Brawlins, are you referring to this do-wop song?: YouTube: Lavern Baker: Jim Dandy (to the rescue) In any case, it's not the song this thread is discussing, or even a near relation; normally, separate songs like this merit their own threads, to limit confusion. But thanks for the info.
I do not know the origin of the term Jim Dandy - but the 1950's song was inspired by a family dog that my grandmother owned in the early 50's. Lincoln Chase was hiding out at her house from gangsters who were trying to collect on a bad debt. When they broke in with guns in hand - Jim Dandy (a weinie dog) attacked them, giving Lincoln Chase and my grandpa enough time to wake up and kick their ass. Chase wrote the song in his gratitude and often thought that jim Dandy had saved his life.
Hmmmm. Not the kind of song I'd want to sing in this day and age....
I've often heard it said of late Dat Souf Carolina was de state, Whar handsome Niggars bound to shine, Like "Dandy Jim from Caroline." For my ole massa tole me so, I was de best lookin Nigger in de County O, I look in de glass an I found it so, Jus what massa told me O.
I drest myself from top to toe, And down to Dinah I did go, Wid pantaloons strapp'd down behine, Like "Dandy Jim from Caroline." For my ole massa &c.
De bull dog clar'd me out ob de yard, I tought I'd better leabe my card, I tied it fast to a piece ob twine, Signed "Dandy Jim from Caroline." For my ole massa &c.
She got my card an wrote me a letta, An ebery word she spelt de betta, For ebery word an ebery line, Was "Dandy Jim from Caroline." For my ole massa &c.
Oh, beauty it is but skin deep, But wid Miss Dinah none compete; She chang'd her name from lubly Dine, To Mrs. Dandy Jim from Caroline." For my ole massa &c.
An ebery little one we had, Was de berry image ob he dad, Dar heels stick out tree feet behine, Like "Dandy Jim from Caroline." For my ole massa &c.
I took dem all to church one day, An hab dem christened widout delay, De Preacher christened eight or nine, Young Dandy Jim from Caroline. For my ole massa &c.
An when de Preacher took he tea, He seem'd to be berry much perplex, For noting cum across he mine, But "Dandy Jim from Caroline." For my ole massa &c.
Dandy Jim from Caroline Baltimore: F. D. Benteen, 1844
[This song was published in 1844 by at least six publishers, and in New York and Boston as well as in Baltimore. By different publishers it was attributed it to Chas. Reps, Dan Emmet, Geo. F. Bristow and J. T. Norton. The lyrics differ somewhat from publisher to publisher.]
the Old Forum Search shows seven messages with this title (RE: Lyr Add: Dandy Jim of Caroline), but not titled Lyr Add: Dandy Jim of Caroline. I checked deleted posts, and didn't find any. Can somebody post the lyrics? -Joe-
I see at least one of my posts here is missing. Dunno what it was now; perhaps best forgotten.
Obviously a lot missing, since the song was written by Silas Sexton Steele in 1843. Put used the tune in "Put's Golden Songster" for the "California Stage Company" which he published in 1858, pp. 31-32.
Also, the Mudcat search engine shows more posts on this thread then are given. Perhaps these additional posts got lost as a result of some computer glitch or when Mudcat crashed for some other reason.
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dandy Jim of Caroline From:Snuffy Date: 16 Jun 05 - 01:20 PM
Dandy Jim from South Carolina also appears in the shanty Nothing But A Humbug, collected in South Wales at the end of the 1920s. See this thread for details
Lighter cites the reference as "1887, in Baseball Dictionary, 227." Sorry, I missed the "in." The quote given is "Whereas on Wednesday night they were proclaimed "Jim Dandy" players, they were on Thursday proclaimed to be "no good"." Lighter gives no further details. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives the date 1887, but no reference. The OED gives the date 1887 with a reference to the Louisville KY Courier-Journal, letter, 12 Jan., "Sir, although a stranger to you, (yet a Democrat), let me say you are a 'jim-dandy'." 1888, Inter-Ocean (Chicago) 14 Feb. (Farmer), "George C. Ball came upon the floor yesterday arrayed in a jim-dandy suit of clothes." (Lighter has this same reference, but cryptically).
"The Dickson Baseball Dictionary," by Paul Dickson, came out in 1989, not 1887. I am familiar with several books by this prolific author, who I believe is still living and writing.
sj
