Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)

Subject: Van Ronk: Chicken is nice
From: lamarca
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 11:19 AM

I'm trying to learn Van Ronk's song, "Chicken is nice", which I think he said was from Liberia. Does anyone have any background info about the song? Where did he learn it? Are the lyrics published anywhere? Thanks!

Subject: Lyr Add: CHICKEN IS NICE (Van Ronk - adapted)
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 02:26 PM

Lamarca--

I can semi-help. I used to sing that one, but as often happens in folk music, I localized it (to southern Oregon) so the town names are different. But localize it to your own locale anyway, as there's no sense singing about Montana if you are in West-By-God-Virginia.

I don't want no wife from Coos Bay;
I don't want no wife from Coos Bay.
The only dish ... she can cook is fried fish;
I don't want no wife from Coos Bay.

...from Gold Hill;
If I move around, she'll put me in the ground ....

...from Eugene;
If I'm out late at night, she'll challenge me to a fight.

...from Salem;
Meanest mothers-in-law that you ever saw.

...from Medford;
When my money gets low, to another she'll go.

Chicken is nice; chicken is nice.
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice.

And I suppose there were many more but it's been a long time.

CC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken is nice
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 03:28 PM

I thought this was a West African song... Have to see if Miriam Makeba recorded it. I'm probably dead wrong, but I heard Dave sing it enough that I should know...

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken is nice
From: lamarca
Date: 04 Jun 02 - 06:43 PM

Well, I'm still hoping someone out there has background info on this song, like where the town names are from, where Van Ronk might have learned it, etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken is nice
From: Mark Ross
Date: 04 Jun 02 - 08:04 PM

They are names of towns in Liberia. I'm not sure where Dave picked up the song. I learned it off of his FOLKSINGER album on Prestige. I didn't know that anybody else sang it.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken is nice
From: Padre
Date: 28 Apr 03 - 11:18 PM

Lamarca
The towns are all in Liberia:

Don't want no wife from Sino (sp?)
The only dish she can cook is fried fish

Don't want no wife from Monrovia
If I go out at night, she'll challenge me to a fight

Don't want no wife from Robert's Falls
If I move around, shell put me in the ground

Hope this helps

Tom McHenry+

Subject: Lyr Add: CHICKEN IS NICE (from Dave Van Ronk)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 02:37 AM

Chicken Is Nice

I don't want no wife from Robert's Falls;
Don't want no wife from Robert's Falls.
The only dish ... she can cook is fried fish;
Don't want no wife from Robert's Falls.

Chicken is nice; chicken is nice.
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice.


...from Cape Palmas;
If I move around, she'll put me in the ground ....

...from Sino (?);
If I go late at night, she'll challenge me to a fight.

...from Monrovia;
When my money gets low, to another she'll go.

transcribed from the CD, Inside Dave Van Ronk

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken Is Nice
From: GUEST,Elijah Wald
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 04:16 PM

"Chicken Is Nice" was recorded in the late 1940s by its composer, the blind Liberian pianist Howard B. Hayes, and released on a 78 album called (as I remember) Cafe and Cabaret Music from Liberia, or something of that sort, which is where Dave learned it. This was reissued last year, along with a lot of similar material, on "Songs of the African Coast: Café Music of Liberia and Ghana," and there is more info at http://www.geocities.com/africancafemusic/yarngo.html
It is a wonderful album, with quite a few songs that should be more widely known.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken Is Nice
From: GUEST,Ceyahnai Kuteh
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 06:18 AM

My brother-Dr.William Allen is a professor of African Studies at the University of Kennesaw in Kennesaw, Georgia. His area of concentration is foods and the role it has played in the relocation project of free slaves to Liberia, West African, from the 1800's to present. While hiking Kennesaw Mountain last saturday, we began to discuss a seminar he recently chaired on the topic of "Collard Greens & Pig Feet. We are both from Liberia and I reminded him that a Liberian folk singer by the name of Mahilia Jackson-Parker was well known for a collection of songs back in the 1960s when we just kids. She even had recordings made, and one of the most popular song was "Chicken Is Nice With Palm Butter and Rice", a dish which happens to be one of the few common threads between the Native Africans and the Americo-Liberians or Free Slaves. We are attempting to locate a copy of her recording for education purposes. Have you ever heard of her? [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken Is Nice
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Mar 10 - 07:03 PM

Allmusic.com lists an album called "Tribal, Folk & Cafe Music of West Africa," (Pearl 2-CD set #130, 2001). It says it is a reissue of an early 1950s 3-LP set, and consists of field recordings collected by Arthur S. Alberts in 1949. One of the songs is CHICKEN IS NICE (WITH PALM BUTTER AND RICE). Howard B. Hayes is credited as the songwriter. He is probably also the performer; he is introduced as "Professor Hayes."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken Is Nice
From: GUEST,Dennis Wright
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 06:29 PM

So what are the chords to Chicken Is Nice?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken Is Nice
From: Mark Ross
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 11:14 PM

G
Chicken is nice, chicken is nice,

                   C                         G          D      G
Chicken is nice with palm butter & rice.


Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Van Ronk: Chicken Is Nice
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 12:10 PM

Thanks Mark!

Dennis Wright

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 10:50 AM

You can hear Dave Van Ronk sing CHICKEN IS NICE at YouTube.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 11:25 AM

That would be Sinoe, Liberia, also known as Greenville, the capital of Sinoe County.

Cape Palmas, Liberia

Monrovia, Liberia

Funny, I can't find any place called Roberts Falls (or Robert's Falls, etc.) although he pronounces it fairly clearly.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)
From: GUEST,madssimo
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 10:04 AM

I don't want no wife from Robert's Falls
Don't want no wife from Robert's Falls
The o-only dish she can cook is fried fish
Don't want no wife from Robert's Falls

Chicken is nice, chicken is nice
Chicken is nice
With palm butter and rice

I don't want no wife from Quepamas
Don't want no wife from Quepamas
If I move around, she'll put me in the ground
I don't want no wife from Quepamas

Chicken is nice...

I don't want no wife from Cyno
Don't want no wife from Cyno
If I go out at night, she'll challenge me to a fight
I don't want no wife from Cyno

Chicken is nice...

I don't want no wife from Monrovia
Don't want no wife from Monrovia
When my money gets low, to another she'll go
I don't want no wife from Monrovia

Chicken is nice, chicken is nice
Chicken is nice
With palm butter and rice

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)
From: GUEST,Kathleen
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 12:38 PM

These are the lyrics as performed by Dave

I don't want no wife from Robert's Falls
Don't want no wife from Robert's Falls
The only dish she can cook is fried fish
Don't want no wife from Robert's Falls

Chicken is nice,
Chicken is nice.
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice

I don't want no wife from Cape Palmas
Don't want no wife from Cape Palmas
If I move around, she'll put me in the ground
I don't want no wife from Cape Palmas

Chicken in nice
Chicken is nice
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice

I don't want no wife from Sinoe
Don't want no wife from Sinoe
If I go out at night, She'll challenge me to a fight
Don't want no wife from Sinoe

Chicken is nice
Chcken is nice
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice

I don't know wife from Monrovia
Don't want no wife from Monrovia
When my money gets low, to another she'll go
Don't want no wife from Monrovia

Chicken is nice
Chicken is nice
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)
From: GUEST,mr powly
Date: 06 Dec 11 - 11:28 AM

does anyone know the chords for this?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)
From: GUEST,ATC
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 10:08 AM

I think this is more or less it. Sort of-ish.


A   B    E

E
Don't want no wife from Roberts falls
E
Don't want no wife from Roberts falls
E            A                         E
The only dish she can cook is fried fish
E          G#       B               E
I don't want no wife from Roberts Fall

E
Chicken is nice Chicken is nice
E       A         E          B       E
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice


A B E

E
I don't want no wife from Quepamas
E
Don't want no wife from Quepamas
E             A                            E                                    
If I move around, she'll put me in the ground
E    G#            B          E
I don't want no wife from Quepamas

E
Chicken is nice Chicken is nice
E       A       E         B          E
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice

A B E

E
I don't want no wife from Cyno
E
Don't want no wife from Cyno
E             A                               E            
If I go out at night, she'll challenge me to a fight
E    G#          B         E
I don't want no wife from Cyno

E
Chicken is nice Chicken is nice
E       A       E         B          E
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice

A B E

E
I don't want no wife from Monrovia
E
Don't want no wife from Monrovia
E                  A                      E                                       
When my money gets low, to another she'll go
E    G#          B         E
I don't want no wife from Monrovia

E
Chicken is nice Chicken is nice
E       A       E         B          E
Chicken is nice with palm butter and rice

(Credits to GUEST,Kathleen for the Lyrics)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chicken Is Nice (Dave Van Ronk)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 01:40 PM

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arthuralberts

There's 30 seconds of it there.

The CD's entitled 'Songs of the African Coast: Cafe Music of Liberia'