Lyr Req: Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County
From: Richie
Date: 24 Aug 09 - 10:14 PM

Thanks Stewie,

You're the best.

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County
From: Stewie
Date: 24 Aug 09 - 09:53 PM

Hi Richie,

At page 841 of his discography, Russell gives:

Arthur Smith Trio [Arthur Smith, Alton Delmore, Rabin Delmore] 'Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County' recorded Monday, February 17, 1936 in Charlotte NC. Issued as: BB B-6322, MW M-4822, Vi 27495.

Russell gives it as a fiddle/vocal solo by Smith, but listening to the County reissue, there is a guitar also. From the booklet by Charles Wolfe and Barry Poss accompanying County LPs 546 & 547, it is clear that Oberstein was the A&R man for all the Smith/Delmore recordings. In respect of the origin of 'Chittlin'...', they note:

'"Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County" takes the melody from "St James Infirmary", another jazz standard, with new words which, according to Kirk McGee, were written by him and "a fellow named Busby" who hung around WSM'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County
From: Richie
Date: 24 Aug 09 - 05:02 PM

Anyone know who wrote this? Supposedly it was Fiddlin' Arthur Smith. I can't find a record of him playing it in 1936. Who did he record it with- the Delmores? For Oberstein?

I remember it was Feb. 1936 when the Monroe's did their first record. That would make Oberstein the recording engineer. I can't find anything on it now- only the Cox Hobbs 1937 recording.

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County
From: Goose Gander
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 01:25 PM

When It's Chitterlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County as performed by Merle Lovell in Shafter FSA Camp, 1940.

Source:
Voices From the Dust Bowl at American Memory.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 12:04 PM

You can hear this song at the Honking Duck web site:

CHITLIN' COOKIN' TIME IN CHEATHAM COUNTY
Dixon Brothers / Arthur Smith Trio, 1941.
Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham C
From: LR Mole
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 10:17 AM

I just saw two T-shirts available in a catalogue whose name you'd recognize in a minute.The first was "Gid is my co-pilot" and the other, featuring a feline shy one ear, said "Vincent BanJogh". If I played either instrument referred to, I'd be strongly tempted.

Subject: Lyr Add: CHITTLIN' COOKIN' TIME IN CHEATHAM COUNTY
From: GUEST,Jeremy in Winnipeg
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 10:01 AM

I listened to the record again last night and this is as close as I can come to the lyrics:

CHITTLIN' COOKIN' TIME IN CHEATHAM COUNTY

There's a quiet and peaceful county in the state of Tennessee,
You will find it in the book they call Geography
Not famous for its farming, its mining, nor its stills
But they know their chittlin' cookin' in them Cheatham County hills

When it's chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham County
I'll be courtin' in them Cheatham county hills
And I'll pick a Cheatham County chittlin' cooker
For I've a longin' that a mess of chittlin fills

There's an art in chittlin' cookin' and all good chittlin cooks
They must master it by practice -- it ain't wrote down in books
In the hills of Cheatham county in sunny Tennessee
When chittlin's are in season is where I long to be

Of all good things put before me
I think chittlin's are the best
And when I rest on my dying pillow
Let chittlin's be my last request

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 18-Mar-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham C
From: chip a
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 03:13 PM

Dug out my Arthur Smith vinyl LAST NIGHT just to play this one song for my wife. I love this song. The whole album is good. Played it back to back with Gid Tanner.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham C
From: Kim C
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 01:35 PM

I live just a few miles from Cheatham County and I've never been there for any chitlins.......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham C
From: GUEST,Jeremy in Winnipeg
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 10:22 AM

I was recently trying to get the lyrics of this song from my old LP and was having trouble understanding a few lines, so I thought I would try mudcat (which I have never visited before). I was glad to find these lyrics from Nathan, but I have a few words or phrases that I disagree with. For the last line of the first verse I have:

"But they know their chittlin cooking in them Cheatham County hills"

I thought that the last line of the second verse ended with "a mess of chittlin fills"

In the last verse, first line, I heard "Of all good things put before me" and in the third line I heard "And when I rest on my dying bed"

I'm not sure about all of this, so I'll go back and check the different versions against the recording again. Did you get your lyrics from a printed source?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham C
From: Jim Krause
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 12:58 PM

Thanks. The band is adding this to our repertoire, and I'm gonna steal it from us, and put it in mine.

Subject: Lyr Add: CHITTLIN' COOKIN' TIME IN CHEATHAM COUNTY
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 07:26 PM

Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County

There's a quiet and peaceful county in the state of Tennessee,
You will find it in the book they call Geography
Not famous for its farming, its mines, or its stills
But they know there's chittlin' cookin' in them Cheatham County hills

When it's chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham County
I'll be courtin' in them cheatham county hills
And I'll pick a Cheatham County chittlin' cooker
I've a longin' that the chittlin's will fill

There's an art in chittlin' cookin' and all good chittlin cookin' cooks
Can only be mastered by practice cause it ain't wrote down in books
In the hills of Cheatham county in sunny Tennessee
When chittlin's are in season is where I long to be

Of all good things there could be for me
I think chittlin's are the best
And when I press that dying pillow
Let chittlin's by my last request

Subject: chittlin' cookin' time in Cheatham Count
From: Jim Krause
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 12:29 PM

I thought surely this old Arthur Smith song to the tune of St. James Infirmary Blues would be in the database. Tried several searches, and couldn't find it. Anybody out there got the words, send 'em to me PM if you like. Soddy