Lyr Req: Oh, Mona

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 15 May 16 - 04:55 PM

In E.C. Perrow's notes, this is typewritten beneath the long version of "Oh, Mourner!": "THIS BALLAD WAS GOTTEN FROM A NIGRO NAMED RASMUS MOORE February 24 1909."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST,jer sutton
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 11:10 PM

There was a young man who had the blues.
His feet were so big he couldn’t get shoes.
The shoe clerk said, “Come back again.
I’ll fit you with box that the shoes came in.”
O my Mona, O you shall be free.
Yes, you shall be free, when the good Lord sets you free.

this song was from the early forties or maybe the late thirties by Ted Weems and his band. Weems was famous for his whistling of the song Heartaches. Perry Como got his start with Weems.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 07:23 PM

Thanks, Stewie.

All of the above titles have been entered for indexing in the AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPIRITUALS PERMATHREAD.

If songs with new TITLES are added to this thread, please take a moment to post that title and this thread's ID number (or full URL) in the AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPIRITUALS PERMATHREAD, so it can be included next time the index is updated.

Thanks!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 11:32 PM

In the Bill Boyd transcription in my previous post, the fourth line of the first stanza of course should have read: 'The wind BLEW up Fifth Avenue'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 11:07 PM

See also Dicho's addition of a version of 'You Shall Be Free' in this thread: CLICK.

Meade, 'Country Music Sources', includes 'Mourner, You Shall Be Free' as the first song in his section titled 'Songs of Black Origin'. Recordings by white artists include: Land Norris, under the title 'You ought to be arrested and put in jail', in 1924; Uncle Dave Macon, 'Shout Mourner, You Shall Be Free', in 1926; Carolina Tar Heels, 'When the Good Lord Sets You Free', in 1927; Jules Allen, 'Po'Mourner, in 1928; Bill and Belle Reed, 'You shall be free', in 1929; and Bill Boyd & His Cowboy Ramblers, 'You Shall Be Free, Monah', in 1936. As song 1(a)in this section, under the title 'Oh Monah!', with earliest reference 'Ted Weems-Humphrey Washburn 1931, he gives two recordings: by the Maple City Four in 1933; and by Sons of the West in 1939. Has any one here heard either of these?

I have posted the lyrics to Uncle Dave Macon's version in the Uncle Dave lyrics thread: CLICK.

I posted the lyrics to Jules Allen's 'Po'Mourner' in the thread linked to by Susan above [21 Jan 02 - 11:21 PM].

Bill Boyd's version is distinguished mainly by some wonderful (and wild) piano and fiddle breaks by Smokey Wood and J.R. Chatwell respectively. Here are the lyrics:

YOU SHALL BE FREE, MOURNER

Me and my gal walkin' down the street (Oh Monah)
She was nice and she was neat (Oh Monah)
She stooped over to tie her shoe (Oh Monah)
The wind blue up Fifth Avenue (Oh Monah)

(Ah Monah, you shall be free, hallelujah
Ah Monah, you shall be free, praise the Lord
When the good Lord sets you free)

Oh I'm down in the hen house on my knees (Oh Monah)
Thought I heard old Bruno sneeze (Oh Monah)
Only a rooseter saying his prayers (Oh Monah)
Tryin' to make love to the hens upstairs (Oh Monah)

(Ah Monah, you shall be free, hallelujah
Ah Monah, you shall be free, praise the Lord
When the good Lord sets you free)

I went to see my girl last night (Oh Monah)
It was dark and I had no light (Oh Monah)
Her bulldog met me at thegate (Oh Monah)
He jumped on me with all of his weight (Oh Monah)

(Ah Monah, you shall be free, hallelujah
Ah Monah, you shall be free, praise the Lord
When the good Lord sets you free)

As I was going down the road (Oh Monah)
With a hungry team and a heavy load (Oh Monah)
I cracked my whip and the lead horse sprung (Oh Monah)
The back horse broke the wagon tongue (Oh Monah)

(Ah Monah, you shall be free, hallelujah
Ah Monah, you shall be free, praise the Lord
When the good Lord sets you free)

Source: transcription of Bill Boyd and His Cowboy Ramblers 'You shall be free, Monah', recorded in San Antonio, Texas, on 27 October 1936 and issued as Bluebird B6694 in February 1937.

There is also a beaut 1934 recording by the Sons of the Pioneers, under the title 'Oh Mona', that does not appear in either the Meade or Russell discographies because it was a radio transcription. The band included the great Karl Farr on fiddle. It went like this:

OH MONA

As I was goin' down the road (oh Mona)
Tired team and a heavy load (oh Mona)
Cracked my whip and the leaders sprung (oh Mona)
The horse run away with the wagon tongue (oh Mona)
(You shall be free oh lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy,
When the good Lord sets you free)

I came to the river and I couldn't get across (oh Mona)
Jumped on a darky and I thought he was a horse (oh Mona)
The horse wouldn't go and I sold it for a hoe (oh Mona)
The hoe wouldn't dig and I sold it for a pig (oh Mona)
(You shall be free oh lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy,
When the good Lord sets you free)

The pig wouldn't squeal and I sold it for a wheel (oh Mona)
The wheel wouldn't run and I sold it for a gun (oh Mona)
The gun wouldn't shoot and I sold it for a boot (oh Mona)
The boot wouldn't wear and I sold it for a bear (oh Mona)
(You shall be free oh lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy,
When the good Lord sets you free)

Behind the barn down on my knees (oh Mona)
I thought I heard a chicken sneeze (oh Mona)
He sneezed so hard with the whooping cough (oh Mona)
He sneezed his head and tail right off (oh Mona)
(You shall be free oh lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy,
When the good Lord sets you free)

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 09:10 AM

Indexed.

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST,Bystander
Date: 23 Jan 03 - 06:05 AM

A "Tin Pan Alley" version of this song was poular in the USA around 1941. The best selling record in the UK was by hot-trumpeter/vocalist Nat Gonella and his Georgians on Col-FB2581.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Gene
Date: 22 Jan 03 - 10:36 PM

The version of Oh Mona you seek may be the one recorded by:

Bob Wills w/Tommy Duncan
Pee Wee King w/Red Stewart
Wilburn Brothers

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 22 Jan 03 - 10:28 PM

Almost every humorous or wry bit of doggerel used by Negroes was combined with O Mourner or The Good Lord Will Set You Free.
Here is one from Florida, collected in the MS. of H. C. Abbot, 1915, and included in Newman L. White, American Negro Folk Songs.

The Lord made an elephant,
He made him stout;
The first thing he made was the elephant's snout.

He made his snout nigh long as a tail,
The next thing he made was the elephant's tail;
He made his tail to fan the flies,
The next thing he made was the elephant's eyes.

He made his eyes to see green trees,
The next thing he made was the elephant's knees.
Oh, elephant, you shall be free,
Oh, elephant, you shall be free,
When the good Lord sets you free.

Another:
Yonder comes Noah stumbling in the dark
With hammer and nails for to build the ark.
Yonder comes the animals two by two
The hippopotamus and the kangaroo.
Shout, mourners, you shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free.

Another:
My old lady done gone and lef' me here,
An' she didn't even leave me a dime for beer.
Po'mourner, we shall be free.
Po' mourner, we shall be free.

Both the above also from White. A book could be filled with these verses.
In one of the threads, there is a more complete version of Noah building the ark.

Finally-
Po'moner, in de morn we shall be free,
When de good Lord will make a little angel of me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Mr Happy
Date: 22 Jan 03 - 09:53 PM

oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy
oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy
when the good lord sets you free


i was gwine down the road, oh monah
with a tired team an' a heavy load,oh monah

oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy,
oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy
when the good lord sets you free


i was down behind the henhouse on my knees, oh monah
when i thought i heard a chicken sneeze, oh monah

oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy,
oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy
when the good lord sets you free


sneezed so hard with hooping cough,oh monah
he sneezed so hard his head fell off, oh monah

oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy,
oh monah, oh you shall be free, oh lordy lordy
when the good lord sets you free



more?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 09:06 AM

It's called Who Built The Ark,? Jim. Other than the verse I added, we sing it just like it was sung onthe recording I learned it from. It was recorded by the Governor of Tennessee and his "Old Limber Quartet." If you'd like to hear it, pm you mailing and e-mail address and I'll send you a tape.
I wrote a song called Dixon, too, by the way... about Dixon, Illinois. Found out years after I wrote it, that Ronald Reagan grew up there..
Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Jan 02 - 09:00 AM

Jerry: What will you call your song?

Subject: Lyr Add: WHO BUILT THE ARK?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 22 Jan 02 - 05:43 PM

My Gospel group does a song about Noah's Ark, with the "Oh, Mona" line as a chorus:

Tell me, who built that ark?
(answer) Brother Noah-e
Lead and response repeated two times
Brother Noah-e built that ark
Brother Noah-e built that art
Oh, Mona, you shall be free, oh, you shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free

Adam was the first man ever invented
Lived all alone, and he never was contented
Made out a mud in the days gone by
Hung him on a fence for the sun to dry

Along come Noah and he stumbled in the dark
With his hammer and his nails, he built him an ark
Called in the animals, two by two
The hippopatus and the kangaroo

Along come Caine and he looked like his Mother
Hustling all around, just a'looking for his brother
Along came Able and he started to kick
So Able his him in the head with a brick

and I wrote another verse

God sent Jonah to deliver the mail
Took him for a ride in the belly of a whale
But Jonah and the whale, they couldn't agree
So God took pity and he set him free

The song will be on the CD the Gospel Messengers are currently recording. NortonL has heard it...
Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Jan 02 - 05:32 PM

"Mona" was likely a dialect pronunciation for "Mourner". As I recall (dimly) the song was published in Carl Sandbag's American Songburg.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 22 Jan 02 - 04:22 PM

There is a band from Minneapolis,Minnesota called "The Front Porch Swingin' Liquor Pigs" www.liquorpigs.com They do a tune called "You Shall Be Free Monah" by Weems/Washburne. Verse followed by the chorus your looking for. (The cd title- Forget your truffles and dance!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 11:21 PM

You will find references to related songs in THIS THREAD and others linked in it... and if you go there, would you be kind enough to add a link, there, back to here? It's sort of a general reference thread for the Mona's-- Oh, Po', and otherwise.

And hello, Most Jeeply One!

~Susan

Subject: Lyr Add: YOU SHALL BE FREE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Jan 02 - 11:16 PM

Found at http://home.t-online.de/home/alexx/youshall.htm

This version doesn't have the name Mona in it, but it does have the phrase "You shall be free when the good Lord sets you free." The attribution to Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie come from the web site; I can't confirm them.

YOU SHALL BE FREE
(Traditional/Lead Belly/W. Guthrie)

In the morning, you shall be free.
Whole day, you shall be free.
Let me sing, "You shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free."

I was down in the hen house other night.
Awful dark, I didn't have no light.
I reached for a chicken. I got me a goose.
A man come out. I had to turn him loose.

Jump together. You shall be free.
Jump a roll to it. You shall be free.
Let me sing, "You shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free."

Chicken and the rooster had a terrible fight.
Chicken and the rooster gotta be out of sight.
Chicken told the rooster, "That will be all right.
Meet you at the hen house tomorrow night."

Let me sing, "You shall be free."
In the morning you shall be free.
You know the rooster. you shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free.

I was down in the hen house on my knees.
Thought I heard a chicken sneeze.
'Twas only a rooster saying his prayers,
Thanking his God for the hens upstairs.

"Here," says the preacher, "you shall be free."
Here's he singing, "You shall be free."
Taking that collection, "You shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free."

Oh, some folks say, times is hard.
Preacher says, "Put your trust in God."
Man knows the difference, don't you see.
A hog can't run just as fast as me.

Let me sing, "You shall be free."
In the mornin', you shall be free.
Let me sing, "You shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free."

Well, some people say a preacher won't steal.
I caught two down in my cornfield.
One had a bushel; other had a peck:
Other had a rooster down his neck.

In the morning, you shall be free.
Get a rooster. You shall be free.
Yes, and drive corn. You shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free.

Well, you see that preacher a-settin' on a log,
Finger on a trigger and his eye on a hog,
Pulls that trigger, the gun went zip,
Grabbed that hog with all his grip.

Getting a hog eye. You shall be free.
I don't care. You shall be free.
Let me sing, "You shall be free
When the good Lord sets you free."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Snuffy
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 06:25 PM

Behind the barn upon my knees
Polly wolly doodle all the day
I thought I heard a chicken sneeze
Polly wolly doodle all the day

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: fat B****rd
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 02:21 PM

I seem to recall my parents having a 78 of someone like Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters doing a tune called Oh mOnah. Mayne the All Music Guide will help. All the best from the fB.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST,Gern
Date: 08 Sep 01 - 09:36 AM

I don't have the lyrics, but can tell you it has varied titles and is older than the 50s. Perhaps this is the same Mona that made Bo Diddley's heart go bumpety-bump, although the song is completely different. Uncle Dave Macon recorded it in the 30s, I believe as "Shout Monah (Ye Shall be Free.)" I've also heard it remade by Hot Rize, under their alterego Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers. The "henhouse" rap quoted hear was pilfered for this song from Gid Tanner's "Who Broke the Lock on the Henhouse Door:" "Down in the henhouse on my knees/I thought I heard a chicken sneeze/ Was nothing but a rooster saying his prayers/ singing out hymns to the hens upstairs." As to Mona, I too would be interested to see these lyrics. Anybody know them?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST,Jeepman
Date: 08 Sep 01 - 12:02 AM

Sorcha I think I found one version, calle theHenouse Blues. I found it in the DT. I still think the Monah version is the one I want. Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Sep 01 - 11:41 PM

Thanks, Sorcha.This song if from the fifties and I remember this much.

DOWN IN THE HENHOUSE ON MY KNEES I THOUGHT I HEARD A CHICKEN SNEEZE IT SNEEZED SO HARD WITH THE WHOOPING COUGH IT SNEEZED IT'S HEAD AND TALE RIGHT OFF.

CHORUS ???

OH MONAH,YOU SHALL BE FREE WHEN THE GOOD LORD SETS YOU FREE.

This Really is a good old song. Very popular in its day. I think I could work up a nice little kids song. J

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Oh, Mona
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Sep 01 - 11:18 PM

Found a Rolling Stones song by that name, also a fighter/bomber plane......need a little more info, here, Jim. Lyric snippet? Date?

Subject: Oh, Mona
From: GUEST,Jeepman
Date: 07 Sep 01 - 10:31 PM

I havn't heard this in a long spell.Can anyone help? Jman