.
I'm stealing, stealing. Pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.
I'm stealing, stealing. Pretty mama don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

Stealing, stealing. Pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

[As recorded by the Memphis Jug Band, 1928, Jab Jones, lead vocalist.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: GUEST,Evan
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 09:38 PM

The Dave Van Ronk's Ragtime Jug Stompers recorded the best version i've heard of it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: GUEST,M
Date: 19 Jun 10 - 02:26 AM

Thanks to my friend Robin for turning me on to this source when I mentioned a great old favorite song of mine, Gus Cannon's "Stealin'". I've probably sung 100 different verses over the years, but here is a favorite:

Put your arms around me, baby, hold me tight
you know I need your lovin' every day and every night

Does anyone have a link to a recording of this song by Gus?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stealing back to my .....
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 19 Jun 10 - 07:42 AM

Dylan recorded this on one of the first bootlegs. Alistair Hulett recorded it on his last solo CD.