chorus line 'ah well'

Subject: chorus line 'ah well'
From: GUEST,Jan Cantle
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 06:33 AM

I fear this may be an impossible task. My husband, Stuart, died in September 2018 from dementia. We had started composing his songbook, and had identified 125 songs by Christmas that year. We have had some copies printed for family, but it has now expanded with more songs, and some technical information about the types of music he sang.

He often sang blues and prison songs from the Delta, and now the big question...

I have memories of him singing a prison holler (?) which was in the format of one line.. .and then 'ah well' as the response.
I suspect there are several songs fitting this pattern, but would appreciate any help finding them.

Subject: RE: chorus line 'ah well'
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 07:02 AM

LYRICS: O BERTA (Hollie (Bull) Dew & unidentified prisoners, Parchman Farm Prison, Mississippi, 1947)

Ain’t that Berta comin, down that road, well.
She walk like Berta but she want you so, well.
She want you so baby, she want you so, well.
She walk like Berta but she want you so, well.

O Bert-a Well,
Lord gal.
Lord, Bert-a Well
Lord gal, well.

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/o-berta-prison-work-song-with-lyrics.html

Subject: RE: chorus line 'ah well'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 03:02 PM

Jan, it sounds like you're going to be busy identifying songs and lyrics for a while. If you'll send an email to [e-mail] he can help you get logged in to Mudcat Cafe with a membership, and then people can contact you directly through our personal messages if they wish.

It's surprising how quickly people come up with answers around here!

Subject: ADD: Oh Well, Oh Well.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 03:27 PM

I suppose I should be ashamed of myself for posting this. But, alas, I have no shame. This is on page 72 of Folk Songs Out of Wisconsin:

OH WELL, OH WELL

The first Noel, the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Oh well, oh well, oh well and oh well.
Born is the King of Israel,
Oh well, oh well, oh well and oh well.
Born is the King of Israel.

Subject: RE: chorus line 'ah well'
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Jan 19 - 04:04 PM

Good one, Joe,
and Happy Epiphany a few weeks late.

Subject: RE: chorus line 'ah well'
From: Shimmering
Date: 17 Jan 19 - 09:33 AM

The transcription of the first verse of the Berta song above (copied from the linked site) is not actually right. If you listen to the vid (and having an idea what you're listening for probably helps) you can see what they are singing is:

Ain’t that Berta comin, down that road, well.
She walk like Berta but she, walk too slow, well.
She walk too slow baby, she walk too slow, well.
She walk like Berta but she, she walk too slow, well.

The verse is obviously a variant of what is also found as the first verse of Tommy Johnson's Maggie Campbell blues:

Who's that yonder coming down the road? coming down the road?
Who that yonder coming down the road?
Looks like Maggie baby, but she walks too slow.

I like the Tommy Johnson verse and even wrote a song riffing on this idea but I had not heard this alternative take before.

Subject: RE: chorus line 'ah well'
From: GUEST,Jan Cantle
Date: 17 Jan 19 - 05:21 PM

Thank you all for your attempts. I have another 30 odd cd's to listen to to try and find this song.