Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?

Subject: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 03:59 PM

Help.

Trying to find words of old USA mining Ballard from The Eastern Mountain Coalfield. Slightly rembered from visit of US of A cousin many many years ago - it has a Chorus Line including the Words ( as best remenberd) "In Bloody Harlan".

No luck undr Harlan or Harlaan in DT or Forum. Is my search off ? Or can some soul provide the words.

Prsume Harlan is the correct spelling as it turns up in "Whose Side are you on"

Any hints, hits or other assistance would be greatfully received.

Gareth.

PS John L. Lewis was Welsh !!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 04:12 PM

Google doesn't come up with much useful (on either spelling)

Hope others can help

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 04:31 PM

Thanks Guest - I did find some interesting footnotes Here, on an interesting Australian Orientatede site Which might, just might, date it.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 01:58 AM

Gareth, could it possibly be the song Stewie posted in this thread?

Lin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 04:52 PM

Lin Many thanks a fine song but not the one I had in mind.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Stewie
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 05:34 PM

In his 'Only A Miner', Archie Green refers to a song by George Davis [best known perhaps for his claim to authorship of 'Sixteen Tons'] titled 'Harlan County Blues' which was related in style and melody to an earlier song called 'Harlan Town Tragedy'. George Korson collected a version in 1940 and included it in the Library of Congress LP from his collection 'Songs and Ballads of the Bituminous Miners'. In 1968, John Cohen edited an LP by Davis titled 'When Kentucky Had No Union Men'. I don't have either of those LPs so I have no idea of the nature of this song. However, it might be worth investigation in your search, as would Korson's collection. Good luck.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Bardford
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 06:00 PM

Here's a link from Appalachian State University with tons of bituminous-related info:

Protest songs

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 07:05 PM

Stewie/Barford

If it was worth recording I think it might be there.

Obvoiusly Hours of fun searching

Thanks.

Gareth

And will you be a Union Man
Or a thug for J H Blair"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 07:39 PM

Interesting, Stewie. Rounder has reissued Korson's Songs and Ballads of the Anthracite Miners. Were there two Korson albums?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Stewie
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 07:50 PM

Yes, Joe, but the 'Bituminous' one has not been reissued on CD as far as I am aware. 'Anthracite' was L16 and 'Bituminous' L60.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth
Date: 30 Aug 02 - 07:43 PM

Still no joy - refersh please ?

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Aug 02 - 08:32 PM

Gareth, Rounder has since reissued the songs of the bituminous miners LP. I don't have it but, from listening to the brief sound clip on CDNow, I don't think 'Harlan County Blues' is the one you are after.

--Stewie.

Subject: Lyr Add: HARLAN COUNTY BLUES
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Aug 02 - 02:03 AM

This doesn't seem to be the one asked for, but I think it is worth posting.

HARLAN COUNTY BLUES
[Recorded: Glomawr, Kentucky, March 14, 1940. Sung by Georeg Davies, author.]

A bunch of fellers the other day
O'er to Harlan went;
They told me about the fun they had--
All the time in jail they spent.

Most of the fellers were like me
Who didn't go along;
If you want the story, boys,
Just listen to this song.

"You didn't have to be drunk," they said,
"To get throwed in the can;
The only thing you needed be
Was just a union man."

None of the boys didn't like it much,
They said they's treated bad;
They took their knives or pocket books,
Or anything they had.

They throwed Bill Wheeler in the can,
With all his p'ison gases;
He had no money to pay a fine
So they just took his glasses.

Then Kelly said, "You can't do this to me,"
When they come to get his name;
"The hell they can't," the jailer said
"You're in here just the same."

Walter he's a funny chap,
With me you'll all agree;
He wants some one to hold to him,
When he gets on a spree.

Delmos he went down the street,
To a restaurant was bent;
When two fellers picked him up
And to the jail he went.

Put Bill Sheets in the jailhouse,
For reckless walking, so they say;
They can't hold Old Bill for that,
'Cause he always walks that way.

Sam Ward went to the jailhouse,
And the jailer twirled his keys;
Sam said, "Mr. Jailer,
Now won't you listen, please."

Everything grew quiet, boys,
You couldn't hear a sound;
"Turn 'em out," Sam Ward yelled,
"Or I'll turn this jail around."

When they all was freed again,
You could hear them all take on:
"Just thik of the fun that we'd a missed,
If we hadn't come along."

Then our president he asked our vice:
'How'd you get along so well?"
And Taylor Cornett laughed and said,
"Why, I was drunk as hell."

Lloyd Baker went over there,
To dodge the jail, he did;
He said, "They'd all stayed out of jail,
If they'd kept their buttons hid."

Now my song is ended,
And I hope no one is sore;
If there is, then please speak up
And I won't sing no more.

From: George Korson, Coal Dust on the Fiddle (1943; Folklore Associates, 1965, pp. 317-318; with music)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Aug 02 - 02:38 AM

Historical background information: The "Bloody Harlan" Years in Kentucky and Their Historical Context By Jennifer Peters.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth
Date: 31 Aug 02 - 09:27 AM

Thanks to ya'll

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 07 Oct 02 - 10:49 AM

Chapter 2 in Timothy P. Lynch's Strike Songs of the Depression (University Press of Mississippi, 2001, pp. 49-84) is titled "'Dreadful Memories': Harlan County, Kentucky, 1931-32," where numbers of songs are quoted, but no song with "Bloody Harlan" is there.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 08 Oct 02 - 11:46 PM

Still not found in Richard A Reuss with JoAnne C. Reuss, American Folk Music & Left-Wing Politics, 1927-1957 (Scarecrow Press, 2000), section "Class War and Songs in the Coalfields" (pp. 87-93).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 10:20 AM

I haven't seen this book, but it may be interesting.

Which Side Are You On?: The Harlan County Coal Miners, 1931-39 by John W. Hevener (University of Illinois Press, 2002).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 02:12 PM

No useful help, but there were many protest songs written by women of Harlan County and the other coal-mining areas of the Appalachians- Sarah Gunning, Hazel Dickens, Florence Reece (wrote "Which side are you on") and others. Could have been by one of them. The strike against the Duke mining company was long and bloody; the songs that arose out of Harlan were rewritten to apply to the Empire mines in New Mexico, Lothian strike, and elsewhere.
Information on these song writers at Appalachian Protest

Again, no direct help, but an archive one could spend a few months with: Kentucky Recordings

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 02:34 AM

There's a fine CD called "Coal Mining Women" on the Rounder label.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 12:06 PM

Thanks again. Eventually we will pin this one down !

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 11:48 AM

Not the right one, and written more recently, but still a good song - Si Kahn's Lawrence Jones.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 13 Sep 12 - 09:22 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:John_Reid/Reece

Some good general information at that site.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Sep 12 - 10:47 AM

There is also a documentry film called ' Harlan County USA ' mostly great actual footage about the strike but also featuring the singing of Nimrod Workman, Sarah Gunning and Florence Reece, it's very good.

Dave H