Origin: Buckskin Bag of Gold (Henry Clay Work)

Subject: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: Roy Kline
Date: 16 Jun 97 - 05:34 AM

A friend of mine knows a one verse fragment for this 19th century gem that appears to hail from a different version (less ironic) than the one in the DT. In fact, it makes the DT version sound more like a clever parody. Anybody know more?

Subject: RE: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 22 Jan 99 - 12:16 AM

repost

Subject: RE: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: Bruce O.
Date: 22 Jan 99 - 12:32 AM

By Henry Clay Work, 1869. In 'Henry Clay Work: Songs', Da Capo Press, 1974.

Subject: RE: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 30 Jan 99 - 11:23 AM

thanks Bruce, I'll check it out.

Subject: RE: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 02 Feb 00 - 07:48 AM

well, it's been about a year since last posted about this song; so thought it worth another try. Mudcat version of Work's lyric is ironic and funny about a sly "gold-digger" sharpie, but there's supposed to be another more "straight forward" version out there concerning a jaunty gold miner and his bag of gold. I still can't find it. Any other ideas? Thanks, Roy

Subject: RE: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: GUEST,Les B
Date: 02 Feb 00 - 05:25 PM

I believe that Henry Clay Work wrote the song that's in the database, back during Civil War times. I assume his is most possibly the original version ? He also wrote such classics as "Grandfather's Clock," "Year of Jubilo," and " Marching Through Georgia."

Subject: RE: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 03 Feb 00 - 09:21 PM

Yes Les, he wrote that version; & I suspect if there's one before that, he probably wrote that one too. (his contributions truly are amazing, but most folks don't know where they came from; I'm learning though).

It's just that the database version is so cleverly ironic that it sure seems to be poking fun at an earlier straighter version. Besides the bandmaster of a little old-time brass group we've got going here in Tucson swears he has heard another lyric "out there" (free of the sly irony) that just celebrates some miner's lucky streak.

(Although a lot of these great 19th century band arrangements have been resurrected, I have yet to find a recording of this one. & that's a shame because it has such a fun melody and jaunty pace, a real kick to play and listen to.)

Subject: DT Tune Correction: Buckskin Bag of Gold
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 17 - 03:59 PM

I got this email last week, correcting the melody for "Buckskin Bag of Gold":

Joe, sorry to bother you if this is the wrong avenue, or if you don't read music. I'll give you the easy part first. Last verse, line 6, there's a typo: "nocely" instead of "nicely." Now the biggie. In the sheet music, fourth line, end of first measure, that should be an 8th rest, that E flat should start the next measure, and everything following should be a half beat later.

Stephen Barry Einbinder, former sheet music engraver

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Here's what we have in the Digital Tradition. I can't get the MIDI to work possibly because the missing rest messed up the conversion process.

THE BUCKSKIN BAG OF GOLD
(Henry Clay Work)

Last night I met him on the train,
A man with lovely eyes;
And he gave me such a scorching glance
Of sweetly charm'd surprise.
I knew 'twas he the lady meant,
Who once my fortune told,
By his jet black eyes, his grand moustache
And his buckskin bag of gold

cho: Yes! Yes! he is the man
Who does your fortune hold,
He has jet black eyes, a grand moustache
And a buckskin bag of gold.
Tall! Slim! quick as a flash!
And twenty two years old,
He has jet black eyes, a grand moustache
And a buckskin bag of gold!

The dearest man you ever saw
How much I love him now,
And if I should live a thousand years
No other hears my vow.
Like Judas, no, like Jupiter
He looked so brave and bold,
With his jet black eyes, his grand moustache
And his buckskin bag of gold

Sweet boy, bring me The Morning Call
Perchance I'll find his name,
At the Grand Hotel he must have stopped
I wonder when he came.
He must have charmed those Lumpkin girls
So haughty, proud and cold;
By his jet black eyes, his grand moustache
And his buckskin bag of gold

How can I seek a name unknown?
Oh, tell me where he went!
What is this I read! Why Papa's bank
Is robbed of every cent!
The thief, it seems, left town last night
Well, well! I'm nocely sold
He had jet black eyes, his grand moustache
And a buckskin bag of gold

@flirting @outlaw
filename[ BUCKBAG
TUNE FILE: BUCKBAG
CLICK TO PLAY
RG
apr96

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The song is also available at http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiBUCKBAG;ttBUCKBAG.html, which uses a different converter to change the Digital Tradition SongWright file into notation. The rest is still missing, but the bar line shows up in the right place:

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Here is sheet music for the song at the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010069/

I'll make sure that this information gets to Dick Greenhaus and Susan Friedman, curators of the Digital Tradition Folk Song Database. The missing rest is in the last measure of the verse, just before the chorus.

Subject: RE: Origin: Buckskin Bag of Gold (Henry Clay Work)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 17 - 04:43 PM

There's a recording of this song at the Wolf Folklore Collection: http://web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/osbornebuckskin1238.html

Click here to listen to the original recording

Note that the singer has taken some liberties with the lyrics.

He's the dearest man I ever saw--
How much I love him now--
And if I should live a thousand years,
No other'd hear my vow.

Like Judas--no--like Jupiter,
He's handsome, brave, and bold,
With his jet black eyes, his grand mustache,
And a buckskin bag of gold.

Yes, yes, he's the man
Who does my fortune hold.
Jet black eyes, a grand mustache,
And a buckskin bag of gold.

He must have charmed those Lumpkin girls,
So haughty, proud, and cold,
With his jet black eyes, his grand mustache,
And his buckskin bag of gold.

"Sweet boy, bring me the Morning Call;
Perchance I'll find his name.
At the Grand Hotel he must have stopped;
I wonder whence he came."

What's this? I read my father's bank
Is robbed of every cent.
The thief, it seemed, left town last night;
Well, well, I'm nicely sold.
He had jet black eyes, a grand mustache,
And a buckskin bag of gold.

Yes, yes, he's the man
Who does my fortune hold.
Jet black eyes, a grand mustache,
And a buckskin bag of gold.

All Songs Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., unless otherwise noted

The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection
Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas
Back to the Song Index
Back to the Wolf Collection Homepage
©Copyright 2002 Lyon College

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And a recording I found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCWXH_Rm4hM&list=PLcQQ7Hk_4CWG90oyjYp1rJCNf9ZkISAdL

Subject: DT Correction: Buckskin Bag of Gold (H.C. Work)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 17 - 04:54 PM

Here's my transcription from the original 1869 sheet music, available at the Library of Congress. I put the three corrections in boldface type.

THE BUCKSKIN BAG OF GOLD
(Henry Clay Work)

Last night I met him on the train,
A man with lovely eyes;
And he gave me such a searching glance
Of sweetly charm'd surprise!
I knew 'twas he the lady meant,
Who once my fortune told,
By his jet black eyes, his grand moustache,
And his buckskin bag of gold.

CHORUS:
Yes! Yes! he is the man
Who does your fortune hold!
He has jet black eyes, a grand moustache,
And a buckskin bag of gold.
Tall! Slim! quick as a flash!
And twenty two years old;
He has jet black eyes, a grand moustache,
And a buckskin bag of gold.

The dearest man you ever saw,
How much I love him now!
And if I should live a thousand years,
No other hears my vow.
Like Judas, no, like Jupiter,
He looked so brave and bold,
With his jet black eyes, his grand moustache,
And his buckskin bag of gold.

Sweet boy, bring me the "Morning Call"!
Perchance I'll find his name;
At the Grand Hotel he must have stopped,
I wonder when he came!
He must have charmed those Lumpkin girls,
So haughty, proud and cold,
By his jet black eyes, his grand moustache,
And his buckskin bag of gold.

How can I seek a name unknown?
Oh, tell me where he went!
What is this I read! Why Papa's bank
Is robbed of every cent!
The thief, it seems, left town last night,
Well, well! I'm nicely sold!
He had jet black eyes, a grand moustache,
And a buckskin bag of gold.

@flirting @outlaw
filename[ BUCKBAG
TUNE FILE: BUCKBAG
CLICK TO PLAY
RG
apr96
Note that there is a rest missing at the end of the verses, just before the chorus.

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Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

Buckskin Bag of Gold

DESCRIPTION: "Last night I met him on the train, A man with lovely eyes," who had "jet black eyes," a "grand mustache," and a "buckskin bag of gold." He makes a splash -- and eventually flees town once "Papa's bank Is robbed of ev'ry cent"
AUTHOR: Henry Clay Work
EARLIEST DATE: 1869 (sheet music published by S. Brainerd's Sons with copyright by Root & Cady)
KEYWORDS: courting robbery theft abandonment
FOUND IN: US(MA)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
WorkSongs, pp. 47-51, "The Buckskin Bag of Gold" (1 text, 1 tune, a copy of the original sheet music)
Roud #11710
File: SMBuBaGo

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Subject: RE: Origin: Buckskin Bag of Gold (Henry Clay Work)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Nov 17 - 02:03 AM

I got a corrected MIDI and music notation that Stephen Barry Einbinder made with Finale. See where the missing rest belongs? Thanks, Stephen.

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Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: RE: Origin: Buckskin Bag of Gold (Henry Clay Work)
From: GUEST,Stephen Barry Einbinder
Date: 09 Nov 17 - 08:19 AM

Thanks for posting the corrected sheet, Joe.