Lyr Add: Goin' Across the World (Virgil Anderson)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Goin' Across the World (Virgil Anderson)
From: leeneia
Date: 07 May 16 - 10:23 AM

As far as rhythm and rhyme go, it reminds me of "She'll Be Comin round the Mountain When she Comes."

As far as sentiment goes (Babe, I'm oughta here), it reminds me of the Kingston Trio's song, 'Buddy, Better Get on Down the Line'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Goin' Across the World (Virgil Anderson)
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 07 May 16 - 02:19 AM

Cooney Bertram (see above) was born in 1889.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Goin' Across the World (Virgil Anderson)
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 21 Apr 15 - 01:47 PM

Here's a page where you can listen to a lot of recordings by Virgil Anderson, such as "I'm A Poor Boy," "Reubin," and "Alabama Bound":

http://dla.acaweb.org/cdm/search/searchterm/Anderson,%20Virgil/mode/exact/page/1

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Goin' Across the World (Virgil Anderson)
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 21 Apr 15 - 01:43 PM

_Southern Mountain Folksongs_ by W.K. McNeil has a chapter about this song family, "Banjo Pickin' Girl." The versions by Burnett (born 1883) and Rutherford and Pete Steele (born 1891) were both called "Going Around The World." John Snipes' serious version (with lyrics about "it's trouble I do see") was "Going Away From Home."

The song family may derive from the 1870s pop song "Baby Mine" by Charles Mackay and Archibald Johnston (or perhaps Mackay and Johnston based their pop song on the folk song family). "Been In The Pen So Long," which Gates Thomas said he heard in roughly 1890, seems to be related. The Thomas "Pen" has "Don't like no Fort Worth gal," which in turn ties in with all the "Don't like..." songs such as "Don't Like A Rich White Man Nohow" (remembered by William Covington as old in 1913) and "I Don't Like The Blues No How" (Carolina Tar Heels).

Virgil Anderson was very excited by the music of the Bertram duo (Cuje, reportedly born in 1894, and his brother Cooney) when he encountered them in about 1920, and he said he learned blues songs from them. His excellent "I'm A Poor Boy" (which is not among the tunes Cuje recorded that are on Document), with its lyrics about "long distance phone" and chilly winds -- a la Gus Cannon, Wade Ward, Andrew and Jim Baxter, Emmet Kennedy, and others -- may be one of those songs. Anderson mentioned that when he first encountered the Bertrams, he didn't notice they were black until he pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add: Goin' Across the World
From: Richie
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 11:20 PM

Harpgirl,

To me although the songs are different the structure is similar:

CRAWDAD SONG:
You get a line and I'll get a pole, oh babe of mine
You get a line and I'll get a pole, oh babe of mine
You get a line and I'll get a pole
An' I'll met you down by the crawdad hole
Oh honey, baby, oh babe of mine.

Here's a good site for banjo tunings: Click here

Any other ideas about his song?

Thanks,

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add: Goin' Across the World
From: harpgirl
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 09:16 PM

Yes, I think it's the tuning that gives it the sound of other similar songs. Maybe it's the tuning for "green corn." Virgil used GDFA#D for some songs. I'm just a banjo beginner....Pete Peterson could probably answer this question more effectively.

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add: Goin' Across the World
From: harpgirl
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 09:10 PM

Well, your questions intrigues me, richie. I don't think it sounds like "You get a line, I'll get a pole," actually.

It's kind of a conglomeration I think. It might have been about leaving for the Civil War or about returning to Africa after being captured as a slave, or returning to Ireland after emigration.

Since Virgil played with Cuge Bertram, the black fiddler whom I have only just discovered, and they played in the southern mountains, and it sounds like a gord banjo almost, my vote is a slave song that evolved and picked up random verses...Virgil Anderson had some unique tunings, I'm reading but I'm not a good enough banjo player to tell you that tuning. It sounds like Peter Seeger tuning to me but I don't know if that is right.

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add: Goin' Across the World
From: Richie
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 06:35 PM

Harpgirl and all,

I guess I thought "Goin' Across the World" was related to or was a version of the Crawdad Song, also named "You Get a Line I'll get a Pole."

Does anyone agree?

-Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add: Goin' Across the World
From: harpgirl
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 07:04 PM

...well Virgil learned his banjo style around the Kentucky/Tennessee Cumberland Gap border counties and he was influenced by African-american musicians according to my googling. We can start from there, perhaps!

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add: Goin' Across the World
From: Richie
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 06:26 PM

Thanks for the question Harpgirl,

What song family is it a part of (such as "Dance All Night with a Bottle in my Hand" or "Darlin' Cory") or what songs are related to it?

Many people post songs but I thought it would be fun if those interested could post what songs GOIN' ACROSS THE WORLD reminded them of.

-Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add: Goin' Across the World
From: harpgirl
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 12:18 PM

I listened to this song, richie and I can't figure out what your question means? Are you asking if it's old timey, frailing or clawhammer, or if it is from a specific part of the country in terms of style? or something else as I suspect?

Subject: Lyr Add: GOIN' ACROSS THE WORLD
From: Richie
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 10:54 PM

Here's a great banjo song by Virgil Anderson. To listen:
Click here

See if you can guess to what family or song group this belongs:

GOIN' ACROSS THE WORLD
performed by Virgil Anderson

(Banjo Break)

I'm goin' 'cross the ocean babe of mine, babe of mine
I'm goin' 'cross the ocean babe of mine.
I'm goin' 'cross the ocean if I don't change my notion
I'm goin' 'cross that ocean babe of mine.

(Banjo Break)

Now I'm goin' 'cross the water babe of mine babe of mine
I'm goin' 'cross the water babe of mine.
I'm goin' 'cross the water to see my wife and daughter
I'm goin' 'cross the water babe of mine.

(Banjo Break)

I hope I never get back what you gonna do babe of mine?
I hope I never get back what you gonna do?
I hope I never get back babe of mine what you gonna do?
I walk the floor and cry all over you.

(Banjo Break)

Oh it's if I get drowned what ya gonna do, what ya gonna do?
Oh it's if I get drowned what ya gonna do
Oh if I get drowned babe of mine don't you cry
Oh if I get drowned don't you cry.

(Banjo Break)

Now I'm goin' 'round this world, babe of mine, babe of mine
I'm goin' 'round this world, babe of mine
Oh I'm goin' 'round this world, come back and pick a girl
I'm goin' 'round this world, babe of mine

I'm goin' 'cross the ocean babe of mine, babe of mine
I'm goin' 'cross the ocean babe of mine.
I'm goin' 'cross the ocean if I don't change my notion
I'm goin' 'cross that ocean babe of mine.