Lyr Req: Salt Pork West Virginia (Louis Jordan)

Subject: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: GUEST,Cookie
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 11:23 PM

Does anyone know the lyrics and history of the song "Salt Pork WVA"
by Louis Jordan???

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: harpgirl
Date: 19 Jul 03 - 01:00 AM

Check here...My sound isn't working or I'd listen to see if all the words are here...

http://www.preciomania.com/search_fullinfomu.php/music_id=310299/music2=1/ut=cdf787cc288bba79

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 07:52 PM

The sound sample that harpgirl provided didn't work for me, but I found a few others at Yahoo! Shopping > Music. Here's what I transcribed:

SALT PORK, WEST VIRGINIA

Macneill, Macneill, don't steal my automobile.
I'll take you to a café and buy you a real fine meal.
Hey, Jack, I got to do some ridin'.
Soon we got to come to a dividin'.
I don't want to continue*
'Cause the sign says, "Salt Pork, West Virginia."
That's where my baby lives, and I ain't goin' no further.
Hey, don't you stop me now. I don't want to commit no murder.
Macneill, Macneill, don't steal my wheel...

*pronounced "continya" to rhyme with "Virginia".

Recorded by Louis Jordan and by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.
According to ASCAP, written by William J. Tennyson, Jr., but AMG attributes it to "Moore/Tennyson".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 07:00 AM

My PC is OK with the sound sample, but Jim Dixon's one is a little longer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: GUEST,999
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 10:01 PM

When I chane the Subject or From lines the damned post doesn't take. Need to bring up the thread first.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: GUEST,Many Jordan lyrics there. SP,WV ain't there.
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 10:02 PM

http://www.louisjordan.com/songs.aspx?l=1

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: Janie
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 10:38 PM

Hmmm.....need a little help, Harpie or Jim. Couldn't find the song in question from either of your links - maybe because I couldn't figure out what to search under on Jim's link, and because I don't read Spanish for hg's link.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: Janie
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 10:56 PM

There are now 2 Youtube recordings from which lyrics might be transcribed.

One by Ramblin' Jack Elliott and his band, and the other by Louis Jordan and his ensemble.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Louis Jordan

Subject: Lyr Add: SALT PORK, WEST VIRGINIA (from L Jordan)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 01:31 PM

Here's my transcription from the Louis Jordan video on YouTube:


SALT PORK, WEST VIRGINIA
Fleecie Moore, Bill Tennyson

1. MacNeill, MacNeill, don't steal my automobile.
I'll take you to a café and buy you a big fine meal.
Hey, Jack, I got to do some ridin'.
Soon we got to come to a dividin'.
I don't want to continue*
'Cause the sign says, "Salt Pork, West Virginia."

2. And that's where my baby lives, and I ain't goin' no further.
Hey, Jack, I want to be good to you, and treat you like a brother.
Mm, MacNeill, MacNeill, don't steal my wheel.
I'll buy you anything on the menu**
'Cause, boy, I gotta go to Salt Pork, West Virginia.

Salt Pork! Salt Pork!***

[REPEAT 2]

Washington! Alexandra! Richmond! Norfolk! Bluefield!—WHAT?***
Salt Pork, West Virginia!


* pronounced continya to rhyme with Virginia.
** pronounced menya to rhyme (approximately) with Virginia.
*** On these lines, he sounds like a railroad conductor calling off names of stations.

I was not able to confirm that there is an actual place called Salt Pork, West Virginia. However, the other places named are all real—assuming "Alexandra" is meant to be Alexandria, VA. Taken in that order, however, they don't make a realistic route to anywhere. I can't explain his (pretended) alarmed reaction to "Bluefield."

Fleecie Moore was Louis Jordan's wife. Bill Tennyson was another musician who often worked with him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork WVA
From: Janie
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 11:11 PM

Bluefield State College, an historically Black college, is located in Bluefield, WV. There is a rich, but little known history of some fine African-American jazz musicians and bands from the southern coalfields. Although I have long been aware of this, I don't know any of the details or history.

What I do know is that southern WV is off the beaten path of nearly anything, at least it was until I-77 was finished in the 1970's (and I-64 in, I think, the early 80's.)

I have a nebulous and entirely speculative notion of why Bluefield is called out, as well as the surprise, given the remoteness of the region by anything but rail in the early and mid 1940's, but am on my way to bed and too tired to think it through. I did a very little bit of on-line research before posting, and will add the following link as a starting point.

African-American Jazz in West Virginia


I can not find Salt Pork, WV as an historic place name. I suppose there could have been such a place, but suspect not.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork West Virginia (Louis Jordan)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 19 - 07:44 PM

The story goes that back in 1945 legendary jazz saxophonist Louis Jordan was arrested in Bluefield, West Virginia on charges of speeding and possible drunk driving. His car was impounded and he appeared that evening before justice of the peace Wallace McNeal. Jordan’s humor and charm convinced the JP to drop the charges, and Jordan, thrilled and relieved, offered to buy McNeal “a big fine meal” at Bluefield’s best restaurant. McNeal declined the boisterous offer, leaving Jordan and his associates to instead immortalize it in song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt Pork West Virginia (Louis Jordan)
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Mar 19 - 11:05 AM

Thanks for the story, Guest. That finally makes the song clear to me. The sign that says "Salt Pork" merely points the way to the town, it doesn't mean Louis is IN Salt Pork. (Not that I believe there ever was such a town.)

I enjoyed Janie's link to the video with Louis Jordan, but if I were the director, I would have done something about that glum-looking drummer at the back right of the screen.