Lyr Req: Yonder Comes a Sucker (Jim Reeves)

Subject: railroad steamroad river and canal
From:
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 04:58 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: railroad steamroad river and canal
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 05:10 AM

Well, I can start it off (Vipers' version):
Railroad, steamboat, river and canal
Yonder comes a sucker who has stole my gal
And she's gone, gone, gone; gone, gone ,gone
And I wish her a fond farewell
RtS (at work and from fast fading memory)

Subject: Lyr Add: YONDER COMES A SUCKER (Jim Reeves)
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 05:58 PM

Jim Reeves is listed as the writer in the Hillbilly and Cowboy Hit Parade"from 1956. The copyright dated 1955 is assigned to Tree Publishing Co. I think the song may be older, however.

YONDER COMES A SUCKER

Cho.
Railroad, Steamboat, River and Canal.
Yonder comes a sucker and he's got my gal
And she's gone, gone, gone,
And she's gone, gone, gone,
And I'll bid her my last farewell.

I fell in love with a pretty little thing
I thought that wedding bells would ring.
She was as sweet as sweet could be
Til I found out what she did to me.

I asked her mother to let her go.
She whispered, Mother please tell him no,
Tho' he may think that I am true
There's plenty more who think so too.

Now I won't cry my life away
Some other sucker will have to pay.
And when he finds that she is gone
I guess I'll hear him sing this song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: railroad steamroad river and canal
From: Stewie
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 05:59 PM

I have some vague memory of this, possibly from a Chad Mitchell Trio. It may have been only a fragment in a medley. All I can remember is:

Railroad, steamboat, river and canal
I lost my true love on that ragin' canal
And she's gone, gone, gone, gone gone gone
She's gone ? on that ragin' canal

I will see if I can dig up any more. It may not have been the Chad Mitchell Trio, but it was certainly some 1960s folk group that I heard it from.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: railroad steamroad river and canal
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 09:12 PM

For songs not found in the DIGITRAD DATABASE
or in the MUDCAT FORUM search-
Check the COWPIE SITE

* CLICK TO: COWPIE *

http://www.roughstock.com/cowpie/songsnflister.html/r/reeves_jim/yonder_comes_a_sucker.crd

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: railroad steamroad river and canal
From: GUEST,dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 09:16 PM

On t'other hand, why not look in DigiTrad first? We have two versions (search for [Railroad, Steamboat] (the square brackets indicate that it's a phrase)

Subject: Lyr Add: RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, RIVER & CANAL
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 03:30 AM

This is the version by the Vipers:
RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, RIVER & CANAL
(Trad)

INTRO: A-one and a-two and a-three and a-four

CHORUS:

Railroad, steamboat, river and canal
Yonder comes a sucker and he stole my gal
And she's gone, gone, gone
Gone, gone, gone,
And I wish her a last farewell

I fell in love with a pretty little thing
I thought that wedding bells would ring
She was as sweet as sweet could be
Till I found out what she did to me

We're singing:
CHORUS

I asked her mother to let her go
She whispered "mother please tell him 'no'"
Though he may think that I am true
There's plenty more who think so too

We're singing:
CHORUS

Now many more back down the line
That she would meet from time to time
Once again her choice you see
To run around completely free

CHORUS

Now I won't cry (now I won't cry) my life away
Some other sucker (some other sucker) will have to pay
And when he finds (and when he finds) that she is gone
I guess I'll hear (I guess I'll hear) him sing this song

Everybody sing:

CHORUS
repeat last 2 lines of chorus

Transcribed from the 1957 recording by Wally Whyton and the Vipers. I'm not totally convinced I got the middle two lines of the third verse right, but that's what they sound like to me.
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: railroad steamroad river and canal
From: folk1234
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 09:19 AM

Your right Stewie. It was done by the CMT, before Chad left in the mid-60s. As with many songs they did, they modified the lyrics and tune to fit their truly unique vocal style. They made it much better.

I don't think its in the CMT Songbook, and I don't know if I have a recording. I'll look tonight.

Subject: Lyr Add: HELLO SUSAN BROWN (f/Chad Mitchell Trio)
From: Stewie
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 02:59 AM

Thanks folk1234. I have found it. It's on a 1962 live recording by the Chad Mitchell Trio - 'At the Bitter End' Kapp Records PK 6002. They recorded it under the title 'Hello Susan Brown' arranged and adapted by Milt Okun. The lyrics are similar to 'Ragin' Canal (Two in the Middle)' in the DT as pointed to by Dick.

Coffee grows on white oak tree etc

Two in the middle and I can't dance Josie
Two in the middle and I can't get around
Two in the middle and I can't dance Josie
Hello Susan Brown
Railroad, steamboat river and canal
I lost my true love on that ragin' canal
She's gone gone gone
And she's gone gone gone
She's gone for to stay on that ragin' canal

Four in the middle etc

Fiddle in the middle etc

Wheel around, turn around etc

Coffee grows on white oak tree etc

--Stewie.