Lyr Req: Rise When the Rooster Crows (Dave Macon)

Subject: Lyrics? Rise when the rooster crows
From: Dickie P
Date: 25 Dec 98 - 02:04 PM

I would be grateful if anyone has the lyrics to Rise When the Rooster Crows as sung by Uncle Dave Macon. I have a recording but given the quality it's just too hard to get them all. Thanks very much!

Subject: RE: Lyrics? Rise when the rooster crows
From: harpgirl
Date: 26 Dec 98 - 03:57 PM

Dickie P.,
(what kind of a name is that?)
I'll rise when the rooster crows,
I'll rise when the rooster crows
I'm going back south where the sun shines hot
Down where the sugar cane grows
That's all I remember now without the Jay Ungar album I have it on. I used to play this as an intro to my radio program on "KUAF 89. FM, in Fayetteville Arkansas" a folkshow...harpgirl

Subject: RE: Thanks, Harpgirl
From: Dickie
Date: 26 Dec 98 - 07:15 PM

I'm very grateful for the words to the chorus and the reference to the jay ungar recording. Thanks! A great song to introduce a radio program.

Subject: Lyr Add: I'LL RISE WHEN THE ROOSTER CROWS (Binkley
From:
Date: 27 May 01 - 08:34 PM

Here are the lyrics to "I'LL RISE WHEN THE ROOSTER CROWS", as recorded by the Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers on the CD "Nashville: the Early String Bands Vol. I", County CD-3521. The song was recorded 10/2/1928.

1. If the golden shoes you hear so much about
Was worn down here, you'd soon wear 'em out.
We're gonna take up 'em yonder for to put on our robes.
Gonna put on my golden shoes.

CHORUS: I'll rise when the rooster crows.
I'll rise when the rooster crows.
I'm going back south where the sun shines hot,
Oh, down where the sugar cane grows.

2. Don't let old Satan try to fool you,
For the gates'll be closed and you can't get through.
With a long white robe and the white socks too,
Gonna put on my golden shoes.

3. When Gabriel comes for to blow his horn,
Well, you needn't pull back for you gotta go on,
So prepare yourself for the judgment day,
For you can't take money and buy your way.

4. We'll have cider all the fall,
For I said I's going to the ball,
Where the duck chews tobacco and the goose drinks wine,
The old hen cackle while the rooster keeps the time.

5. Whatcha gonna do when the women are all dead?
Gonna sit in the corner with a hung-down head.
Well, if I had to marry, I wouldn't marry for riches.
I'd marry a big fat gal who couldn't wear the britches.


--- Line breaks <br> added ---

Subject: RE: Lyrics? Rise when the rooster crows
From: Stewie
Date: 27 May 01 - 10:05 PM

Barnett, thanks for posting the lyrics. The song is the Binkleys masterpiece - it can be found reissued also on Yazoo CD 22045('Cornshucker's Frolic Vol 1) and on Document DOCD-8037 ('Nashville 1928') which has all 6 of the Binkleys issued sides. Charles Wolfe says that Jack Jackson, the Binkleys vocalist, probably learned his version of 'Rooster' from Uncle Dave who had recorded it 2 years earlier. Uncle Dave's version differs only in minor respects from the lyrics posted above - so it should satisfy Dickie's request. Evidently, Jackson, who had been known as 'The Strolling Yodeler', headed up a cowboy group in the 193Os - Jack Jackson and His Bronco Busters, a group that was later taken over by Zeke Clements.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyrics? Rise when the rooster crows
From: Gypsy
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 08:27 PM

Well, now that the lyrics are here, howzabout some interpretation? First three pertain to death (right?), but what is the deal with the last two? Anyone out there that can enlighten us? Thanks, all

Subject: RE: Lyrics? Rise when the rooster crows
From: Richie
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 08:46 PM

The first two are verses refering to "Golden Slippers" (See: "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" by James A. "Jimmy" Bland) the interpretation is fairly easy to understand:

Oh, my golden slippers am laid away
Kase I don't 'spect to wear 'em till my weddin' day,
And my long-tailed coat, dat I loved so well,
I will wear up in de chariot in de morn;
And my long white robe dat I bought last June,
I'm gwine to git changed Kase it fits too soon,
And de old grey hoss dat I used to drive,
I will hitch him to the chariot in de morn.

Chorus: Oh, dem golden slippers! Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers dat I'm gwine to wear be-case they look so neat;
Oh, dem golden slippers! Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear to walk de golden street.

The last two are floating verses from other songs. If you want some of the songs they floated from I can give them to you.

Since the last two verse are filler verses, they don't add much in terms of plot or cohesion. Maybe someone can add meaning but I don't think there much intended.

-Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rise when the rooster crows
From: Gypsy
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 11:31 AM

So, is this a contemporary song? And why filler verses? Don't get it. Couldja 'splain for me who is rather thick headed? Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rise when the rooster crows
From: Richie
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 01:45 PM

Gypsy-

"Rise when the Rooster Crows" has versions back to the 1920's but it is written in a minstrel style which could put the origin back in the mid to late 1800's.

"Flaoting" verses are just verses taken from other songs and added on to the song. The last verse is a floater:

Whatcha gonna do when the women all dead?
Gonna sit in the corner with a hung down head
Well if I had to marry I wouldn't marry for riches
I'd marry a big fat gal who couldn't wear the britches

Floaters appear in lots of different songs. The Binkley Brothers version has three verses and what appear to be two floaters at the end.

Hope that helps,

Richie

Subject: Lyr Add: I'S A GWINE BACK SOUF
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 01:43 PM

This could be a source, or close to it, of the song sung by Macon and others.

From Merry Songs by Samuel Conrad Hanson (Chicago: A. Flanagan Company, 1889) where it is printed with its melody. The chorus is in 4-part harmony:

I'S A GWINE BACK SOUF.

[Editor's note:] This is a representation of a melody I heard negroes sing in the South years ago. It is not inserted here with a view to its use in the school-room; it will make an excellent number, however, at a concert or school entertainment. It should have an accompaniment by a banjo or guitar.    S. C. H.

1. I libed wid ole Massa many yeahs ago
Way down on de Tombigbee.
If I ebber gits dar I'll nebber leab again
Till def comes along for me.

CHORUS: I's a-gwine, you's a-gwine, I'se a-gwine back Souf
Whar de sun shines hot, way down whar de sugarcane grows.

2. I'll stick to de hoe till de sun goes down.
I'll rise when de rooster crows.
I's a-gwine back Souf whar de sun shines hot
Way down war de sugarcane grows.

3. I'se hungry now. My feet's a-gittin' col'
An' I trimble when de col' win' blows.
I's a-gwine back Souf whar de sun shines hot
Way down war de sugarcane grows.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rise when the rooster crows
From: Goose Gander
Date: 24 Dec 08 - 01:56 PM

I was just singing 'Rise When the Rooster Crows' this morning.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rise when the rooster crows
From: Artful Codger
Date: 25 Dec 08 - 03:21 PM

Norman Blake does a great song by this title on one of his CDs; I assume it's the same one (and probably after Uncle Dave Macon), though I haven't compared lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rise when the rooster crows
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Dec 08 - 10:59 PM

the 'golden shoes' show up in several spirituals, notably "Down by the Riverside;" there is even a U. S. Scouts version:
Scout songbook
The womansministry.org.uk.i.htm has a verse;

I'm gonna walk on the golden streets
I'm gonna put on my golden shoes
I'm gonna walk, I'm gonna talk,
I'm gonna dance about,
When I put on my golden shoes.

Another spiritual verse is:
You got shoes
I got shoes
All of God's chillun got shoes
I'm gonna put on my golden shoes
And walk all over God's heaven.

I'll post Uncle Dave Macon's version a little later if it isn't in Mudcat already.

Subject: Lyr Add: RISE WHEN THE ROOSTER CROWS (Dave Macon)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Dec 08 - 11:53 PM

RISE WHEN THE ROOSTER CROWS
Uncle Dave Macon Vo 5097

(Spoken) Now, good people, that was a little of "Sweet Golden Daisies." Now I'm a-gonna give you something from the land of hog and hominy, punkin and possum, and where whiskey's made out of corn, and women don't smell like talcum powder. Let's go, Bud.--

1. Dem golden shoes that you hear so much about,
Oh, the gospel tunes are gonna wear them out.
Gonna wear them up yonder for to put on the robes,
When I get on my golden shoes.

CHORUS: I'll rise when the rooster crows,
Gonna rise when the rooster crows,
I'm a-goin' back south where the sun shines hot,
Oh, down where the sugar cane grows.

2. Don't let old Satan try to fool you,
For the gates'll be closed and you can't get through
With my long white robe and my white socks too,
Gonna put on the golden shoes. CHORUS

3. When Gabriel comes for to blow his horn,
Well you needn't pull back for you've got to go on,
Prepare yourself, for the great day,
For you can't take money and buy your way. CHORUS

4. We'd have cider all the fall,
I said I's a-gwine to the ball,
Where the ducks chew tobacco and the goose drinks wine,
The old hen cackles while the rooster keeps the time. CHORUS

5. What you gwine-a do when the women all dead?
Gonna set in the corner with a hung-down head.
Yeah, if I had to marry, then wouldn't marry for riches,
I'd marry a big fat gal that couldn't wear my britches.


The poster of these Dave Macon songs states he puts them down as he hears them. He seems to have a pretty good ear; better than mine, anyhow.

Quite a few Macon lyrics at this site.

Macon lyrics

(University of Mary Washington, a well-known public liberal arts school, is at Fredericksburg, VA, with a second campus at Stafford).