Lyr Req: Water Boy

Subject: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Louis Lee
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 01:12 AM

Dear Sir,

Would you help me to find the cpmplete lyric of the old folksong Water Boy since I can't find the lyric in any songbooks.

Pls answer me by email to [e-mail]

Thanks alot!

Yours faithfully,

Louis Lee

Through email, I've found out Louis meant to ask for lyrics to Water Boy, but had mistakenly asked for Molly Darling, in this thread. I am resurrecting it, as a non-duplicate, so that we might find those lyrics for him.
Have also advised him to check back here in the thread for answers. Thanks,
- el joeclone -

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 10:47 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 10:56 AM

If this is the Paul Robeson number, from memory (and supposed to be at work):Water Boy
Where are you a-hidin'?
If you don't come
I gonna tell-a yo' mother (mammy?)

Sorry, the rest are lost in themists of time/CRS. Probably in RUS??
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 11:01 AM

I think it probably is that one, RtS, as his original post said an old Negro spiritual, if I remember correctly. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Louis Lee
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 08:24 PM

Subject: Lyr Add: WATER BOY (Jimmie Rodgers)
From: Ferrara
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 08:36 PM

Jimmie Rodgers (not the Singing Brakeman) had a song called Water Boy on his Kisses Sweeter than Wine album. I'll see how much I can remember...

WATER BOY

Well there ain't no hammer on this mountain
Ring like mine, that ring like mine

CHORUS: Oh there ain't no hammer on this mountain
Ring like mine, bo(y), that ring like mine.

Water Boy-y-y-y, Water Boy-y-y-y
Why'm I here?

Well, I played the wrong card, boy,
Oh well I played the wrong card.
Jack O'Diamonds, Oh well I played the wrong card
CHORUS

The song has a rhythm that would work with pounding in railroad spikes or whatever: Well, there ain't no hammer -- -- On this mountain -- -- Ring like mine, bo', -- That ring like mine -- -- [where each set of dashes indicates a long 1-beat pause] I imagine the workers may have swung their hammers during each pause in the song.

The words "Water Boy" are a long, almost yodeling call. You can picture a hot thirsty worker trying to get the water boy's attention.

Neat song. Hope it's what you want.

Now that I've remembered it, I may try to find the record, to get the rest of the song if there actually is any more. Please, if this is what your're looking for, somebody send me a Personal Message and let me know I should ferret out the record. Since I don't get on here too often lately, a lot of threads become inactive before I get back to them.

Rita Ferrara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 16 Jan 01 - 03:55 AM

The chorus that Ferrara cites is the one that goes with the verse I dredged up from my memory. Still can't remember any other verses, the ones Ferrara quoted ring no bells (or hammers!) in my poor old brain.
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 11:19 AM

I've come up empty on further lyrics, there are lots of Paul Robeson sites out there, mostly biographical and lots of mentions of the song but no lyrics. I've cut 'n' pasted two references to recordings, one of which is a CD:

AVERY ROBINSON (1877-1965)
17 Water Boy 2'32
Paul Robeson, Baritone
Lawrence Brown, Piano
Recorded 12/28/45

and

COMPACT DISC
HMK0039069
PAUL
ROBESON
COLLECTION
$15.83
06/22/1999

TRACK#
SONG TITLE
1
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
2
Little Man, You've Had A Busy Day
3
Lazy Bones
4
Deep River
5
St. Louis Blues
6
Song of the Volga Boatman
7
Carry Me Back to Green Pastures
8
The Lonesome Road
9
Got the South in My Soul
10
Mary Had A Baby Yes Lord
11
River Stay Way From My Door
12
Short'nin' Bread
13
Solitude
14
Shenandoah
15
High Water
16
Wagon Wheels
17
Hush-A-Bye Lullaby
18
Snowball
19
I Ain't Lazy I'm Just Dreamin'
20
So Shy
21
Ol' Man River
22
Fat Li'l Feller Wid His Mammy's Eyes
23
Blue Prelude
24
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
25
All Through the Night
26
Joshua Fit De Battle ob Jericho
27
She Is Far From the Land
28
When It's Sleepy Time Down South
29
Nothin
30
I'm Goin' To Tell God All O' My Troubles
32
Hear The Lambs A-Cryin'
33
Witness
34
The Cobbler's Song
35
Mammy's Little Kinky-Headed Boy
36
An Eriskay Love Lilt
37
I Want To Be Ready
38
Weepin' Mary
39
Get On Board Little Children
40
At Dawning
42
Water Boy
45
Rockin' Chair
46
Dear Old Southland
47
Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
48
Nobody Knows De Trouble I've Seen
50
Ma Curly Headed Baby
51
All God's Chillun Got Wings
52
Gloomy Sunday
53
The Banjo Song
54
Honey Dat's All)
55
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord
56
Ezekiel Saw the Wheel
57
By An By
58
Li'l Gal
59
King Joe (Parts 1 & 2)
60
On Mah Journey
61
There's No Hiding Place
62
I Got A Home In That Rock
63
Roll Away Clouds
64
Canoe Song
65
A Perfect Day

Rts

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 19-Jul-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: annamill
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 04:07 PM

I remembered the version of Water Boy first mentioned by Roger so I went and looked and sure enough, Harry Belafonte did that version. I really liked that version and I remember it from my Folkie days. I'm at work so I can't go looking for the lyrics, but I'll try later tonight if no one else has found them by then.

Love, annamill

Subject: Lyr Add: WATERBOY
From: annamill
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 04:21 PM

Found it.

Waterboy, where are you hiding
If you don't come right here
Gonna tell you pa on you
There ain't no hammer
That's on a this mountain
That ring like mine boy
That ring like mine

I'm gonna bust this rock boy
From here to the Macon
All the way to the jail boy
All the way to the jail

You Jack ´o diamond
Jack ´o diamond
Know you old boy
I know you're old
You rob a my pocket
Rob my pocket
Silver and gold boy
My silver and gold
There ain't no sweat boy
That's on a this mountain
That run like mine boy
That run like mine

Hope this is the one. Love, annamill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 09:17 PM

Anna, did you find any background information on the song? Is it traditional, or a more recent composition?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Louis Lee
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 09:38 PM

Dear Sirs, Iwould like to find the complete lyric of Paul Robeson's verson of WATER BOY.Could you help me?

Thanks

Louis Lee

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Fred
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 10:48 PM

On the back of Vanguard's The Essential Paul Robeson, this is attributed to Avery Robinson (I don't know if there is any connection to Paul), and it is published by Boosey & Hawkes, ASCAP. On Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall, Odetta did a take on it combining it with "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain." I know it's also done by Belafonte on some other records.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 18 Jan 01 - 05:41 AM

I can't remember a Belafonte version, Annamill, but that one sounds pretty close to what I remember.
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: GUEST,Michael GG
Date: 22 May 13 - 08:32 PM

Sigmund Spaeth. Read 'Em and Weep. The Songs you Forgot to Remember. New York: Halcyon House, [1926,] 1939.

40: Water Boy.
… But [along with Frankie and Johnny] there were other songs of the underworld that had a significance far beyond tehat of their text and background .At the top of the list stands the Negro convict lament, Water Boy, which has lately become a stand-by with concert singers of all kinds.

The first part, consisting of the convict's call for the water-boy, is a universal snatch of melody that eppears in an ancient Jewish marriage song, an Americna Indian tune, Cesar Cui's Orientale, Tschaikowsky's [six] Marche Slav, and a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody. The second part, boasting of the might of the convict's hammer, and later denouncing the Jack fo Diamonds for its evil ways, is the duplicate of an old Bohemian melody,* which Jerome Kern unconsciously imitated in his Till the Clouds Roll By, some years ago.

*See Gerald Bordman, Jerome Kern: His Life and Music, p. 146; says it is based on six bars of the old German tune "Mendebras," later used as a hymn tune.

Subject: Lyr Add: WATER BOY (from Paul Robeson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 May 13 - 07:53 AM

My transcription from the recording on Spotify. I have taken care to report the dialect exactly as Robeson sings it.


WATER BOY
As sung by Paul Robeson on "Spirituals"

Water boy, where are you hiding?
If you don't-a come, I'm gwine-a tell-a your mammy.

Dere ain't no hammer dat's on-a dis mountain
Dat-a rings-a like-a mine, boys, dat-a rings-a like-a mine.
Done bust dis rock, boys, from here to Macon,
All de way to de jail, boys, yes-a, back to de jail.

You jack o' diamonds, you jack o' diamonds,
Now I know you of old, boys, yes, I know you of old.
You rob my pockets, yes, you rob-a my pocket.
You done rob-a my pocket of-a silver an'-a gold.

Water boy, where are you hiding?
If you don't-a come, I'm gwine-a tell-a your mammy.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, water boy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Water Boy
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 28 May 13 - 09:02 AM

The song is in Shay My Pious Friends and Drunken Companions, 1927, from the singing of James Harris. There is a site for this book which has a link for a big pdf, but the link is dead.

There's info on the song, with Jimmy Rogers and Harry Belafonte versions on the bluegrassmessengers site: Water Boy


Mick