Lyr Add: Country Ham and Red Gravy (Dave Macon)

Subject: Lyr Add: COUNTRY HAM AND RED GRAVY (Dave Macon)
From: Stewie
Date: 05 Jan 00 - 08:32 PM

This was asked for in another thread. It is my attempt at a transcription. It was a real stinker to work on - worse even than trying to decipher some of Charlie Poole's mutterings. I believe most of it is in the ballpark and I have put square brackets around lines and words I am uncertain about. I look forward to suggested corrections. There are lots of Uncle Dave's songs that are worthy of a place in the DT.

Stewie.

COUNTRY HAM AND RED GRAVY

Talk about your old cow meat
Your mutton and your lamb
[Come for to see them people down shine]
They sure make good sweet ham

Oh how them darkies yell(ed)
When they heard that dinner bell
Oh how that ham meat smelled
Three miles away

[Rich] folk gone to market out
Buy'd that mutton and lamb
I'm goin' back to (the) butcher's shop
To get that good sweet ham

Oh how them [people] yelled
When they heard that dinner bell
Oh how them onions smelled
Three miles away

Talk about your fried chicken
It's nothing but a sham
If you want a real meal
Call for country ham

Oh how them [folks] did yell
When they heard that dinner bell
Oh how them onions smelled
Three miles away

Talk about your red snapper fish
Hot cakes from the pan
I'm going back to farm [smoke] hogs
To get that good sweet ham

Oh how them [folks] did yell
When they heard that dinner bell
Oh how that ham meat smelled
Three miles away

Talk about your fried chicken
You think you're livin' easy
That ain't nothin' to compare
With the country ham and gravy

Oh how them darkies yell(ed)
When they heard that dinner bell
Oh how them onions smelled
Three miles away

Of all the meat I ever eat
[Ain't gwine tellin' no sham]
Bake it high, stew or fry
Still it's good sweet ham

Oh how them folks did yell
When they heard that dinner bell
Oh how them onions smelled
Three miles away

Source: Uncle Dave Macon 'Country Ham and Red Gravy' Recorded 24 January 1938. Reissued on Uncle Dave Macon 'Travelin' Down the Road' County CCS-CD-115.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Country Ham and Red Gravy
From: dan mcguire
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 08:34 AM

Stewie- thanks for the lyrics. I'm getting a little hard of hearing and couldn't figure 'em out.

Dan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Country Ham and Red Gravy (Dave Macon)
From: GUEST,Hayseed
Date: 30 Aug 11 - 04:24 PM

"Come for the see them people down there." He liked to ass out and said "shya." I've heard old men around here use it before.

"Rich folk go to the market house." I'm going back to the farmer's smokehouse or farm smokehouse either. The smokehouse was where all the pig was processed.

"Ain't gwine (or gonna) tell ya no sham."

I think it's funny that you had problems with this one, it's one of the easiest to understand for me. Now parts of Pray for the Lights to Go Out is real incomprehensible, he must've been really plastered.

Punctuation added by a JoeClone.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Country Ham and Red Gravy (Dave Macon)
From: GUEST,Helen Cameron
Date: 17 Feb 18 - 05:02 PM

My father used to sing this but only knew a few lines. And the words were slightly different It began with "There was a happy land, far, far away, where there was bread and cheese, four times a day. The refrain, as far as he knew it, was "Hark how the boarders yell, when they hear the dinner bell, Hark how the boarders yell, far, far away." I bet it's the same song, with a few changes.