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11 Aug 07 - 05:46 PM (#2123929) Subject: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: DADGBE Hi Friends, I'm looking for a version of a moonshine song with the following words: Well, I've been a moonshiner now these 17 long years, Spent all my money on whiskey and beer, Now I'll go to some holler and set up my still, And I'll sell you a gallon for a $2 bill. Chorus: Corn whiskey, corn whiskey, I like you pretty well. You've killed all my kinfolks and sent them to hell. You sent all my kinfolks on rot gut and rye, And I guess you'll send me when I'm ready to die. I'll go to some grocery and drink with my friends, Where the women can't follow and see what I spend. God bless those pretty women, how I wish they were mine. Their breath tastes as sweet as the good old moonshine. Chorus Well, it's red meat when I'm hungry and moonshine when I'm dry, Greenback when I'm hard up and religion when I die. The whole world's a bottle and life's but a dram. When the bottle gets empty, it ain't worth one damn. Chorus The melody was similar to The Waggoner's Lad. Anybody recognize this? |
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11 Aug 07 - 07:55 PM (#2123990) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: Q (Frank Staplin) I seem to recall that this already was brought up in a previous thread on moonshine, the moonshiner. The first verse is in The Moonshiner, in the DT. Also see thread 44572: Moonshiner Who the particular singer or source was who put it together in the version you have, I dunno. The thread may give you a lead. |
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12 Aug 07 - 01:55 PM (#2124251) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: DADGBE Thanks Q, I already checked out that thread but didn't get an answer. |
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13 Aug 07 - 07:06 AM (#2124631) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: GUEST,Bob Coltman For some reason the best thread on this song, both the Irish version and what appears to be the American original, didn't come up among those listed at the top of this message. Here's the thread: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=95516 Lots more info there. Bob |
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13 Aug 07 - 08:10 AM (#2124659) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: deadfrett This could be a "Rye Whiskey" variant.Some of the verses are shared. We play a fiddle tune called "Drunken Hiccups". Dave |
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13 Aug 07 - 11:29 AM (#2124800) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego I remember performing this song, or a close variant, as far back as 1957. I learned it from a fellow habitue' of a coffee house in Fresno, California. It seemed an obvious American variant of the more widely known "Moonshiner" done by the Clancy Brothers, among others. As I recall the melody, it may have evoked the "Wagoner's Lad," but was really quite different - a little simpler line. It had a little more melancholy sense about it than the Irish song. It was played with major chords, but almost had a strange minor feel. It may have come out of the collection of Alan Lomax in some form. |
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13 Aug 07 - 07:02 PM (#2124810) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: Bob the Postman Here's the blickie for the thread cited above by Bob Coltman: thread.cfm?threadid=95516 |
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13 Aug 07 - 07:47 PM (#2124835) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: DADGBE Thank you all for your contributions... and Hi Bob Coltman; Ray Frank here. Is it possible that this version was done by a 60s singer a la Judy Collins or the like? |
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14 Aug 07 - 03:39 PM (#2125435) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: Pinetop Slim Jean Ritchie (kytrad) has a version in one of her books and could probably give some background. |
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14 Aug 07 - 05:29 PM (#2125509) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: Allan C. These are the same lyrics as were used by The Limelighters in "Corn Whiskey" on the Our Men in San Francisco album. I very much like their version. |
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12 Aug 10 - 02:12 PM (#2963758) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: GUEST I learned this tune in 1963 from my then-wife, and we played it in 6/8 time in the key of Dmi. I don't know where she learned it, but she had a Missouri uncle who played banjo, so that's a possibility. I recently re-keyed this song to Emi. Your lyrics (above) are more complete than what I remember ... thanks. A D F#m Em Well, I've been a moonshiner these seventeen long years A D F#m Em Spent all my money on whiskey and beer G A F#m E (major) Now I'll go to some holler and set up my still A D F#m Em And I'll sell you a gallon for a two-dollar bill |
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09 Dec 10 - 08:49 PM (#3050063) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: GUEST,MJ The Lime Lighters sang this song on an album in early 1960s. Tex Ritter sang a song Rye Whiskey on a 45 single in 1948 very similar to Corn Whiskey. |
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12 Jun 11 - 03:25 AM (#3169174) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: GUEST Leon Rudd - Corn whiskey |
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12 Jun 11 - 07:03 AM (#3169250) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: BanjoRay The New Lost City Ramblers did a version of this on their superb album "Songs Of Moonshine & Prohibition" back around 1960. Ray |
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29 Jun 13 - 03:18 AM (#3531576) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: GUEST,BobCox2 Limelighter did this in the 1960s |
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22 Dec 19 - 02:42 PM (#4024924) Subject: RE: Origins: Corn Whiskey/Moonshine From: GUEST,Valkyrie Ziege ; https://youtu.be/Vuu5wFG98jI |