Origins: Old Dan Tucker

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 01:01 PM

The "Old Dan Tucker" that I remember from grade school (1950s) was:

"Old Dan Tucker was a good old man
Washed his face in a frying pan.
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel
And died with a toothache in his heel."

Don't offhand remember any more of it -- or even the tune.

Linn

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 11:55 AM

Sorcha, see the part of my post about the right and left. The Tucker(s) gets a girl and swings her. As you say, it doesn't look like the Tucker(s) get into the dance after these right and left swings. Or is the call incomplete?

I have a book called Cowboy Dances by Lloyd Shaw, 1939, Caxton Press. Over 400 pages of dances and explanations, but no "Dan Tucker."

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 10:53 AM

OLD DAN TUCKER

Form circle of 4 (or more)couples.In the center are one or more "Tuckers" (gents) without partners.

Balance all to Old Dan Tucker!
Swing your partners! Alamande Left!
Once and a half and Grand Right and Left!
(Tuckers join in on the right and left)
All Promenade! (Tuckers remain in center)
All join hands and forward and back!
Circle to the Left!
Swing your partners! Left alamande!
Once and a half and right and left grand!
(repeat as desired)

(I can't see the point to having the Tuckers--does something in there tell everybody to trade partners for a Tucker?)

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 09:56 PM

Some additional verses:
Pulls his shirt outside his coat,
Buttons his britches around his throat,
Back is bent like an old tin can,
Folks all laugh at poor old Dan.

Old Dan he worked in the cotton field,
He got a stone bruise in his heel,
He left the field and went through the woods
To the little pond where the fishin's good.

And now old Dan is a dead gone sucker,
And never will go home to his supper,
Old Dan he has had his last ride,
And the banjo's buried by his side.

Old Dan Tucker was a fine old feller,
But he would play cards with a nigger in the cellar,
First to the right and then to the left,
And then to the one that you love best.
(I have heard preacher used in the second line)

Vance Randolph, reference as above.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 09:36 PM

Looking forward to seeing Sorcha's steps, but in the meantime, here is a "playparty" version from Missouri.

OLD DAN TUCKER

"In this game all the players choose partners and form a big circle, holding hands. An odd boy is called "Old Dan," and he stands alone in the center. Everybody sings lustily:
Old Dan Tucker down in town,
Swingin' the ladies all a-round,
First to the right and then to the left,
An' then to the one that you love best.
At the words "first to the right" it is "Old Dan's" privilege to pull a girl out into the ring by her right hand, turn her around once, and thrust her back into her place again. When they sing "then to the left" he takes another girl out by the left hand and swings her as before. At the words "then to the one that you love best" every boy swings his own partner. It is at this moment that "Old Dan" tries desperately to grab a girl for himself, and if he succeeds, the man who has lost his partner must be the next "Old Dan."
The following stanza is a sort of chorus, used to keep "Old Dan" in the ring as long as possible, since he has no opportunity to get a partner while it is being sung.

Git out of the way for old Dan Tucker,
He's too late to git his supper,
Supper's over and breakfast a-cookin',
An' Old Dan Tucker standin' a-lookin'.

If "Old Dan" really wishes to expedite matters he can use one girl for all three movements of the game, and thus be sure of getting himself a partner, but this is not considered the sporting thing, and is not often done- usually not unless "Old Dan" loses his temper. Several other verses are used as filler in this game:

Old Dan Tucker down in town,
A-ridin' a goat and leadin' a hound,
The hound gives a howl an' the goat gives a jump,
An' throwed Old Dan a-straddle of a stump.

Old Dan Tucker he got drunk,
Fell in the fire and kicked out a chunk,
Fire coal got in Dan's old shoe,
Oh my golly how the ashes flew!"

From Mr. Carl Durbin, Missouri, 1927.
Found in minstrel shows as early as 1841. Often credited to Dan D. Emmett. A related piece, "Get Out of the Way, Old Johnny Tucker" (Negro Minstrel's Song Book, 1850), and many other citations.
Vance Randolph, 1982, Ozark Folksongs, Vol. 3, pp. 301-304. Several other sets of verses given from Missouri and Arkansas.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: ciarili
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 08:46 PM

Sorcha, do post the calls! Every once in a million years I'll go to a contradance, and it'd be fun to present this dance to the crowd. I'd have to coordinate that with a band that knows the tune....

ciarili

I always liked this song!

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Dani
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 08:30 PM

From the "Appalachian Mountain Dance" by Dorothy Shaw:

" And Old Dan Tucker is one of those human sacrifice dances, like London Bridge, and, 1500 years ago, the one who was caught as "Old Dan" in the centre, as the dance ended, really had his head cut off! "

Do ya think?

Dani

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 02:34 PM

Of several copies in the Levy sheet music collection (Mudcat's Links) there are some attributed to Dan D. Emmit, 1843.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 11:11 AM

Ira W. Ford in "Traditonal Music of America" lists Old Dan as a square dance not a play party tune. Dance call is included; if anybody wants I can post the call.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 11:02 AM

CapriUni, play party is a generic term--steps are different for each tune. London Bridge and Ring Around the Rosie are play party games. When I am a little more awake I will go check and see if I have the steps for Old Dan.

I do have a fiddle tune called "Young Dan Tucker". It's a nice tune by itsself and makes a nice harmony/second for Old Dan.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: JedMarum
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 09:14 AM

great old song ... I've heard it done a Civil War era events. The modern modifications of this song don't hold a candle to the old timey versions I've heard. The songs doesn't need the sing songy chorus we've added/modified for our 1950's forward crowd. The older versions stand on their own - and can have a rhythmic flair our modern songsters miss.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Dani
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 07:42 AM

One of the funniest movies I have ever seen was "Happy, Texas". Do yourself a big favor and see it. There's a hilarious scene where one of the escaped convicts tries to teach "Dan Tucker" to a group of little beauty pageant girls. It's much funnier than it sounds. Really a terrific film.

Dani

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 06:49 AM

"Old Dan Tucker" was sung by Ruby Wilson as a play-party song during The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip (Click here for the recording).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: CapriUni
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 12:32 AM

It entered the oral tradition as a play-party game.

Arrrggh! GUEST wrote that over a year and a half ago, and for all I know has toddled on to other surfing grounds...

So I just ask this question to the air in general:

Can anybody say what the rules of this game were/are?

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: masato sakurai
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 11:11 PM

Yes, Mr. Edwards' theme song.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Blackcatter
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 10:54 PM

It was sung on a regular basis on "Little House On The Prairie" by Laura's Dad's best friend (who's name I forget).

pax yall

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: masato sakurai
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 10:22 PM

Search results of 'Old Dan Tucker' CDs.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Thonolan
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 10:02 PM

I know that this is kinda late, but Burl Ives recorded a nice version of this song.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Bud Savoie
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 04:27 PM

To the same tune is "Stay all night." This one has been recorded.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 09:40 AM

The American "Old Dan Tucker" was written by Dan Emmett in the 19th century. It entered the oral tradition as a play-party game.

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 03 Nov 00 - 08:17 AM

Great, thanks

Subject: RE: Old Dan Tucker
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 02 Nov 00 - 10:20 PM

Don't know about recordings, but there are many early printed copies in the Levy sheet music collection (Mudcat's Links). Note that one was in London, and a version "Old Ann Tucker" is in Alfred Williams's 'Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames'.

In Richard Walser's 'North Carolina Legends', 1980, is the legend of 'Old Dan Tucker', where it is said that he was born in London in 1714, and moved with his parents to Bath Town, North Carolina six years later. He is said to have married Margaret DeVane in 1740 and moved to what is now Randolph County and built a cabin there.

Subject: Old Dan Tucker
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 02 Nov 00 - 08:58 PM

When I was in grade school we had to sing "Old Dan Tucker" in music class. I've been thinking of doing the song now but had a question about it.
Why don't I ever hear this song at old time or bluegrass jams. Is it one of those songs like Oh Susannah, Rocky Top, This Land Is Your Land, you know... that people just don't play because they got overplayed to death OR is is just not played much? Either way I'm going to play it.
Also was there a famous popular recording(s)of it?