Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford

Subject: Lyr Add: SKIPPIN' IN THE MISSISSIPPI DEW (Hartford
From: GUEST,Riverboat Annie
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 02:12 PM

SKIPPIN' IN THE MISSISSIPPI DEW
As recorded by John Hartford on "Mark Twang" (1976)

1. Well I dream of a girl and a steerin' wheel steamboat
A pilothouse stove and engine-room brass
Hangin' on a post by the main-deck stairway
Long hair skippin' in the Mississippi dew

CHORUS: Oh the river run wide, run deep, run muddy
The river run long after I am gone
With the steamboat wheelin' on a big wide bend
Just skippin' in the Mississippi dew

2. Well I went up the river come way last Sunday
Twelve feet of water on the Memphis gage
Wouldn't be home without the muddy water rollin'
Paddlewheel skippin' in the Mississippi dew. CHORUS

3. Now it used to be spring I'd ship on the river
Thirty-five days on a Balla [sic] line boat
I'd make a little money, get a springtime chicken
And take off a-skippin' in the Mississippi Dew. CHORUS TWICE

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew
From: GUEST,oj
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 03:23 PM

that's "valley line" boat ( name of a steamboat company) and springtime chick ( as in girl)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew
From: GUEST,orville johnson fan
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 03:47 PM

ya' got that right dude!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew
From: GUEST,Mississippi Dew
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 01:12 AM

Hi, I was just wondering if you have any fiddle music for any hartford songs, Mississippi Dew and Long Hot Summer Days especially. Guitar music would be appreciated also. My email adress is [e-mail] If anyone has anything please let me know
Thanks
Branden O'Hare

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew
From: Jacob B
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 05:56 PM

First line of the first verse should read: "Well I dream of a girl and a stern wheel steamboat".

I believe that the second verse should have "Memphis gate" instead of "Memphis gage", but I'm not certain.

And John Hartford definitely sang "Springtime chicken" on the "Mark Twang" album, not "springtime chick". It was clear that it referred to a girl, but he still sang "chicken".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew
From: GUEST,mike
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 07:25 AM

I been playing this tune with the ol' G C &D cords on the manolin,
I find that the manolin is a good ints. to fug.out tunes
any other cord's out there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew
From: Art Thieme
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 02:52 PM

I've been sending Mississippi River photos around of John that I took when I was singing on the Twilight and the Julia Belle Swain steamboat.

Those words bring back some fun times to me.

Knowing John, that was NOT a "spring" chicken in the song even though he indicated that it might've been springtime.

;-)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 10 - 01:18 AM

It is def. Memphis gauge. The gauge is used to measure water levels in the river. So in the song the water is 12 foot deep at Memphis in the MS river

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 12:33 PM

12 feet at Memphis is not a particularly impressive stage. Flood there is 34 feet.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/?n=lmrfc-mississippiandohioriverforecast

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: GUEST,TMFast
Date: 18 Apr 18 - 11:46 PM

12 feet is 2 fathoms; the safe depth for steamboats that inspired Samuel Clemens to become "Mark Twain".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: GUEST,David R. Usher drusher[at]swbell.net
Date: 11 Apr 21 - 01:36 PM

The hijacking of this song by Google and other ad-driven gumshoes is outrageous. Google credits the New Grass Revival with writing this song.

Everybody out there has the "bala line" wording wrong. The correct term is "Valley Line" boat.

Here are links to two Valley Line records related to the Valley Line company of Memphis, TN.

1. Valley Line Steamers, Memphis-Rosedale, owner of the VERNE SWAIN Built to handle excursionists Peoria-St.Louis World's Fair This boat was piloted by Capt. David Swain, who apparently is related to other Swain boats such as the Julie Belle Swain. It was owned by Valley Line Steamers, Memphis, Tenn. It sank and was lost at Dismal Point, AR.

2. Valley Line Towboat 50th Anniversary plate (1979) The Valley Line is now part of the American Commercial Line

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: robomatic
Date: 11 Apr 21 - 02:26 PM

God bless Mudcat!

The second I saw the thread title the chorus started a welcome earworm in my head...

Somewhere on tape I 'think' I have Hartford's album, one of the best two word names of any folk album ever: "Mark Twang".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: leeneia
Date: 12 Apr 21 - 12:35 AM

"2 feet at Memphis is not a particularly impressive stage. Flood there is 34 feet."

The Mississippi River is one that has been altered by modern people to make it narrower, deeper and faster to accommodate boats, esp barges. In the days of paddlewheel steamers, 12 feet was evidently usual.

There are too many drownings in these rivers, drownings of people who probably felt they are natural. They are not.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: leeneia
Date: 12 Apr 21 - 10:29 AM

Oops. 2 was supposed to be 12.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Apr 21 - 08:32 PM

Good work of the lyrics corrections.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 15 Apr 21 - 07:44 PM

And it's not 'gauge', the river gages are indeed spelled without a u. That's like official, from the USGS and Army Corps.

Subject: ADD: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (J. Hartford)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Apr 21 - 09:56 PM

I incorporated the suggested changes and listened for myself, and came up with this.

SKIPPIN' IN THE MISSISSIPPI DEW
As recorded by John Hartford on "Mark Twang" (1976)

1. Well I dream of a girl and a sternwheel steamboat
A pilothouse stove and engine-room brass
Hangin' on a post by the main-deck stairway
Long hair skippin' in the Mississippi dew

CHORUS
Oh the river run wide, run deep, run muddy
The river run long after I am gone
With the steamboat wheelin' on a big wide bend
Just skippin' in the Mississippi dew

2. Well I went up the river come way last Sunday
Twelve feet of water on the Memphis gage
Wouldn't be home without the muddy water rollin'
Paddlewheel skippin' in the Mississippi dew.
CHORUS

3. Now it used to be spring I'd ship on the river
Thirty-five days on a Valley Line boat
I'd make a little money, get a springtime chick
And take off a-skippin' in the Mississippi Dew.
CHORUS TWICE


As recorded by John Hartford on "Mark Twang" (1976)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CebcGd5B3r4

While I can see "springtime chick," I can't see "springtime chicken and," so I dropped the "and." I think that means we started off with a pretty good transcription, but the addition of "Valley Line" was very helpful.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew (Hartford
From: GUEST,David R. Usher drusher[at]swbell.net
Date: 17 Apr 21 - 11:27 AM

Hi Joe, you are correct about the springtime chick thing. I noticed that too. At least folks did not call them "morning gloria" as in I Wish I Was in Peoria.