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Lyr Req/Add: Poor Howard / Green Corn (Leadbelly)
Related thread:
Chords Req/Add: Poor Howard (11)
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Poor Howard / Green Corn (Leadbelly) From: GUEST,Olivia Date: 11 Oct 16 - 06:04 PM Kendall, Poor Howard's dead and gone, left me here to sing this song Poor Howard's dead and gone x3 Left me here to sing this song Who's been here since I've been gone Pretty little girl with a red dress on x3 Left me here to sing this song (Then you can do another poor Howard if you want) Who's been here since I've been gone Little old man with a derby on x3 Left me here to sing this song That's pretty much it, I learned the words from Leadbelly and Ramblin' Jack Elliott ml |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Poor Howard / Green Corn (Leadbelly) From: kendall Date: 27 Apr 12 - 12:58 PM Whos been here since I've been gone? J.Arthur Rank with a great big gong. (Or Dong) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Poor Howard / Green Corn (Leadbelly) From: GUEST,Bill Date: 07 Nov 11 - 02:19 PM |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard/Green Corn (from Leadbelly) From: BrooklynJay Date: 11 Apr 11 - 11:32 PM Ah...how's that again? |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard/Green Corn (from Leadbelly) From: GUEST,Alania Date: 11 Apr 11 - 10:12 PM Green Corn Lyrics (boys) all i need to fill my life is a good piece of land and a pretty little wife (girls all i need from this big land is a pretty little house and a big strong man (both) green corn come along molly green corn wontcha fetch polly green corn come along molly green corn lets all be jolly (boys) all i need to make me happy are two little kids to call me pappy (girls) one named daisy and the other davey they like their biscuits slopped with gravey (both) (boys) all i need in this creation are three months work and nine vaction (girls) pick the crops and sell em in town then dance and sing till the sun goes down (both) THOSE ARE THE REAL LYRICS SO SING THESE LYRICS NOT THOSE OTHER ONES!!!!!!!! |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard/Green Corn (from Leadbelly) From: BrooklynJay Date: 17 Dec 10 - 09:51 PM Here are the lyrics and notes to Poor Howard, transcribed from page 53 of Lead Belly - No Stranger To The Blues: Transcribed from 1940 Library of Congress sessions now available on Lead Belly/Gwine Dig A Hole To Put The Devil In, Rounder CD 1045. Other Lead Belly recordings: Lead Belly/In The Shadow Of The Gallows Pole, Tradition CD 1018, Lead Belly/Bourgeois Blues and Lead Belly Memorial Vols. 3 & 4, Collectables Cds 5183 and 5604 (1939 Musicraft sessions). Additional Library of Congress recordings are included in two monologues on square dances or sooky jumps: Lead Belly/Go Down Old Hannah, Rounder CD 1099 and Lead Belly/The Library of Congress Recordings, Elektra boxed LP set EKL-301/2. He was the first fiddler after Negroes got freed in slavery times. Po' Howard was a Negro, used to play for 'em at the sooky jumps and the number he played it was "Po' Howard, Po' Boy." ...Because they dance so fast, the music was so fast and the people had to jump, so they always called them sooky jumps...Sooky, well that's a cow - sometimes when you tell it "sooky, sooky, sooky", you know, sookin' the cow away. Huddie Ledbetter, 1940 Old Howard's poor boy. Old Howard's dead and gone. Left me here to sing this song. Left me here to sing this song. (3) Who's been here since I've been gone? (2) Pretty little girl with a red dress on. (2) Pretty little girl with a red dress on, old Howard's poor boy. Left me here to shout for joy. Old Howard's dead and gone. Left me here to sing this song. (2) Left me here to sing this song, old Howard's dead and gone. Old Howard's poor boy, old Howard's poor boy. Left me here to shout for joy, goodbye Howard, dead and gone. (additional lyrics from Elektra Library of Congress recording) Who's been here since I been gone? Big black man with a derby on, The day I left my mother's home The day I left my home The day I left my father's door The day I left my home The day I left my friends (4) |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard/Green Corn (from Leadbelly) From: GUEST,Ladd Curator Date: 17 Dec 10 - 06:35 PM Here's my take: -- Poor Howard -- Ol' Howard poor boy Ol' Howard's dead and gone Left me here to sing this song Who been here since I been gone Pretty lil' gal with a red dress on (x3) God knows, pretty lil' gal with a red dress on [spoken] Old Howard's a poor boy and he goes around all o'er the plantation Played for the sukey jump He's the first man who started th' sukey jump playin' in the world And he go around the whole time, an' How [false start] Ol' Howard's dead and gone and everybody sing this song about 'em [singing] Ol' oward's dead an gone Left me here to sing this song Ol' Howard poor boy Old Howard he was a poor boy (x2) Old how was a poor boy, God knows, Left me here to shout with joy -- Green Corn -- Green corn Come along Charlie Green corn Go an' tell Polly Green corn All I want in this creation A little bit of wine an' a big plantation Two little boys to call me pop One name Solom the other name Grady Green corn Come along Charlie Green Corn Go an' tell Polly Green corn etc. Two boys to call me poppa One name Solom one name Grady One's gonna put 'em(?) one's gonna save me Green corn etc. Stand around, stand around th'demijohn Green corn etc. Wake snake, day's a-breaking Peas in the pot and hoecakes a-bakin' -- NOTES -- I've heard "Solom" before in the song "Old Time Religion" - it sounds to me like "Solom'n" as though it were an abbreviated pronunciation of Solomon, a Biblical name A "demijohn" is an apparatus used in fermenting alcohol, such as with wine, beer, or mead - the way Lead Belly says it, it sounds like "Jimmy John" which may be a colloquial way of saying it (i.e. misheard, and repeated by uneducated people) Hoecakes are johhny cakes - little pancakes native to American Indian culture |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard/Green Corn (from Leadbelly) From: George Ellias Date: 16 Mar 10 - 10:31 PM In case you guys don't know... There are several takes that go like this. "All I want in this creation is a little bity wife and a big plantation" |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard/Green Corn (from Leadbelly) From: GUEST,tineet12 Date: 30 Jan 10 - 03:02 AM I'm so GLAD I found this site! I really, really wanted to know these lyrics. I have this song (Come Along, Charlie/Green Corn) by Josh White...downloaded from Amazon. I play it constantly and have it on repeat. I could not figure out the green corn part. Thank you for that. I still am not sure if they are saying demi-john, jimmy-john, jimmy-jug? I would appreciate any help with this. |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: Azizi Date: 29 Dec 09 - 08:08 AM This may already have been mentioned, but it occurs to me that the "Poor Howard dead and gone" lyrics may have come from the "Pompey is dead" family of children's game songs. Those songs originated in Great Britain and were known to 19th century (and earlier?) African Americans by the name "Old Ponto Is Dead" and other similar titles. See page 1936 of the 1925 book "One The Trail Of Negro Folk Songs" by Dorothy Scarborough and Ola Lee Gulledge for a version of that song as well as a description of its performance activity. That page is available on http://books.google.com/books?id=Ys3T_6clobAC&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=pompey+is+dead+and+laid+in+his+grave&source=bl&ots=kxEiLw-cK |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: GUEST,Jim I Date: 14 Mar 09 - 10:31 PM Some years ago - No! Many Many years ago, I had an LP by Tom and Smiley which had a track with a verse that went Hot corn, cold corn, bring along your demi-john (repeat twice) Farewell Uncle Bill, see you in the morning, Yes Sir! or words to that effect. I can't find the album although I think it may be in the attic, and that's all that I remember. |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: MikeofNorthumbria Date: 14 Mar 09 - 09:50 AM Justr a thought about "stand around the demi-john" I remember reading somewhere (sorry, no reference available) that old-time dancers sometimes demonstrated their skill by stepping around - and over - a demi-john (a gallon liquor jar) without touching it (A bit like the bacca-pipes jig or the broom dance.) Since "Green corn" is clearly a dance tune, this might be how the demi-john got in there. Wassail! |
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Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: GUEST,withaderbyon Date: 11 Mar 09 - 02:15 AM The origin of Poor Howard may have been the real-life Billy Waters, a well-known fiddlin' busker from London in the 1780s who was black and may have fought in the American War of Independence. Here is a verse from his will: Thus poor Black Billy's made his Will, His Property was small good lack, For till the day death did him kill His house he carried on his back. The Adelphi now may say alas! And to his memory raise a stone: Their gold will be exchanged for brass, Since poor Black Billy's dead and gone. |
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Subject: ADD: Stavin' Chain From: Joe Offer Date: 25 Mar 08 - 06:00 PM Stavin' Chain 1 Stavin' Chain is dead and gone, Left me here to carry his good work on. Chorus: I'm makin' it down, baby, like Stavin' Chain, ol' Stavin' Chain I'm makin' it down, just like Stavin' Chain. 2 I'm goin' away to wear you off my mind, You keep me worried and bothered all the time. 3 Stavin' Chain was a man like dis, Stood on the corner an' wind his fist. 4 Long and tall, just about my height, Won't mistreat you to save yo' life. 5 I tell you, baby, like the Dago tol' the Jew, "If you don' likee me, I don' likee you." 6 It ain't but one thing worried my mind, Brown-skin gal quit me in the wintertime. 7 I got ten little puppies, one little shaggy houn', Take all them puppies to run my brown-skin down. 8 Looky here, gal, you need not squall, Goin' to take the wig I bought you, let your head go bald. 9 Some of these days, an' it won't be long, You call my name an' I'll be gone. 10 All the women found out that Stavin' was dead, Rushed right home and they dressed in red. 11 Stavin's Chain is dead and gone, He's in hell with his Stetson on. Sung by 'Tricky Sam' of Huntsville, Texas, 1934 from Our Singing Country, Lomax & Lomax, pp. 305-306 tune available on request Recording of a bawdy version of this song on The Unexpurgated Folk Songs of Men |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: Joe Offer Date: 25 Mar 08 - 04:53 PM The Traditional Ballad Index doesn't have much on "Poor Howard": Poor HowardDESCRIPTION: "Poor Howard's dead and gone, Left me here to sing this song." "Who's been here since I've been gone? Pretty little girl with a red dress on." "Who's been here... Great big man with a derby on" And so forth, through as many visitors as desiredAUTHOR: Huddie Leadbetter EARLIEST DATE: 1936 (copyright) KEYWORDS: nonballad death FOUND IN: US REFERENCES (1 citation): Silber-FSWB, p. 63, "Poor Howard" (1 text) Roud #11673 CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "Stavin Chain" (lyrics) File: FSWB063 Go to the Ballad Search form The Ballad Index Copyright 2011 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: Susan of DT Date: 17 Aug 07 - 07:07 AM [Bob Coltman - I wish you would sign in and read your PMs instead of always being guest. I sent you a PM months ago] |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: Leadbelly Date: 17 Aug 07 - 04:56 AM I think this song would sound good on the piano as well (Kareem) That's absolutely true, Kareem. "Poor Howard" Stith once did it on piano. Manfred |
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Subject: Lyr Add: GANDY DANCER'S BALL (M Howard, P Weston) From: GUEST,Bob Coltman Date: 16 Aug 07 - 09:42 AM Fascinating to see that alternate take of Green Corn with the "demijohn" verse. The version of Green Corn I first heard and always loved on one of Leadbelly's 1950s Stinson LPs didn't include that. Wonder if it was always part of the song, or was a separate play party song, and he just "borrowed it into" Green Corn that one time??? Clearly that's one place where composers Paul Weston and Paul Mason Howard got their inspiration for "The Gandy Dancers' Ball." Since Weston was sometime lyricist and arranger for the Weavers, and Howard was the wonderful zither duettist with Leadbelly on "Ella Speed," it was a natural. Zip! another 50s pop song with folk roots. Re "stand around the jimmy-john" -- the Weavers, on their recording, seem to pronounce the word somewhere between there and "demijohn." Compare (hope this isn't too much thread creep for a thread that has already crept from Poor Howard to Green Corn): ^^ The Gandy Dancer's Ball By Paul Mason Howard / Paul Weston. Recorded by the Weavers, Tennesee Ernie Ford and Frankie Laine in 1952. GANDY DANCER'S BALL (M Howard, P Weston) Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John The Gandy Dancer is a railroad man And his work is never done With his pick and his shovel and his willing hands He makes the railroad run There's Macanaw Mack and Toledo Jack And the boys from Idaho And the Frisco kid and Saginaw Sid And good old Cotton-eyed Joe Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John The boys will gather at the great affair The Gandy Dancer's ball A-kissin' their ladies with perfumed hair And prancin' round the hall They got the biggest band in all the land And the rhythm rocks the room And they holler out with a mighty shout When the big bass drum goes boom Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John The railroads bring `em to the great affair The Gandy Dancer's ball An' every line is represented there The big ones and the small There's the MKT and the old SP And the Lee High Valley too The C and J and the Santa Fe The Southern and the Sioux Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John They danced all day And they danced all night They all danced till the broad daylight At the Gandy Dancer's ball (Swing around, swing around Swing around, swing around The Jimmy John) (Transcribed by Bill Huntley - February 2005) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 15 Aug 07 - 09:54 PM Leadbelly was discussing the sukey jumps (local dances) he attended when he was young, not those of slavery times. www.rounder.com/series/lomax_alan/ledblly.html Lead Belly |
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Subject: ADD: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: GUEST,Guest : Music Index / Timberland Library Sys Date: 15 Aug 07 - 08:13 PM Poor Howard (Huddie Ledbetter) Poor Howard's dead and gone Left me here to sing this song Poor Howard's dead and gone Left me here to sing this song Poor Howard's dead and gone Poor Howard's dead and gone Poor Howard's dead and gone Left me here to sing this song Who's been here since I've been gone? Pretty little girl with a red dress on (repeat twice) Who's been here since I've been gone? Great big man with a derby on.. (repeat twice) Source Folksinger's Wordbook 1973 Attributed to "Huddie Ledbetter" (Leadbelly), copyright Folkways, 1936 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poor Howard TABS From: GUEST,kareem Date: 20 Oct 06 - 07:23 PM how about the tabs. I think this song would sound good on the piano as well, I know its in G but thats about it. an tips. -kareem |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poor Howard (from Leadbelly) From: greg stephens Date: 17 Aug 06 - 12:52 PM |
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Subject: ADD: Green Corn (from Leadbelly) From: GUEST,Martin Date: 17 Aug 06 - 12:07 PM The version I've got sounds like this... ^^ GREEN CORN green corn come along charlie green corn come along charlie green corn go and tell Polly green corn go and tell Polly green corn green corn green corn green corn all I want in this creation 's a little bitty wife and big carnation Two little boys to call me pappa One named [Thomas?] another named Davey One named [Thomas?] another named Davey One's gonna put up, other's gonna save me green corn come along charlie green corn come along charlie green corn go and tell Polly green corn go and tell Polly green corn green corn green corn green corn Wake Jake day's a breaking, Peas's in the pot and [?]cakes a baking green corn green corn Stand around, stand around the demi-john [sounds like 'Jimmy John'] Stand around, stand around the demi-john Stand around, stand around the demi-john Stand around, stand around the demi-john [Talks a bit about demi-johns] Stand around, stand around the demi-john Stand around, stand around the demi-john Stand around, stand around the demi-john Stand around, stand around the demi-john green corn green corn green corn M |
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Subject: RE: Lyric req: poor howard From: Midchuck Date: 06 Mar 05 - 09:47 AM I believe Leadbelly sang this, with the verse: Who's been here since I've been gone? Big black nigger with a derby on... The weavers recorded it, changing the lyric to: ...Great big man with a derby on. This was like, the early '50s. It may have been the very first manifestation of what later came to be known as political correctness. Peter. |
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Subject: RE: Lyric req: poor howard From: Big Al Whittle Date: 06 Mar 05 - 09:15 AM another verse who been here since I been gone great big man with a derby on |
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Subject: green corn From: GUEST Date: 06 Mar 05 - 01:53 AM green corn come along charlie green corn, don't you tell molly all I want in this creation is a pretty little wife and a big plantation all I need to make me happy are two little boys to call me pappy one named Bill and the other named Davey they'll like their biscuits soaked in gravy green corn... |
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Subject: RE: Lyric req: poor howard From: Doctor John Date: 19 Dec 00 - 02:16 PM More... Who's been here since I've been gone? Pretty little girl with a red dress on - or - Great big man with a Derby on. (X2)
Poor Howard was his mother's poor boy...etc
Green Corn
All I want in this creation, Pretty little wife and a big plantation.
Green corn...
Wake snake day's a breaking, Peas's in the pot and howcakes a baking. |
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Subject: RE: Lyric req: poor howard From: GUEST,mfury84@hotmail.com Date: 19 Dec 00 - 12:24 PM Howard was a po whitey. xxxx "to shout with joy" Who knows the lyrics to Green corn? Please help. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: POOR HOWARD (Lead Belly) From: murray@mpce.mq.edu.au Date: 05 Mar 98 - 07:50 PM I can help a little. I have Leadbelly doing it on a CD called "Lead Belly-In the Shadows of the Gallows Pole". It is a cheapie on a label called "Tradition", but that might be a local name for a different company in the US.
Ol' Howard, po' boy Pretty little girl with a red dress on (Spoken) Ol' Howard is a po' white(?). He goes all around over the plantations. Plays for the sukey jumps. He is the first man to start the sukey jump playin' in the world, and he would go all around, while po' Howard is dead and gone, everybody sings this song about him. (singing starts again) (He then commences to tap-dance and then goes into the song "Green Corn") The xxxx sound like "tell the joke". I am told that po' Howard was a fidler who went around playing at the dances held by slaves (sukey jumps). I am not sure if he was white, or if I mishear that part. I would be interested in anyone who could fill me in on that. Murray |
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Subject: Lyric req: poor howard From: Dan Duryea Date: 05 Mar 98 - 02:34 PM I'm look for lyrics for a (I think) Leadbelly song: Part of chorus is: "Poor howard dead and gone" "left me here to sing this song" If found on the WEB, I would be also interested in know what you did to find it. Nothing I tried worked. |
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