Origins: Rockingham Whiskey / Rockingham Cindy

Subject: Rockingham whiskey
From: GUEST,Barry O'M
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 10:56 AM

Hi all. I'm looking for the lyrics to a song from the 20's or 30's called 'Rockingham whisky.' I had a feeling Uncle Dave Macon sang it, but this hasn't helped my search so far. The chorus is; 'Where d'you get that whiskey, where d'you get that dram, Where d'you get that whiskey, down in Rockingham' or something similar. Any ideas? It's for a gig tomorrow but any help would be great! Many thanks, Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: Sorcha
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 11:05 AM

If it's Uncle Dave, it is not listed at this site, which claims to have all his songs. No luck otherwise, either.

Subject: Lyr Add: ROCKY ROAD CINDY
From: masato sakurai
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 12:03 PM

I couldn't find Uncle Dave Macon's version, but there are lyrics with another title.

ROCKY ROAD CINDY. AKA and see "I Get My Whiskey from Rockingham." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, north Georgia. A Major. Standard. AAB. Source for notated version: Jay Ungar (New York) [Kuntz].
**
Where'd you get your whiskey, where'd you get your dram?
I got it from a little girl way down in Rockingham.
**
Refrain
Rocky Road Cindy, rocky road to town,
Rocky Road Cindy, way down in Rockingham.
**
I went down to Rockingham, I did not go to stay,
I fell in love with a pretty girl and I could not get away.
**
Lips as red as a red rose, her hair was huckleberry brown,
The sweetest girl I ever saw, way down in Rockingham.
**
(Result of search for "Rockingham" (Fiddler's Companion))

Recordings are:

I Get My Whisky from Rockingham

Rt [Related title] - Rockingham Cindy
1. Dickel Brothers. Dickel Brothers Volume Two, Empty Records MTR 383, LP (2000), cut#B.03
2. Johnson, Earl; and his Clodhoppers. Old Time Fiddle Classics, County 507, LP (1970), cut# 2
3. Johnson, Earl; and his Clodhoppers. Red Hot Breakdown, County 543, LP (1976), cut#B.01

Rockingham Cindy

Rt - Cindy ; I Get My Whisky from Rockingham
1. Alden, Ray. Old Time Friends, Marimac 9009, Cas (1987), cut# 17
2. Barnett, Armin. Washington Traditional Fiddlers Project. Vol. 2. "Generations", Northwest Folklife, Cas (1996), cut#B.01
3. Cockerham, Jarrell and Jenkins. Down to the Cider Mill, County 713, LP (1968), cut# 1
4. Jarrell, Tommy; and Kyle Creed. June Apple, Mountain 302, LP (1972), cut# 7
5. Jarrell, Tommy. Come and Go With Me, County 748, LP (1974), cut# 10
6. Jarrell, Tommy. Old Time Herald, Old Time Herald OTH, Ser (1987-), 3/2, p43
7. Molsky, Bruce; and Bob Carlin. Take Me as I Am, Marimac 9023, Cas (1989), cut# 6
8. Red Clay Ramblers. Twisted Laurel, Flying Fish FF-030, LP (1976), cut# 4
9. Winston, Dave. Southern Clawhammer, Kicking Mule KM 213, Cas (1978), cut#B.01
(From Folk Music Index)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: Sorcha
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 12:06 PM

Ah, I didn't think to look there, Masato.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: GUEST,Barry O'M
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 12:17 PM

That'll do folks...that'll do! Many thanks for the prompt response; I'm off to learn it for tomorrow, Slan Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: IanC
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 12:29 PM

This one looks like a song with loads of titles. Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index

Jinny Go Round and Around

DESCRIPTION: "Where did you get your whisky? Where did you get your dram?.... Down in Rockingham. Cho: Jinny go round an' around (x3) Way down in Rockingham." The remaining verses may give reasons why the singer will not marry or describe river life
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (Randolph)
KEYWORDS: courting marriage drink dancing playparty floatingverses river
FOUND IN: US(MW,SE,So)
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Randolph 272, "Jinny Go Round and Around" (1 text, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 233-234, "Jinny Go Round and Round" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 272)
BrownIII 389, "The Privates Eat the Middlin'" (1 fragment, probably a Civil War adaption of this piece)
Botkin-MRFolklr, p. 589, "[Number Ninety-Nine]" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-SoFolklr, p. 711, "Where'd You Get Yo' Whisky?" (1 text, 1 tune)
Courlander-NFM, pp. 121-122, "(Number Ninety-nine)" (1 text, 1 tune)
MWheeler, pp. 24-25, "Master Had a Bran' New Coat" (1 text, 1 tune)
ST R272 (Full)
Roud #836 (etc.)
RECORDINGS:
Earl Johnson & His Dixie Entertainers, "I Get My Whiskey From Rockingham" (Okeh 45183, 1928)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Cindy" (floating lyrics)
cf. "A Railroader for Me (Soldier Boy for Me)" (plot)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Way Down in Rockingham
Rockingham Cindy
NOTES: This is an extremely problematic piece, recognized by the "Where did you get your whiskey" stanza. The rest is no unity, but the results are too fragmentary to classify as separate songs.
Almost all of these lyrics of some versions show up in one or another version of the "Cindy/Jubilee" family, but the chorus is different, so I've separated them. The Botkin Mississippi River piece (compare Courlander's) is almost equally remote from both "Cindy" and "Jinny," but not worth another entry, so I file it here.
Paul Stamler notes another piece, "Rockingham Cindy"; I suspect that to be a variant of this one.
The chorus "Jinny go round..." does not appear in all versions; I don't know if it is an addition to the Randolph text or if it dropped out of the usual versions sung by old-time singers. - RBW
File: R272

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2015 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

Cheers!
Ian

ps I can't come in quickly 'cos the system I'm using is soooooo sloooooooooow!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: BanjoRay
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 06:41 PM

Tommy Jarrel sang and played Rockingham Cindy, but back in the fifties there was a hit record called Get Along Home Cindy which had the same tune - anyone remember who did it? And does anyone know where Rockingham is?

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: masato sakurai
Date: 21 Mar 02 - 09:57 PM

Rockingham County, NC?

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: I GET MY WHISKEY FROM ROCKINGHAM (Johnson
From: GUEST,Robert
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 12:35 PM

I Get My Whiskey from Rockingham was mentioned in this thread.
Is there anyone who have heard Earl Johnson's version
and knows what he's saying in the last part of the last verse?
Perhaps this version is in some other thread,
but I didn't find it so I post this question here).

I post the whole version as I hear it:

------------------------------------

I Get My Whiskey From Rockingham


Where did you get your whiskey, Where did you get your dram?
I got it from a little boy, way down in Rockingham.

Chorus:
Rocky Road Cindy, Rocky Road (Sam*), Rocky Road Cindy
down in Rockingham.


I went down to Rockingham, I did not go to stay,
I fell in love with a pretty little girl, could not get away.

Chorus

Cheeks as red as red rose, her hair's a huckleberry-brown,
Sweetest girl I ever saw, down in Rockingham.

Chorus


I went to see my Cindy once, Went to see her twice,
Second time I saw her, I asked her to be my wife.

Chorus


Did I kiss my Cindy once? Did I kiss her twice?
I tell you the way (she kissed me, take the sight of my eyes**).

Chorus

-------------

*)
I did attend a concert with Bruce Molsky last year
and there he mentioned the part in the Chorus: "Rocky Road Sam"

**) In that last sentence I have no clue,
I have tried to slow it down, but still don't
hear what he is saying.

Any ideas?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Mar 11 - 03:56 PM

I think I've heard it as "rocky road to town" (not "Sam")—which doesn't quite rhyme with "Rockingham" but at least it makes some sense.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rockingham whiskey
From: GUEST,Robert
Date: 20 Mar 11 - 04:41 PM

With Old-Time rhymes I'm not surprised even if I also find it strange with "Sam". I have only what I did hear when slowing the file down and Molsky's mentioning it (I didn't have the line "Rocky Road, Cindy" before that concert either). When searching through the American Songbag, I came to think that "Sam" maybe refers to someone or something.

Have you been able to hear what Earl Johnson is saying in the last verse?


Best Regards,
Robert

Subject: RE: Origins: Rockingham Whiskey / Rockingham Cindy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 04:29 AM

Here's the version I want to submit to the Rise Again songbook. Any corrections?
-Joe-

ROCKINGHAM CINDY (I Get My Whiskey In Rockingham)

Where'd you get your whiskey, where'd you get your dram?
I got it from a little girl way down in Rockingham
Rocky Road Cindy, rocky road to town
Rocky Road Cindy, way down in Rockingham

I went down to Rockingham, I did not go to stay
I fell in love with a pretty girl and I could not get away

Lips as red as a red rose, her hair was huckleberry brown
The sweetest girl I ever saw, way down in Rockingham

First I kissed Cindy once & then I kissed her twice
I'll tell you where I kissed her, gonna kiss her there tonight

Related to "Cindy, Cindy," and often sung to the same melody.