Origin: Brown's Ferry Blues

Subject: Origin: Brown's Ferry Blues
From: Richie
Date: 18 Feb 03 - 09:32 PM

Is the "Brown's Ferry Blues" PD?

I know that the Delmore Brother's claim to have written it but think that the McGee Brothers also calim to have written it.

Isn't Brown's Ferry Blues one of the origins of 'Deep River Blues' which came from a similar Delmore Brothers song?

-Richie

Subject: RE: Origin: Brown's Ferry Blues
From: Richie
Date: 18 Feb 03 - 09:36 PM

Here's one version of the lyrics:

Brown's Ferry Blues

Hard luck poppa, a-countin' his toes,
You can smell his feet wherever he goes,
Lord, Lord, and he's got those Brown's Ferry Blues.
Hard luck poppa done lost his stuff
The trouble with him he's played too rough.
Lord, Lord, and he's got those Brown's Ferry Blues.

Two old maids a-sitting in the sand,
Each one wishing that the other was a man,
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry Blues
Two old maids done lost their style,
If you want to be lucky you got to smile.
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry Blues

Early to bed and early, to rise,
And your girl goes out with other guys.
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry Blues
If you don't believe me try it yourself,
Well I tried it and I got left.
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry Blues

Hard luck poppa standing in the rain,
If the world was corn he couldn't buy grain.
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry Blues
Hardluck poppa standing in the snow,
His knees knock together but he's raring to go.
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry Blues.

-Richie

Subject: RE: Origin: Brown's Ferry Blues
From: masato sakurai
Date: 18 Feb 03 - 10:37 PM

From Old-Time String Band Songbook (Oak, p. 224):

Both the McGees and Delmores claim authorship of this song, which by now seems deeply entrenched in country music. In the late '30s and early '40s, there was a group called the Brown's Ferry 4, consisting of Merle Travis, Grandpa Jones and the Delmore Brothers. At an earlier period both the McGees and Delmores worked with Fiddlin' Arthur Smith, so the possible contributors to this song are many. With slight variation, this tune was used by Woody Guthrie for "Jackhammer John," by Bill Monroe for "Dog House Blues," Charlie Monroe for "Rubberneck Blues," and by others.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Origin: Brown's Ferry Blues
From: Stewie
Date: 19 Feb 03 - 02:21 AM

Meade et alia come down on the side of the Delmores - circa 1933.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Origin: Brown's Ferry Blues
From: Richie
Date: 19 Feb 03 - 10:30 AM

Thanks Masato and Stewie,

Any other lyric versions?

-Richie