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Lyr Req: A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week In Mudcat MIDIs: A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week (from Old-Time String Band Songbook (Oak)) |
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Subject: Lyr Add: A DOLLAR DOWN AND A DOLLAR A WEEK From: SueB Date: 20 Nov 03 - 03:16 AM Google found me a Woody Guthrie song by this name, with these lyrics: A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week (Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston) Ade Olay E-E Ade Olay E-E E-E-E-E-E A friend of mine bought an automobile At a dollar down and a dollar a week. Every time he turned the wheel, It was a dollar down and a dollar a week. He went riding down the road, Pinched this girl upon her cheek. Speed cop took him to the judge, He got a dollar down and a dollar a week. Sixty days he laid in jail, At a dollar down and a dollar a week, Another man was a lovin' his gal, At a dollar down and a dollar a week. When he got out he shot the man, And laid him in the graveyard six feet deep. And when he bought the graveyard spot, it was a dollar down and a dollar a week. These aren't the lyrics I remember, though - the ones I'm thinking of involved furniture and appliances, and no one was unfaithful or got shot. Might have had something about going to jail and paying bail, wish I could remember better. Help? Thanks --Suzanne |
Subject: Lyr Add: A DOLLAR DOWN AND A DOLLAR A WEEK From: Joe Offer Date: 20 Nov 03 - 04:03 AM The Woody Guthrie version is on a CD called Struggle. This is from the lyrics sheet from Lee Murdock's CD, Fertile Ground. Murdock calls the song traditional, but I find that hard to believe. -Joe Offer- A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week (traditional) A friend of mine bought a radio for A dollar down and a dollar a week Said he it's the easiest trap I know A dollar down and a dollar a week So he bought a rug a fountain pen A run about car out here and then A collection of the lives of some famous men For a dollar down and a dollars week Dollar down and a dollar a week Dollar down and a dollar a week It's the easiest trap I know says he A dollar down and a dollar a week Now he bought a suit, hat and shoes With a dollar down and a dollar a week He joined the lodge, paid his dues It was a dollar down and a dollar a week Then he bought a ring that was fair to see For the lovely hand of his bride to be When he got married the minister's fee Was a dollar down and a dollar a week Dollar down... When the baby came the doctor got A dollar down and a dollar a week My friend he clothed and fed that tot With a dollar down and a dollar a week At last said his wife I must be free These weekly payments are ruining me She got a divorce and the alimony Was a dollar down and a dollar a week Dollar down... Murdock's Notes: This one I also learned from John Blame and was sung by Chris Bouchillion, the Arkansas wood chopper. Upon singing it, a number of people have told me they remember hearing it on the old WLS barn Dance Radio Program years ago. The Limeliters also recorded a song called "A Dollar Down," but I don't have that one. There's a sound clip here (click)...
For a dollar down and a dollar a week. Just a dollar down And a dollar a week You can get all the things you seek For a dollar down and a dollar a week. Well, he went speedin' on down the road And kissin' his gal upon her cheek They took him in jail, but he put up bail, For a dollar down and a dollar a week. The judge did fine him fifty bucks, And asked if he like to speak He said, "Judge... |
Subject: Lyr Add: A DOLLAR DOWN AND A DOLLAR A WEEK From: Joe Offer Date: 20 Nov 03 - 04:40 AM Here's a more coherent version, from the Old-Time String Band Songbook (Oak Publications). No songwriter listed, so maybe it is "traditional." Basically the same words as Murdock has. -Joe Offer- A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week A friend of mine bought a radio, For a dollar down and a dollar a week; Says he, It's the easiest trap I know, A dollar down and a dollar a week. So he bought a rug and a fountain pen, A run-about car out here and then A set of the lives of the famous men For a dollar down and a dollar a week. Then he bought a suit and a hat and shoes For a dollar down and a dollar a week, Joined the lodge and paid his dues, Was a dollar down and a dollar a week. And he bought a ring that was fair to see For the lily-white hand of his bride-to-be; When he got married, the minister's fee Was a dollar down and a dollar a week, When the baby came, the doctor got A dollar down and a dollar a week, My friend he clothed and fed that tot With a dollar down and a dollar a week. At last said his wife, "I must be free, These weekly payments are ruining me She got a divorce and the alimony Was a dollar down and a dollar a week. Click to playNot much in the Traditional Ballad Index, other than what's in the Old-Time Stringband book: Dollar Down and a Dollar a WeekDESCRIPTION: Singer describes all the things his friend has bought on credit, including clothes, car, marriage, and a child; finally the man's wife, saying "these weekly payments are killing me," divorces him, and the alimony is a dollar down, a dollar a week.AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1931 (recording, Arkansas Woodchopper) KEYWORDS: marriage money humorous commerce FOUND IN: US(SE) REFERENCES (1 citation): Cohen/Seeger/Wood, p. 79, "Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week" (1 text, 1 tune) RECORDINGS: Arkansas Woodchopper [pseud. for Luther Ossenbrink], "A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week" (Conqueror 7887, 1931) Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston, "A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week" (on Struggle2) CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "Cotton Mill Colic" (theme) Notes: And this was before Visa cards even existed.... - RBW File: CSW079 Go to the Ballad Search form The Ballad Index Copyright 2008 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. Roud (click) refers only to the Woody Guthrie recording. |
Subject: Limeliters Lyr Req : A dollar down.... From: GUEST,Christine H Date: 16 Aug 04 - 05:47 AM The limeliters version is the one I'd like the lyrics for. I remember: He bought.......a refridgerator, washing machine and the food stayed cold and the clothes stayed clean, at a dollar down........" And then at the end "He said with tears, will take a thousand years, at a dollar down........" Thanks |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 16 Aug 04 - 06:02 AM Also recorded by John Cohen on a New Lost City Ramblers album. Almost certain to be the version which Joe gives above. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: GUEST,Cap Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:53 AM I remember the Limeliters version. Just talked to Glenn Yarborough but forgot to ask him about it. Think it was their first hit but don't think they played it since |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: Mark Ross Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:04 PM I think it was written by Bob Miller in the '30's. Mark Ross |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:21 PM Origin? Compare with the old "Eleven More Months and Ten More Days, I'll Be Out of the Calaboose." |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 01 Oct 05 - 05:50 PM According to the New Lost City Ramblers Song Book John Cohen got it from a recording by Arkie the Arkansas Woodchopper. Hoot |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week From: GUEST Date: 12 Mar 06 - 09:21 AM hallelujah! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week From: Stewie Date: 12 Mar 06 - 10:11 AM Meade et alia (p453) gives 'L.F. McEntee, wds, Dan Banta Jr, m, 1909'. Besides the Arkansas Woodchopper (1931), Meade cites recordings by Shelton Brothers (1937), Pine State Playboys (1938) and Hackberry Ramblers (1938). --Stewie. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: GUEST,Ronald Scott Date: 02 May 07 - 10:35 AM Its called "you can have everything you seek for a dollar down and a dollar a week" it was last remade in the 1960's as a folk song. All the others are a silmilier folk song that came out only years after. It is on one site if anyone wants me to say. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: Mo the caller Date: 03 May 07 - 04:56 AM Joes link doesn't sound like 11 more months to me. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: GUEST,Greycap Date: 03 May 07 - 06:10 AM Recorded by the New lost City Ramblers on their LP 'Modern Times' as I recall. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: Jim Dixon Date: 04 May 07 - 07:50 AM I searched at The Online 78 rpm Discographical Project for "dollar down" and found these: Barbeque Bob (R. Hicks), DOLLAR DOWN BLUES, Columbia 14412D, 11/2/28. Arkansas Woodchopper, DOLLAR DOWN AND A DOLLAR A WEEK WITH CHICKEN PIE, Conqueror 7887, 11/13/31. Shelton Brothers, DOLLAR DOWN DOLLAR A WEEK, Decca 5339, 2/18/37. Andy Parker and the Plainsmen, A DOLLAR DOWN (AND A DOLLAR A DAY), Capitol 40117, date unknown (late 40's?). Louis Jordan, A DOLLAR DOWN, Aladdin 3243, date unknown (late 40s – early 50s?). [They might not all be the same song.] |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: clueless don Date: 04 May 07 - 08:21 AM GUEST,Ronald Scott wrote Its called "you can have everything you seek for a dollar down and a dollar a week" I know I heard a recording of this song once upon a time - can't tell you who did it. But I definitely recall it having a chorus. The verses were probably very much like the lyrics posted earlier in the thread. I recall the chorus being For a dollar down and a dollar a week you can get anything you want for a dollar down and a dollar a week There was a short pause (with instruments playing) between each of those lines I suppose the third line might have been "you can get everything you seek...", as given by GUEST,Ronald Scott. Don |
Subject: Lyr Add: A DOLLAR DOWN (from The Limeliters) From: GUEST,Winnifred Date: 04 Mar 08 - 08:12 PM The version of the song I know is by the Limeliters, and I wrote out the lyrics a while back. The * at the end of a sentence means that it is followed by the phrase "Dollar down and a dollar a week" This song is about a friend of mine who bought an automobile * And every time he turned the wheel * He got a credit card for the new machine * And he kept it full of gasoline * CHORUS: Just a dollar down And a dollar a week You can get all the things you seek For a dollar down and a dollar a week Well he went speeding on down the road And kissing his gal upon her cheek They took him to jail but he put up bail * The judge did fine him fifty bucks And asked if he would like to speak He said "Judge if I may, I'd like to pay" * CHORUS When he got out, he married that gal * He bought a wedding ring that was pretty cheap * Refrigerator, and washing machine * And the food stayed cold and the clothes stayed clean * CHORUS They got themselves a little home * With a second mortgage and a pretty good loan * He said to his wife, "It's a pretty good life" * And she said, "Honey, we don't need much money." * CHORUS But six little kids did soon arrive * He had so many worries that he could not sleep * As their debts began to mount They added them up upon a sheet They said with tears "Will take a thousand years at a Dollar down and a dollar a week" CHORUS |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A dollar down and a dollar a week From: GUEST,iancarterb Date: 05 Mar 08 - 12:27 AM I remember a recording by Cisco, which might have been a Newport sampler. I don't have the album any more, in any case, so I'm a less than useful informant. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week From: GUEST,pj Date: 20 Aug 08 - 04:43 PM winnifred you have got it right |
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