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29 Sep 07 - 03:44 PM (#2160037) Subject: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Joe Offer Since I live in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California, I'm fascinated with the story of John A. Stone, more commonly known as "Old Put." Stone published a series of songbooks during the Gold Rush days, and he's the source of almost all the songs we identify with the California Gold Rush. We've had a lot of information posted about Stone in a variety of threads, but no one thread on Stone himself. I'd like to use this thread to compile information on stone, and to post and index all the "Old Put" songs we can find. -Joe Offer- This is an edited PermaThread, to be used to compile information on John A. Stone. Feel free to post to this thread, but be aware that all messages in this thread are subject to editing. Music of the Gold Rush & Civil War includes a facsimile of this songster, plus texts and MIDI tunes for most songs. Click here to skip to the table of contents for Put's Golden Songster in this thread. Put's Golden Songster (online-click here) |
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29 Sep 07 - 03:46 PM (#2160039) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Joe Offer Thread #46672 Message #693347 Posted By: Dicho 18-Apr-02 - 10:10 PM Thread Name: Lyr Add: Sweet Betsy From Pike (John A. Stone?) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sweet Betsy From Pike [excerpt] John A. Stone reached California in 1850, but never found gold. "He claimed to have sung all of his songs at various times and places and occasionally with the assistance of a group of men known as the Sierra Nevada Rangers. With encouragement from friends, he published his songs as "Put's Original California Songster" in 1855 which was followed by other "Put's" songsters that dealt with the mountains of California. "Sweet Betsy" appeared in the second edition of "Put's Golden Songster (1858) ..." Quoted from "The Whorehouse Bells Were Ringing" by Guy Logsdon, p. 215ff. |
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29 Sep 07 - 04:20 PM (#2160048) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Joe Offer What I'd really like to find are online copies of the John A. Stone songbooks. Seems like somebody should have them. Click here for a list of California Songsters Published Between 1850 and 1892. As you can see, many songsters were published during the period - but John A. Stone's two books are by far the most famous ones. I thought he published more, but as far as I can see, there are only two John A. Stone Songsters: Here's another one I'd like to investigate. The author is listed as Appleton (Stone's publisher), but some citations seem to attribute it to Stone: Author(s): Appleton, David Emble. Publication: San Francisco, Year: 1861 Description: 1 v. (various pagings) 14 cm.
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29 Sep 07 - 04:58 PM (#2160071) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Q (Frank Staplin) Put's Golden Songster," 1858, printed in facsimile by UMI, Books on Demand. Available from Astrologos Books, NY, www.AstroLogos.org |
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29 Sep 07 - 05:11 PM (#2160081) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Q (Frank Staplin) The Original California Songster, original copies $250-$500, can't find reprint. No copies of Pacific Song Book seem to be on sale through Abebooks. $36 for Put's Golden Songster facsimile. |
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07 Dec 07 - 05:59 AM (#2210362) Subject: Put's Golden Songster - Preface and Index From: Joe Offer Well, Debby McClatchy owed me a favor, so I cajoled her into going to the California State Library in Sacramento, where she copied all 63 pages of Put's Golden Songster for me. All sorts of doors opened for her when they learned her name was McClatchy - after John A. Sutter, McClatchy is probably the second most important name in Sacramento history. I'll be posting the entire text of the book over time. Thanks, Debby.
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07 Dec 07 - 06:07 AM (#2210370) Subject: ADD: Loss of the 'Central America' (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer Loss of the "Central America" [Air: "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"] The "Central America',"' painted so fine, Went down like a thousand of brick, And all the old tubs that are now on the line Will follow her, two at lick. 'Twould be very fine were the owners aboard, And sink where they never would rise; 'Twould any amount of amusement afford, And cancel a million of lies.
'Twould be very fine were the owners aboard, And sink where they never would rise; 'Twould any amount of amusement afford, And cancel a million of lies. These murdering villains will ne'er be forgot, As long as America stands; Their bones should be left in the ocean to rot, And their souls be at Satan's commands. They've murdered and swindled the people for years And never will be satisfied Till death puts an end to their earthly careers, Then may they with demons reside.
They've murdered and swindled the people for years And never will be satisfied Till death puts an end to their earthly careers, Then may they with demons reside. Put's Golden Songster, page 7 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 36-37 Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" was the refrain of a song Charles Albert White wrote (or at least claimed authorship for) in 1847 titled "Oh! De Floating Scow ob de Ole Virginia"; it was also published by Christy in the same year under the "Carry Me Back" title. The now-familiar song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" was a reworked version by James A. Bland in 1878, decades after Stone's songster was published. Sheet music (1847) in the Brown University Library. Sheet music [PDF; 1847] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Mudcat thread: History of Carry Me Back To Old Virginn[y] Mudcat thread: Origins: Carry Me Back to Old Virginny [Back to Contents] |
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07 Dec 07 - 06:22 AM (#2210378) Subject: ADD: Parting Friends (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer Parting Friends [Air: "the Drummer Boy at Waterloo"] With parting friends, no tongue can tell, No heart can feel the grief and pain, But those who bid good-by - farewell - Perhaps to never meet again. But those who bid good-by - farewell - Perhaps to never meet again. He goes - and soon home is forgot, No tidings of him do they bear; His vows to write he heeds them not, Which causes many a silent tear. His vows to write he heeds them not, Which causes many a silent tear. No joy the dreadful wound can heal— The tale of sorrow dies untold - Still o'er his mind those words will steal, "God speed thee to the land of gold!" Still o'er his mind those words will steal, "God speed thee to the land of gold!" With aching hearts and watery eyes, In vain they look for his return; "He's dead! he's dead!" the weeper cries— As for the dead they for him mourn. "He's dead! he's dead!" the weeper cries— As for the dead they for him mourn. Washing.
Why, de former irons your linen, and de latter one steels it. Put's Golden Songster, page 8 Not found in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush Click to play (joeweb) [from Henry's][Tune notes by Artful Codger]"The Drummer Boy at Waterloo," also known as "Young Edward," was printed on several broadsides but without a tune. "Woodland Mary" is listed as having the same tune; by extension, so does "Wandering Mary". But tunes for these last two seem scarce, while tunes for "Drummer Boy" vary so widely I wouldn't conjecture on the particular tune Stone knew for this song. I've linked to several variants for your consideration. (Note that the text of "Wandering Mary" was published before the Battle of Waterloo, though this may be irrelevant in regard to tracing the tune derivation.) Folklorist: The Drummer Boy of Waterloo (info only) Sam Henry's Songs of the People, p. 88: The Drummer Boy at Waterloo (with score; see MIDI link above) folkinfo.org: The Drummer Boy of Waterloo (Catskills version from Cazden; score, ABC, MIDI...) Wolf Collection: The Drummer Boy of Waterloo (Young Edward) (with MP3) Digital Tradition: Young Edward (Drummer Boy of Waterloo) (MIDI, score of Ozark version from Randolph) Mudcat thread: Wandering Mary [Back to Contents] |
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07 Dec 07 - 06:32 AM (#2210385) Subject: ADD: The Vocal Miner (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer The Vocal Miner [Air: "Do They Miss Me At Home"] When the miner returns from his labor, And lays himself own to repose, He wonders the luck of his neighbor, And how he got all his good clothes;— But soon there's a change of sensation; For sleep, the twin sister of death, Will whisper a dream of relation That soon will depart like a breath— That soon will depart like a breath. With his shovel and pick on his shoulder, He starts in the morning to mine; At noon he sits down on a boulder, And wishes 'twas still '49; For then he could do so much better, But this is what troubles him most: The mail has arrived - but no letter! Why shouldn't he give up the ghost? Why shouldn't be give up the ghost? He can see the hot cakes in the kitchen, The innocent children at play, And see his old mother at knitting, Who soon will be passing away. Their letters are always inviting, No matter how poor, to return; But some one is a1ways backbiting, And saying, "He'll come—in a horn!" And saying, "He'll come—in a horn!" If his friends, old and young, could behold him. With frying-pan baking his bread, A wife or a sister might scold him, Because it was heavy as lead. Then one earning more than another, Is what they don't well understand, And lay to this, that and t’other, Conclude he is working in sand — Conclude he is working in sand. When the sleigh-bells are merrily ringing, And music resounds at the ball, Is some fond heart to him still clinging, Or is he forsaken by all? Perhaps they have heard of his stealing, And wonder what people have lost; If here they could tell by squealing And squawking in many a hen-roost— And squawking in many a hen-roost. Do they write to his friends that he's drinking, And gambling his money away— Pretend it was done without thinking, Or trying to lead them astray? From Death with grim visage inviting, With horror their souls will recoil; And demons will get them for writing, And deal with them "'cording to Hoyle!" And deal with them "'cording to Hoyle!" Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Do They Miss Me at Home?", text by Caroline A. Mason (?), music by S.M. Grannis, 1852. Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Digital Tradition: Do They Miss Me at Home (with score and MIDI) YouTube: oldcremona (banjo) and friends: Do They Miss Me at Home? [Back to Contents] |
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07 Dec 07 - 04:07 PM (#2210808) Subject: ADD: You Who Don't Believe It (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer You Who Don't Believe It [air: "Blue-tail Fly"] There is no land upon the earth, Contains the same amount of worth; And he that could not here reside, Had ought to freeze the other side!
You who don't believe it, You who don't believe it, You who don't believe it, Come yourselves and see! A flag that wins whene'er unfurled, And smarter men to help us through, Than England, France or Mexico.
Larger sheep with finer wool; A prison too! you cannot fail To throw a Bull through by the tail.
Got more and better feather beds; Of everything we've got the best, An thieves until you cannot rest.
The country's safer than before; Our cities keep the rowdies straight, Or send them through the Golden Gate.
Taller trees and faster deer, And travel more, at higher rates, Than people in the Eastern States.
And, ten to one, old whiskey bloats; We're blest with very heavy fogs, And any amount of poodle dogs!
Railroads, ditches and canals; Although we did repudiate, A joke 'twas only to create.
You're welcome to the land of gold; So come along, be not afraid, We guarantee you all well paid!
Put's Golden Songster, pages 11-12 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 24 Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Jim Crack Corn, or The Blue-Tail Fly" is commonly credited to the minstrel Daniel Decatur Emmett, 1846, though it's also argued that he modified an existing black minstrel song. Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Digital Tradition: Blue-Tail Fly (with score and MIDI) Digital Tradition: Jim Crack Corn Mudcat thread: Origins: Blue-Tail Fly [Back to Contents] |
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08 Dec 07 - 11:30 PM (#2211731) Subject: ADD: A California Ball (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer A California Ball [Air: "Wait For the Wagon"] 'Twould make our eastern people cave To see the great and small, The old, with one foot in the grave, All "splurging" at a ball.
Wait for the music! Wait for the music! Wait for the music, And we'll all have a dance! On foot they through the diggings wind, And over mountains tall, With young ones tagging on behind, "Flat-footed" for the ball! CHORUS A dozen babies on the bed, And all begin to squall; The mothers wish the brats were dead, For crying at the ball! CHORUS The manager begins to curse, And swaggers through the hall, For mothers they've gone out to nurse Their babies at the ball! CHORUS Old women in their Bloomer rigs Are fond of "balance all!" And "weighty" when it comes to jigs, And so on, at the ball! CHORUS A yearling miss fills out the sett, Although not very tall; "I'm anxious now," she says, "you bet, To proceed with the ball !" CHORUS A married woman—gentle dove— With nary tooth at all, Sits in the corner making love To some "pimp" at the ball! CHORUS A drunken loafer at the dance Informs them one and all, With bowie knife stuck in his pants, "The best man at the ball!" CHORUS The Spanish hags of ill repute For brandy loudly call, And no one dares their right dispute To freedom at the ball! CHORUS The gambler all the money wins, To bed the drunkest crawl; And fighting then of course begins With rowdies at the ball! CHORUS They rush it like a rail-road car; And often is the call Of, "Promenade up to the bar," For whisky at the ball! CHORUS "Old Alky" makes their bowels yearn, They stagger round and fall; And ladies say when they return, "Oh, what a splendid ball !" CHORUS Put's Golden Songster, pages 13-15 Tom Palmer came home yesterday, and his wife says, "My dear, what shall we have for dinner?" "Why, one of your lovely smiles," replied Tom, "I can dine on that any day." "Yes, but I can't," said his wife. "Well, then take this," said he, giving her a kiss. He then went out, and came back soon after for his dinner. "This steak is excellent," said Tom, "What did you give for it?" "why, what you gave me this morning," said his wife. Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 127-128 Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Wait for the Wagon" is a minstrel song from the early 1850's. Although often attributed to George P. Knauff, who published music for it in Baltimore in 1851, it was first copyrighted in 1850 in New Orleans by Weisenthal with "words by a lady." Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Digital Tradition: Wait for the Wagon YouTube: The Skirtlifters: Wait for the Wagon [Back to Contents] |
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09 Dec 07 - 12:34 PM (#2211954) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Q (Frank Staplin) A few of the lyrics from "Put's Golden Songster" have been posted in other threads, e. g., "Sacramento Gals" in thread 46751: Gold Miners Songs These will be hard to find; it takes too long to go through postings. Many have been published with the musical score in Dwyer and Lingenfelter, 1965, "The Songs of the Gold Rush," ("Sacramento Gals," pp. 129-130). I think "So Would I" and "Parting Friends" are the only two that they left out. Do you intend to put the whole of this Put Songster in this thread? I think this permathread should list all of those published with scores by Dwyer and Lingenfelter; it is convenient to find the music all in one place. I will post the list with page numbers and their remarks if you think that is worthwhile. |
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09 Dec 07 - 09:26 PM (#2212208) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Joe Offer Hi, Q- Yes, I'm planning to put the entire Golden Songster in this thread. Later on, I'll add annotations from the two Lingenfelter-Dwyer books. Just this evening, I was able to find Put's Original California Songster and I plan to post it in entirety, too. These two songbooks are very important to the history of Northern California, and I'd like to make sure they're available to anyone who'd like to take a look. Here in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, I come across reminders of the Gold Rush every day - so these "Old Put" songs are very important to me. -Joe- |
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09 Dec 07 - 10:02 PM (#2212225) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Q (Frank Staplin) A worthwhile project. If I can help with PGS let me know. It will be good to have them all in one place. Any luck with "The Pacific Songster"? Sweet Betsey from Pike in the DT is a modern remake of Stone's song, not his. The Placerville verse is lost and much of the Gold Rush and pioneer feel of the original. |
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10 Jan 08 - 02:16 AM (#2232749) Subject: ADD: The Mountain Cottage (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer The Mountain Cottage [Air: The Maid of Monterey] One pleasant summer evening, 'twas in the month of May, The flowers they were blooming, delightfully and gay. The pick and shovel silent lay, the day's work being o'er; A happy group assembled 'round the mountain cottage door. The pick and shovel silent lay, the day's work being o'er; A happy group assembled 'round the mountain cottage door. 2 A green old oak, with branches wide, hangs o'er the little ranch; The birds are skipping to and fro with joy from branch to branch; A lovely wife, in silver tones, is singing "roam no more," And all is joy and comfort 'round the mountain cottage door. A lovely wife, in silver tones, &c. 3 The old Sierras, fair to view, capped with eternal snow — The rich and pleasant valleys lay fresh and green below — A lovely child, with rosy cheeks, is playing on the floor, And all is joy and happiness 'round the mountain cottage door. A lovely child, with rosy cheeks, &c. 4 The summer's sun, when peeping through the lattice in the morn, Beholds a smiling countenance, the cottage to adorn; The towering pines' majestic forms defy the winds that roar; While gentle glides the brook beside the mountain cottage door. The towering pines' majestic forms, &c. 5 'Tis high up in the mountain, a lovely spot indeed; The window blinds are open; ye single men, take heed — No earthly joys can be compared, with heart arid heart in store; 'Tis wealth and happiness around a mountain cottage door. No earthly joys can be compared, &c. Put's Golden Songster, pages 16-17 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 100-101 - Pete, I hear say dat some Yankee down East hab invented a machine for taking de noise out ob thunder. Well, Bill, I guess it's so, case I habn't heard any dis winter. Click to play[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"The Maid of Monterrey" was written by J.H. Hewitt, 1851. Sheet music can be found online in the Library of Congress American Memory collection (click). Mudcat thread: The Maid of Monterrey (with lyrics and MIDI) [Back to Contents] |
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10 Jan 08 - 02:24 AM (#2232750) Subject: ADD: I'm Sad and Lonely Here (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer I'm Sad and Lonely Here [Air: Oft in the Stilly Night] I'm sad and lonely here, Though joy and wealth surround me, I dare not speak, for fear Some fighting man will pound me. Were I at home I would not roam So far from thee again; But there would camp for years to come, Beside my Peggy Jane. CHORUS: I'm sad and lonely here, Though joy and wealth surround me, I dare not speak, for fear Some fighting man will pound me. I long have looked for gold, But little have I found; I own that I've been sold, For 'tis not in the ground. I feel "as how" I'd sooner plow, Yes, hoe or husk the corn; Or even milk the brindle cow That kicks so in the morn. CHORUS Put's Golden Songster, p. 18 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 165. Reuben, what does you take for your cold? Why, Johnson, about four pocket handkerchiefs a day. Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]The text of "Oft in the Stilly Night" was written and published by Thomas Moore in his National Airs, volume 1 (1815); he described the tune as a "Scotch air", but no music was given. In 1818, Sir John Stevenson, who collaborated with Moore in arranging numerous settings of Moore's texts and songs, made an arrangement of "Oft in the Stilly Night". My brief research has failed to turn up further information on the song or tune which Moore used as the musical basis. Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Mudcat thread: Of in the Stilly Night [Back to Contents] |
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10 Jan 08 - 02:37 AM (#2232752) Subject: ADD: The Last Good-By (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer The Last Good-by [Air: Lily Bell] In my ear their words are ringing, Though I see their forms no more, Still to hope I'm fondly clinging, On this wild and golden shore. Dreams of home, whene'er I slumber, Carry me to friends so dear; Morning comes, and with it hunger, Mingled with a transient tear. CHORUS: Oh, never, no, no, never, Shall I, till the day I die, Once forget those friends so clever, Bidding me the last good-bye! 2 When the miner, cold and weary, To his camp returns at night, All around looks cold and dreary, Gold has vanished from his sight! When at home his name is spoken, Does some loved one weep or sigh? Or, are vows so sacred broken, Given with the last good-by! CHORUS: Oh, never, no, no, never, Shall I, till the day I die, Once forget those friends so clever, Bidding me the last good-bye! 3 'Neath an oak beside the mountain, Stands a miner's lonely grave, Near a cool and sparkling fountain, Far beyond life's troubled wave; Now his friends are sadly weeping, "Can it be he's dead and gone?" Yes, in death he now lies sleeping, Sleeping gently and alone. CHORUS: Oh, never, no, no, never, Shall I, till the day I die, Once forget those friends so clever, Bidding me the last good-bye! 4 Though I love the mountains dearly, Where the savage, wild, doth roam, Better still and more sincerely Do I love my good old home! When I'm roaming through the canons, 'Mong the fir trees, dark and high, Brings to mind my old companions Bidding me the last good-bye! CHORUS: Oh, never, no, no, never, Shall I, till the day I die, Once forget those friends so clever, Bidding me the last good-bye! Put's Golden Songster, pp 19-20 Lyrics (no tune) in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 172 Click to play (joeweb)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]The "Lily Bell" most probably intended by Stone is a song of that name published in 1853, lyrics by W.W. Wakelam and music by Charles Mueller. The first name is more frequently spelled "Lilly". Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Sheet music in the Library of Congress American Memory collection. MP3: "Lilly Bell Quickstep", arrangement for brass band (see this LOC page for details) YouTube: "Lilly Bell Quickstep" performed by The Chatham Cornet Band [Back to Contents] |
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10 Jan 08 - 02:44 AM (#2232753) Subject: ADD: Sacramento Gals (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer SACRAMENTO GALS [Air-Bobbin' Around] The Sacramento gals are some, Nipping 'round, around, around; They're down on men who live on rum, As they go nipping 'round. They're pretty gals, I must confess, Nipping 'round, around, around; And "Lordy-massy" how they dress, As they go nipping 'round. On J street they are to be found, Nipping 'round, around, around, Their bustles lift them off the ground, As they go nipping 'round. Their hoops will reach around a dray, Nipping 'round, around, around; They're "airy" on a windy day, As they go nipping 'round. There's many a gal from Ar-kan-saw, Nipping 'round, around, around, Who well remembers hollowing "haw," As she went nipping 'round. Their faces covered with paint and chalk, Nipping 'round, around, around; Their hoops take up the whole sidewalk, As they go nipping 'round. They're here and there, like Santa Anna, Nipping 'round, around, around; They're fresh and mellow as a ripe banana, As they go nipping 'round. Give me a rosy country gal, Nipping 'round, around, around; No matter if her name is Sal, As she goes nipping 'round. But of all the gals I ever see, Nipping 'round, around, around; The Sacramento gals for me, As they go nipping 'round. * as spelled in the "Songster." John A. Stone, 1858, "Put's Golden Songster," pp. 21-22. Appleton & Co., San Francisco. Based on the popular song, "Bobbin' Around," by W. J. Florence, 1850(?), 2nd. ed. 1855. Levy Sheet Music, Bobbin' Around
Click to play (joeweb)Neighbor - "Well, what are you doing with him?" Swiggs - Why, nothing, only I cotched him in my beans this morning, and so I thought if you was a mind to fill this 'ere jug with cider, I'd call it even." The jug was filled, and the horse went to grass again. [Back to Contents] |
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10 Jan 08 - 02:54 PM (#2233211) Subject: ADD: A Miners' Meeting [John A. Stone ('Old Put')] From: Joe Offer A Miners' Meeting [air - 'The Raging Canal'] 1 When miners get into a row about their mining ground, A miners' meeting then is called, and miners flock around; Each party clearly states his case, then both proclaim aloud, "We'll introduce our evidence, then leave it to the crowd." 2 A witness then is called upon, who tells a crooked yarn, Declares the diggings "jumpable," so far as he can "larn," Is positive they've not been worked as mining laws require; And any man that says they have, he'll tell him he's a liar! 3 A witness on the other side tells quite another tale. An interested party then presents a bill of sale, And proves it clear, and furthermore, that he's been very sick, Not able since he bought the claim to strike a single lick. 4 Now "Bob" brings up a man and proves "he has not been unwell, But since the date of bill of sale has been as drunk as h-ll." The friends of "Bob" begin to howl, and "Jake's" begin to swear, A few go in and fight it out, or "try it on the square." 5 A call is made from either side to hear the ayes and noes— By this time half the crowd is drunk, and care not how it goes; And all begin to curse and swear, and out with bowie-knives, All ready, should it come to blows, to take each other's lives. 6 A drunken bully in the crowd throws off his hat and coat, And right or wrong, no matter which, he thus demands the vote— "Now all in favor of OLD BOB will please to hollow AYE, And all who vote the other way shall leave the diggings dry." 7 The crowd send forth a hideous howl, and "Bob" has won the day, Who now invites all hands to drink before they go away, "Old Jake" concludes he's badly beat, and quietly retires, Well satisfied that "Bob" has raised the largest crowd of liars! Put's Golden Songster, pp. 28-29 Text & tune in Lingenfelter & Dwyer, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 77-78, and Songs of the American West, pp 136-137. Click to play (pdmusic.org)For tune notes, see the song "Poker Jim" in the thread on Put's Original California Songster.[Back to Contents] |
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11 Jan 08 - 02:27 PM (#2234101) Subject: ADD: The Rowdy (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer The Rowdy [Air: Comin' through the Rye'] If a rowdy meet a rowdy, Going down the street- If a rowdy ask a rowday, Must a rowdy treat? CHORUS Every rowdy has his toddy, Ne'er a "tod" have I; But all the rowdies follow me, Whenever they are dry. 2 If a rowdy sees a rowdy Take a glass of grog, Should a rowdy call a rowdy D-d infernal hog? Every rowdy has his toddy,&c. 3 If a rowdy meet a rowdy Anywhere in town, Should a rowdy curse a rowdy, Knock a rowdy down. Every rowdy has his toddy,&c. 4 If a rowdy sees a rowdy Trying to raise a "fout," Should a rowdy say to rowdy, "Go in, let's clean him out." Every rowdy has his toddy,&c. 5 If a rowdy will be a rowdy, Ride him on a rail; Tar the rowdy, feather rowdy, Take him off to jail! Every rowdy has his toddy,&c. Put's Golden Songster, page 25 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 122 So would I. If Eastern fops who paint their cheeks, And wear their standing collars, Would live and work with me two weeks I'd give five hundred dollars. For breakfast, ere we went to work, We'd take a bit "for greens," For dinner we'd have beans and pork, For supper, pork and beans. If California was an eel, A bullhead, shark or whale, I'm satisfied, as I now feel, That I would be the tail! A sour old maid once asked the advice of a neighbor how she should get rid of a troublesome suitor. "Oh, marry him," was the advice. "Nay," said she, "I had rather see him hanged first." "That's all the same," was the reply, "for after your marriage it will not be long before he will hang himself." Click to play (The Contemplator tunebook)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]The tune used for Robert Burns' song "Comin' thro' the Rye" is "Miller's Wedding". If anyone doesn't already know the tune (what pack of wolves raised you?) you can find it in the Digital Tradition entry (click). [Back to Contents] |
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11 Jan 08 - 04:44 PM (#2234211) Subject: ADD: He's the Man For Me (John A. Stone) From: Joe Offer He's the Man for Me [AIR-Rosin the Bow] I've traveled the mountains all over, And now to the valleys I'll go, And live like a pig in the clover, In sight of huge mountians of snow. In sight of huge mountians of snow, In sight of huge mountians of snow — And live like a pig in the clover, In sight of huge mountians of snow. 2 I'll marry a rich Señorita, And live on a ranch in the west; Have forty young greasers to greet her, And fifty, if put to a test. And fifty, if put to a test, And fifty, if put to a test — Have forty young greasers to greet her, And fifty, if put to a test. 3 I'll wear a "right pee-rt" standing collar, And smoke cigaritos, of course; And when I run short of a dollar, I'll try and obtain a divorce. I'll try and obtain a divorce, I'll try and obtain a divorce — And when I run short of a dollar, I'll try and obtain a divorce. 4 I'm greatly in favor of mining, With me, though, it does not agree; I'd rather be gently reclining, With Beauty, upon a settee. With Beauty, upon a settee, With Beauty, upon a settee, I'd rather be gently reclining, With Beauty, upon a settee. 5 I'm not much in favor of thieving, At all events, just as I feel; But never will work for a living, So long as I'm able to steal. So long as I'm able to steal, So long as I'm able to steal — I never will work for a living, So long as I'm able to steal. Put's Golden Songster, page 27 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 131-132 Click to play (numachi.com)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Rosin the Bow" is more commonly spelled "Ro[i]sin the Beau". The tune is so ubiquitous, you can find plenty on Mudcat and in the Digital Tradition pages about the tune, the song and the numerous songs that have been set to the same tune. I give only a brief sampling here. Digital Tradition: Rosin the Beau Mudcat thread: Help: Rosin the Beau The Contemplator Irish tunebook: Rosin the Beau (with MIDI) [Back to Contents] |
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16 Jan 08 - 07:50 PM (#2238085) Subject: ADD: On Board the Steamer (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) On Board the Steamer [Air: Midnight Hour] 1 On board the steamer, homeward bound, With joyful hearts and noiseful glee; Good-by! Good-by! Shake hands all round Then travel o'er the sea. CHORUS But ne'er forget those pleasant times, The mountains high and grizzly bear, The good old camp up in the mines, The mountains fresh and fair. 2 'Tis twelve at night, the moon shines bright, The ship glides gently o'er the waves; The soul is filled with pure delight, And danger boldly braves. CHORUS.- But ne'er forget, &c. 3 'Tis mirth and jollity aboard- The mind runs wild as home draws nigh- No cheerless look, no angry word As homeward bound you fly. CHORUS.- But ne'er forget, &c. 4 Good-by! Good-by! to all again- The long and tedious voyage is o'er; Good-by! Good-by! the raging main, Long may thy billows roar. CHORUS.- But ne'er forget, &c. Put's Golden Songster, p. 29 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 181. Music: "'Tis Midnight Hour," Good Old Songs Click to play (joeweb)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"'Tis Midnight Hour" is a ballad written ca. 1840 by "an amateur". Sheet music [PDF; 1840] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. [Back to Contents] |
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16 Jan 08 - 08:23 PM (#2238108) Subject: ADD: War in Camp (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) War in Camp [Air: Woodman, Spare that Tree] First Miner Partner, leave that grub, Touch not a single bean; For that we've got to play the rub, As you have acted mean! I bought the mining tools, And likewise blankets found; Like many other fools Took up our mining ground. Second Miner You did not buy the tools, Nor anything in camp; But did, like other fools, Steal them! you thieving scamp! Our camp is very wide, And each will take an end, What grub we've got divide- Then neither lend. First Miner We ought to be ashamed For acting as we do; If I by accident got lamed, What could I hope from you? Second Miner Well, let us act like men, And live within our means; But don't you ever try again To stop my eating beans! Put's Golden Songster, p. 30 Lyrics only in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of The Gold Rush, p. 99 (no score) Tune and lyrics to "Woodman, Spare that Tree," 1840, W. J. Wakelam, Firth & Hall NY, in American Memory, sheet music. Click to play (pdmusic)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Woodman! Spare That Tree!", text by George P. Morris, music by Henry Russell, 1837. (Not to be confused with the Irving Berlin song "Woodman, Woodman, Spart That Tree".) This song is one of Russell's best-remembered songs and spawned many parodies. Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. [Back to Contents] |
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16 Jan 08 - 09:42 PM (#2238166) Subject: ADD: California Stage Company (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) California Stage Company [Air: Dandy Jim of Caroline] 1 There's no respect for youth or age On board of a California stage; But pull and haul about for seats As bed-bugs do among the sheets. CHORUS They started as a thieving line In eighteen hundred forty-nine; All "opposition" they defy, So the people must "root hog or die." 2 You're crowded in with Chinamen, As fattening hogs are in a pen; And what will more a man provoke, Is musty plug tobacco smoke. CHORUS- They started as a thieving line, &c. 3 The ladies are compelled to sit With dresses in tobacco spit; The gentlemen don't seem to care, But talk on politics and swear. CHORUS- They started as a thieving line, &c. 4 The dust is deep in summertime, The mountains very hard to climb; And drivers often stop and yell, "Get out, all hands, and push- up hill!" CHORUS- They started as a thieving line, &c. 5 The drivers, when they feel inclined, Will have you walking on behind, And on your shoulders lug a pole, To help them through some muddy hole. CHORUS- They started as a thieving line, &c. 6 They promise, when your fare you pay, "You'll have to walk but half the way;" Then add aside, with cunning laugh, "You'll push and pull the other half!" CHORUS- They started as a thieving line, &c. 7 They have and will monopolize The business, 'till the people rise, And send them "kiting" down below, To start a line with Bates and Rowe! Chorus- They started as a thieving line, &c. Put's Golden Songster,, pp. 31-32 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp140-141. S. S. Steele & J. R. Myers published Dandy Jim of Caroline in 1843. A STINGY Dutchman, who was very fond of cider, and always kept good cider in his cellar, was once called upon by a stranger. Stranger- "I hear, Mr. Schneider, that you keep the best cider around here." Schneider- "Yaas, I hash good cider- Hans, go draw a mug." The boy fetched the cider and handed it to his father, who drank it all at a single pull, then turning to his astonished visitor, exclaimed, "Tare, ten- if you don't dink dat is coot cider, chust schmell of the mug!" Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Dandy Jim of Caroline" is a minstrel song from 1843. The proper attribution is unclear, since period sheet music from different publishers credit at least five different authors, including Chas. Reps, Dan Emmet, Geo. F. Bristow, J. T. Norton and Silas Sexton Steele (music by J. Richard "Ole Bull" Myers). Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Mudcat thread: Dandy Jim of Caroline YouTube: Kyle Pretzl and friend: Dandy Jim of Caroline YouTube: Holmes Minstrels: Dandy Jim of Caroline [Back to Contents] |
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17 Jan 08 - 05:10 PM (#2238765) Subject: ADD: The Shady Old Camp (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) The Shady Old Camp [Air: Ben Bolt] 1 Oh, don't you remember the shady old camp, That stood by the side of the brook, Where we lay on the ground after many a tramp, And the fire-place where we used to cook? The shady old camp has gone to decay, And the ham bone has dropped from the pin; The roof and the door both have rotted away, And the chimney has all tumbled in. The roof and the door both have rotted away, And the chimney has all tumbled in. 2 Oh, don't you remember the cool summer breeze, So welcome in June and July, And the table that stood 'neath the shady oak trees, At the foot of the mountain so high? The table is standing, as when we were there, Though not as we often have seen, For bushes have grown o'er the ground then so bare, And miners have worked our ravine! For bushes have grown o'er the ground then so bare, And miners have worked our ravine! 3 Oh, don't you remember the mountains of snow, In sight from the camp all the year, And the valleys so green, where the wild flowers grow, And where we went hunting the deer? The cool little brook where we used to drink, Will always be running the same As when we were talking of home on the brink, Or cursing the day that we came. As when we were talking of home on the brink, Or cursing the day that we came. 4 Oh, don't you remember the well-beaten trail That led from the camp to the spring, And the potpies we made of the squirrel and quail, And the evenings when we used to sing? The trail and the spring we shall see them no more, Though never forget till we die; The shady old camp, with the ground for a floor, Forever, we bid thee good-by! The shady old camp, with the ground for a floor, Forever, we bid thee good-by! Put's Golden Songster, pp. 33-34 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 102-103. Dwyer and Lingenfelter credit J. A. Stone and N. Kneass. Music: "Ben Bolt," Temperance Songster "Ben Bolt" was published as a poem by Thomas Dunn English, in The New Mirror, 1843. Nelson F. Kneass wrote the music most used in 1848. Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]For tune notes, see the song "The Sonora Filibuster" in the thread on Put's Original California Songster. Mudcat thread: The Shady Old Camp [Back to Contents]
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17 Jan 08 - 09:14 PM (#2238914) Subject: ADD: And Thus He Spoke (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) And Thus He Spoke [Air: The Fatal Separation] 1 One stormy night, when winds blew wild Around his cabin door, A miner sat on a three legg'd stool- The reason, it had not four. CHORUS And thus he spoke, while from his eye A tear rolled down his cheek- "Oh, give me back my little home, For that is all I seek." 2 "I once possessed a cheerful heart, A poor though happy home, Until misfortune did us part, And doomed me here to roam." CHORUS- And thus he spoke, &c. 3 "The cry of gold gave life to life, A ray of hope appeared; I started in the hellish strife, And found it as I feared." CHORUS- And thus he spoke, &c. 4 The wind is howling worse and worse- I know not what it means, Nor do I care a single curse For I have burned my beans!" CHORUS- And thus he spoke, &c. Put's Golden Songster, p. 35 Lyrics only in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 169. Music possibly the song A Fatal Separation, set by John Welldon in A Collection of New Songs, 1702, to words in Dido and Aeneas, an opera by Henry Purcell, used between acts of an opera by Charles Gildon based on Shakespeare's play Measure for Measure. From article by Irena Cholij on Purcell's opera. [Back to Contents] |
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18 Jan 08 - 08:27 PM (#2239704) Subject: ADD: The Unhappy Miner (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) The Unhappy Miner. [Air: Old Dog Tray] 1 My happy days are past, The mines have failed at last, The cañons and gulches no longer will pay, There's nothng left for me, I'll never, never see My happy, happy home far away. CHORUS Oh, happy home, now where art thou, Friends that were kind and sincere? Alas, I do not know, my heart is full of woe, Thinking of loved ones so dear. 2 I mine from break of day, But cannot make it pay, Disheartened return to my cabin at night, Where rattlesnakes crawl round My bed made on the ground, And coiling up, lay ready to bite. CHORUS- Oh, happy home, &c. 3 My poor old leaky lamp Is always cold and damp; My blanket is covered with something that crawls; My bread will never rise, My coffee-pot capsize. I'd rather live inside of prison walls. CHORUS- Oh, happy home, &c. 4 My boots are full of holes, Like merchants, have no soles; My hands, once so soft, are harder than stone; My pants and woolen shirt Are oily rags and dirt; And must I live and die here alone? CHORUS- Oh, happy home, &c. 5 I know how miners feel When pigs begin to squeal, Or hens on their roosts to cackle and squall; It makes my blood run cold To think it's all for gold, And often wish that Gabriel would call! CHORUS- Oh, happy home, &c. 6 It's "Starve or pay the dust," For merchants will not trust, And then in the summer the diggings are dry; Of course then I am broke, Swelled up by poison oak; It's even so, I really would not lie. CHORUS- Oh, happy home, &c. 7 I've lived on pork and beans, Through all those trying scenes, So long I dare not look a hog in the face; And often do I dream Of custard pies and cream; But really it is a quien sabe case. CHORUS- Oh, happy home, &c. 8 If I were home again, To see green fields of grain, And all kinds of fruit hanging ripe on the trees; I there would live and die, The gold mines bid good-by- Forever free from bed-bugs and fleas. CHORUS- Oh, happy home, &c. Put's Golden Songster, pages 36-38 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 153-154 Music: "Old Dog Tray," Minstrel Songs [Steven C. Foster] ______________________ A YANKEE and a Frenchman owned a pig in copartnership. When killing time came, they wished to divide the meat. The Yankee was very anxious to divide so that he would get both hind quarters, and persuaded the Frenchman that the proper way to divide was to cut across the back. The Frenchman agreed to it on condition that the Yankee would turn his back and take choice of the pieces after it was cut in two. The Yankee turned his back accordingly. Frenchman- "Vich piece will you have- ze piece wid ze tail on him, or ze piece vat haint got no tail?" Yankee- "The piece with the tail on." Frenchman- "Zen by gar, you can take him, I take ze ozer one." Upon turning round, The Yankee found that the Frenchman had cut off the tail and stuck it into the pig's mouth! Click to play (joeweb)[Additional links by Artful Codger]Sheet music [PDF] (1853) in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Digital Tradition: Old Dog Tray Mudcat thread: Old Dog Tray Mudcat thread: The Happy/Unhappy Miner (Old Put) YouTube: Carroll Clark: Old Dog Tray I suspect that Foster's inspiration for the song was an older song from about 1800, "My Poor Dog Tray" [PDF (Levy)] [click to play (pdmusic.org)], by T. Campbell (text) and James Hewitt (music). [Back to Contents] |
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18 Jan 08 - 10:33 PM (#2239765) Subject: ADD: California Bank Robbers (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) California Bank Robbers [Air: Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel] 1 The California people are determined if they find Another such a band of robbers As the banking firm of Adams, from beginning to the end, They will hang them as they have a lot of rowdies. CHORUS So be careful all you rowdies and you rich banker thieves, Or the California people will hang you; So be careful all you rowdies and you rich banker thieves, Or the California people will hang you, I believe. 2 They agreed among themselves they could easy make a pile, By stealing all they had on deposit; They would do it by a failure, and be honest all the while- Then a million and a half- what of it? CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 3 The merchant rushed in, looking whiter than a sheet, The miner came tearing like a bull-dog; Poor old washerwomen crying in the street, And Johnny Bull croaking like a bull-frog. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 4 Women carried round on the shoulders of the crowd Really was a sight very funny; Legs all bare, though they didn't seem to care, They were bound to have a sight for their money. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 5 The blind man said to the bankers, "I'm so poor- Surely, man, you don't intend to rob me!" The Chinaman said, as they kicked him out the door, "Me no shabee, John, me no shabee!" CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 6 In came the shad-bellied Yankee, out of breath, And he says, "Old Feller, goll-darn ye!" Then along came Pike, saying, "I'll be the death Of you bank robbers, dog-on-ye!" CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 7 I. C. Woods sabed something very strange, So he vamosed, though he knew it wouldn't sound well. He hid among the hills in the Contra Costa range, With a bag of bogus dust- what a scoundrel! CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 8 Ladies in the jam now and then were heard to say, "Oh, Lordy-massy, how you squeeze us!" When a Jew got to the counter, he began without delay, "Vel, I vants my money, by Sheesus!" CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 9 Frenchmen they were squawking like a flock of hungrey geese; Vainly did they parley-voo-de-ding-dong. Sauer-Kraut was looking for a Justice of the Peace, To send all the Yankee thieves to Hong Kong. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 10 Adams he declared that his name was just a sale, To give "The House" a wholesome reputation; I. C. Woods says they both agreed to fail, And swindle all o' God's creation. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 11 The bank robber Woods had to hunt another hole, For many were determined they would kill him; Aoo he gathered up the money he maliciously had stole, And away went the black-hearted villain. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 12 Their "Receiver" is a thief- you can see it by his looks, And the Lord knows what he wouldn't swear to; After fobbing all the money, why he then stole the books, And a thousand other things that would scare you. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 13 They were thrown into the bay 'bout the middle of the night, By the long-eared, fish-faced Cohen; And the moment they were found he was quickly out of sight, For he thought it was time to be goin'. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 14 Page & Bacon, after Adams thought they'd make a strike, Concluded in a hurry they would try it, Pocket what they could, go a-kiting back to Pike- Now I wonder if they ever will deny it. CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 15 Like a great many others, they were taken by surprise, When they came to overhaul their plunder; Instead of half a million they were sure to realize, They hadn't stole a dollar, by thunder! CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 16 They were bound to make a raise, so they started in again, And carried on a wholesale thieving, Robbed the orphan, the widow, the farmer of his grain, And were taken with- a very sudden leaving! CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. 17 If the English and the French cannot take Sebastopol, They had better let the job to the Yankees; Uncle Sam will do it cheap, unless he is a fool- He could steal it with the California Bankers! CHORUS- So be careful all you rowdies, &c. Put's Golden Songster, pages 39-42 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush,> pp. 144-146. Tune D. D. Emmett Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]The minstrel Daniel Decatur Emmett wrote "Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel" around 1853. Sheet music [PDF; 1853] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Digital Tradition: Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel Mudcat thread: Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel YouTube: Norman and Nancy Blake: Jordan Am a Hard Road to Travel [Back to Contents] |
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19 Jan 08 - 04:46 PM (#2240189) Subject: ADD: The Happy Miner (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) The Happy Miner [Air: I Get in a Weaving Way] 1 I am a happy miner, I love to sing and dance; I wonder what my love would say, if she could see my pants, With canvas patches on the knees, and one upon the stern; I'll wear them while I'm digging here, and home when I return. CHORUS So I get in a jovial way, I spend my money free, And I've got plenty, will you drink lager beer with me? 2 She writes about her poodle-dog, but never thinks to say, "O, do come home, my honey dear. I'm pining all away." I'll write her half a letter, then give the ink a tip; If that don't bring her to her milk, I'll coolly "let her rip." CHORUS- So I get in a jovial way, &c. 3. They wish to know if I can cook, and what I have to eat, And tell me should I take a cold be sure to soak my feet; But when they talk of cooking, I'm mighty hard to beat- I've made ten thousand loaves of bread the d---l could not eat. CHORUS- So I get in a jovial way, &c. 4 I like a lazy partner, so I can take my ease, Lay down and talk of going home, as happy as you please; Without a thing to eat or drink, away from care and grief, I'm fat and saucy, ragged too, and tough as Spanish beef. CHORUS- So I get in a jovial way, &c. 5 The dark-eyed señoritas are very fond of me, You ought to see us throw ourselves when we get on a spree; We are as saucy as a clipper ship dashing round the horn; Head and tail up, like a steer rushing through the corn. CHORUS- So I get in a jovial way, &c. 6 I never changed my fancy shirt, the one I wore away, Until it got so rotten I finally had to say, "Farewell, old standing collar, in all thy pride of starch, I've worn thee from December till the seventeenth of March." CHORUS- So I get in a jovial way, &c. 7 No matter whether rich or poor, I'm happy as a clam, I wish my friends at home could look and see me as I am, With woolen shirt and rubber boots, in mud up to my knees, And lice as large as Chili beans fighting with the fleas. CHORUS- So I get in a jovial way, &c. 8 I'll mine for half an ounce a day, perhaps a little less; But when it comes to China pay I cannot stand the press; Like thousands here, I'll make a pile, if I make one at all,'About the time the allied forces take Sevastopol. CHORUS- So I get in a jovial way, &c. Put's Golden Songster, pages 43-45 Lyrics only in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, page 87. Chapman Family Papers, summary p. 4: "There are two ballads included in the papers, one titled, "Things I don't like to see," which was sent by John Chapman to his son in the army, saying it was a song "a old clown sung under the shade tree on the grindstone bench at my house one Evening...", the other titled "When I get in a weaving way," sent by James Chapman to William in the army, and said to be a Negro song." http://tennessee.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/findingaids/69-009.pdf Michelle Shocked sings a song, Weaving Way, but from the lyrics, I doubt that it is the same one. __________________________ The father and mother of Mirabeau, the celebrated French writer, lived very unhappily together, and finally separated, much to the scandal of the Count de Mirabeau, pere, who thereupon employed his son to write a pamphlet in his defence. For this service, the son received one hundred louis d'ors. The pamphlet reflected somewhat severely upon the conduct of Madame, and she upbraided the writer as ungrateful and unfilial. "You misunderstand me, Madame, said Mirabeau, "I am still your devoted son; give me one hundred louis d'ors and I will earnestly vindicate your cause in another pamphlet against Monsieur le Compte, my honored father." [Tune notes by Artful Codger] The tune for "I Get in a Weaving Way" remains elusive, though I think I've identified the intended song as "Sally is de Gal for Me"; see details in this message below. Mudcat thread: The Happy/Unhappy Miner (Old Put) [Back to Contents] |
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19 Jan 08 - 07:41 PM (#2240281) Subject: ADD: A Ripping Trip (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) A Ripping Trip [Air: Pop Goes the Weasel] 1 You go aboard of a leaky boat, And sail for San Francisco; You've got to pump to keep her afloat, You have that, by jingo. The engine soon begins to squeak, But nary thing to oil her; Impossible to stop the leak- Rip goes the boiler! 2 The captain on the prominade Looking very savage; Steward and the cabin maid Fighting 'bout a cabbage; All about the cabin floor, Passengers lie sea-sick- Steamer's bound to go ashore- Rip goes the physic! 3 "Pork and beans" they can't afford To second cabin passengers; The cook has tumbled overboard With forty pounds of "sassengers;" The engineer, a little tight, Bragging on the Main Line, Finally gets into a fight- Rip goes the engine! 4 The cholera begins to rage, A few have got the scurvy; Chickens dying in their cage- Steerage topsy-turvy. When you get to Panama, Greasers want a back-load; Officers begin to jaw- Rip goes the railroad! 5 When home, you'll tell an awful tale, And always will be thinking How long you had to pump and bail, To keep the tub from sinking. Of course you'll take a glass of gin, 'Twill make you feel so funny; Some city sharp will rope you in- Rip goes your money! Put's Golden Songster, pp. 46-47 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 31-32 ______________________________ A Kentuckyian lately visited New York and put up at the Astor House. When he was ready to leave, the clerk asked if he should send up for his baggage. "Wall, yes," said he, "it is so far up them dod rotted stairs, that you may send for it." The waiter went up and soon returned, saying there was no baggage in his room. "I forgot to tell you," says Kentucky, "that I put it under my pillow, last night, there's so many of these strikers round." "What is it, then?" asked the waiter. "Why, a bowie knife and a clean dicky, wrapped up in a piece of paper. My revolver I've got here, for I allers sleep with that in my side pocket, d'ye see?" ------------------------(line not inked) Click to play (numachi.com)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]The history of "Pop Goes the Weasel" is so surrounded by misinformation I won't hazard a summary here, but it seems to have experienced a surge in popularity around 1853. Sheet music [PDF; 1856] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Digital Tradition: Pop Goes the Weasel Mudcat thread: Help: Pop Goes the Weasel - Meaning? [Back to Contents] |
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20 Jan 08 - 07:26 PM (#2240907) Subject: ADD: I Often Think of Writing Home (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) I often Think of Writing Home [Air: Irish Molly, O]
I often think of writing home, but very seldom write;
CHORUS
If I would write them every mail I know it would them please;
CHORUS
I've half a mind to drop a line and tell them I'm alive,
CHORUS
I like to live among the hills, and pleasant mountain towns,
CHORUS
Put's Golden Songster, pp. 48-49
A farmer in Ohio was sued by an unprincipled store-keeper for certain goods sold and delivered. The farmer went to a lawyer to defend him, declaring that he had never bought a dollar's worth of goods of the man in his life. Lawyer- "It is a bad case, then, for I assure you he would never sue under such circumstances unless he had witnesses to swear to the delivery of the goods." Farmer- "What shall I do, then?" Lawyer- "You'd better settle, and save costs, unless you can bring witnesses to prove that you've already paid the debt." The farmer took the hint; and when the trial came on he admitted the purchase, declared the debt had been paid, and proved the payment of the money. Thus the villainous store-keeper was beaten by his own game. Click to play (joeweb)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Irish Molly-O" appears to be an American song dating back to 1810 or before. Other songs have been set to the same tune, notably, the music-hall song "The Hat My Father Wore," (by 1876) subsequently reworked into an "Orange" song "The Sash My Father Wore," though modern versions seem to use a different tune. The song Stone knew is often overshadowed and confused with an unrelated American music-hall song "My Irish Molly, O" written by William Jerome and Jean Schwartz in 1905. Sheet music for The Hat my father wore! in the Library of Congress American Memory collection Digital Tradition: The Sash My Father Wore (with score, MIDI) Mudcat thread: Origins: Irish Molly / My Irish Molly O Mudcat thread: My (other) Irish Molly-o Mudcat thread: The Hat My Father Wore YouTube: The Sash My Father Wore [Back to Contents] |
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21 Jan 08 - 04:20 PM (#2241541) Subject: Lyr Add: SWEET BETSY FROM PIKE (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Sweet Betsey from Pike [AIR- Villikins and his Dinah] 1 Oh, don't you remember sweet Betsey from Pike, Who crossed the big mountains with her lover Ike, With two yoke of cattle, a large yellow dog, A tall Shanghai rooster and one spotted hog. CHORUS Tooral lal looral lal looral lal la, Tooral lal looral, &c. 2 One evening quite early they camped on the Platte, 'Twas near by the road on a green shady flat, Where Betsey, sore-footed, lay down to repose- With wonder Ike gazed on that Pike County rose. CHORUS 3 Their wagons broke down with a terrible crash, And out on the prairie rolled all kinds of trash; A few little baby clothes done up with care- 'Twas rather suspicious, though all on the square. CHORUS 4 The shanghai ran off, and their cattle all died; That morning the last piece of bacon was fried; Poor Ike was discouraged, and Betsey got mad, The dog drooped his tail and looked wondrously sad. CHORUS 5 They stopped at Salt Lake to inquire the way, When Brigham declared that sweet Betsey should stay; But Betsey got frightened and ran like a deer, While Brigham stood pawing the ground like a steer. CHORUS 6 They soon reached the desert, where Betsey gave out, And down in the sand she lay rolling about; While Ike, half distracted, looked on with surprise, Saying, "Betsey, get up, you'll get sand in your eyes." CHORUS 7 Sweet Betsey got up in a great deal of pain, Declared she'd go back to Pike County again; But Ike gave a sigh, and they fondly embraced, And they travelled along with his arm round her waist. CHORUS 8 They suddenly stopped on a very high hill, With wonder looked down upon old Placerville; Ike sighed when he said, and he cast his eyes down, "Sweet Betsey, my darling, we've got to Hangtown." CHORUS 9 Long Ike and sweet Betsey attended a dance; Ike wore a pair of his Pike County pants; Sweet Betsey was covered with ribbons and rings; Says Ike, "You're an angel, but where are your wings?" CHORUS 10 A miner said, "Betsey, will you dance with me?" "I will that, old hoss, if you don't make too free; But don't dance me hard; do you want to know why? Dog on you! I'm chock full of strong alkali!" CHORUS 11 This Pike County couple got married of course, And Ike became jealous- obtained a divorce; Sweet Betsey, well satisfied, said with a shout, "Good-by, you big lummux, I'm glad you've backed out!" CHORUS Put's Golden Songster, pp. 50-52 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 43-44 _________________________________________ A WESTERN preacher who was discoursing on the parable of Lazarus and Dives, said: "You may think it strange, my friends, that our Lord took so much notice of a poor beggar; but beggng in them days was a different kind of thing from our modern begging; individuals of that calling didn't then get from rich men's tables, as they do now, little bits of bread, and 'taters, and pork, and pickles; no, my hearers, they got great hunks of cake, and plates of pie, and sich things; hence we view, that Lazarus was in danger when surrounded with dogs that might have stolen half his victuals!" Click to play (contemplator.com)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"Villikins and His Dinah" is one of the most oft-recycled British (etc.) and American folk tunes [see this thread]. I list only a couple of the many threads on "Sweet Betsy" and "Villikins" here. Digital Tradition: Sweet Betsy from Pike (with MIDI) Digital Tradition: Villikins and His Dinah (with score and MIDI) Mudcat thread: Origin of Villikins&Dinah tune Mudcat thread: Origins: Sweet Betsy from Pike The Contemplator: Sweet Betsey from Pike YouTube: Rex Allen: Sweet Betsy from Pike [Back to Contents] |
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21 Jan 08 - 10:01 PM (#2241742) Subject: ADD: That Is Even So (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) That Is Even So [AIR- When I Can Read My Title Clear] 1 When first I heard the people tell Of finding gold in veins, I bade my friends a long farewell, And started o'er the plains. And started o'er the plains, And started o'er the plains- I bade my friends a long farewell, And started o'er the plains. 2 I joined a train and travelled on, And all seemed satisfied, Until our grub was nearly gone, And I got alkalied. And I got alkalied- And I got alkalied- Until our grub was nearly gone, And I got alkalied. 3 My bowels soon began to yearn, My legs began to ache; My only show was to return, Or winter at Salt Lake. Or winter at Salt Lake, Or winter at Salt lake, My only show was to return, Or winter at Salt Lake. 4 The Mormons knew that Uncle Sam Had troops upon the route, And Brigham prayed the Holy Lamb Would help to clean them out. Would help to clean them out, Would help to clean them out, And Brigham prayed the Holy Lamb Would help to clean them out. 5 The distance then, one thousand miles, Me in the face did stare, For Brigham swore no d----d Gentiles Again should winter there. Again should winter there, Again should winter there- And Brigham swore no d----d Gentiles Again should winter there. 6 I reached the mines with "nary red," Was treated rather cold; I found no lumps, but found instead I'd been completely sold. I'd been completely sold, I'd been completely sold- I found no lumps, but found instead I'd been completely sold. 7 I hope and pray that every man, If mineral lands are sold, Will drop his shovel, pick and pan, And leave the land of gold. And leave the land of gold, And leave the land of gold, Will drop his shovel, pick and pan And leave the land of gold. Put's Golden Songster, pp. 53-55 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 47-48. Music: When I Can Read My Title Clear, or The Blessings of a Clear Title, in D. H. Mansfield, The American Vocalist (Boston, 1849). ________________________________ IN former years, eels were a staple commodity of food among the people of Derryfield, New Hampshire. A Down-East poet thus immortalizes the fact: Our fathers treasured the slimy prize, They loved the eels as their very eyes, And of one 'tis said, with slander rife, For a string of eels he sold his wife. From the eels they formed their food in chief, And eels were called the Derryfield beef, And the marks of eels were so plain to trace, That the children looked like eels in the face; And before they walked it is well confirmed, That the children never crept, but squirmed. Such a mighty power did the squirmer wield O'er the goodly men of old Derryfield- It was often said that their only care, And their only wish, and their only prayer, For the present world, and the world to come, Was a string of eels and a jug of rum. Click to play (Cyberhymnal)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"When I can read my title clear" is a text by Isaac Watts written by 1709 and often bearing the legend "The Hope of Heaven." J.C. Lowry set it to a tune labeled "Pisgah" in the 2nd edition of the shape-note collection The Kentucky Harmony, compiled by Ananais Davisson, published in 1817. It's usually credited to Lowry, though some contend it was originally an English or Scottish tune; I haven't encountered any specific basis for this conjecture. The Kentucky Harmony (supplement, 1825): Pisgah (When I can read my title clear) [PDF] Cyberhymnal: When I Can Read My Title Clear Mudcat thread: Shaped Note Singing (info from Azizi) YouTube: Andy Griffith: When I Can Read My Title Clear [Back to Contents] |
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22 Jan 08 - 02:30 PM (#2242185) Subject: ADD: He Ought to Know (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) He Ought to Know [Air: Twilight Dews] 1 The man who never saw our land Knows more than we do here; So hear him talk one moment, and I'll treat to lager beer. 2 He'd have a different mining rig From people now-a-days; As others do he would not dig! But hear him what he says: 3 "I've heard them say t'was all in luck, But that's all very fine; I'm satisfied- with diggings struck- They don't know how to mine. 4 "At first I'd try some small ravine, Take out an ounce a day. I'd show them there I weren't as green As some of them today. 5 "I know there's spots and places round Which never have been dug, And was I there they'd soon be found And likewise many a slug! 6 "I'd eat no beans, but pies and cake, Avoid those thundering fools; And should I go, I'd with me take A kit of mining tools. 7 "I would not hang around saloons, Nor wear those woolen shirts, But 'galluses' with pantaloons, Instead of saddle girts. 8 If people there were civilized, I'd go and stop awhile; And he who'd by me be advised, Like me would make a pile! Put's Golden Songster, pp. 56-57 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 79. Music: Twilight Dews, in Good Old Songs. Transposed from Eb to C. _________________________________ A Hoosier Judge. - A case was tried out West of a merchant sueing a young man to recover the price of some clothing which he had furnished him. The debt was fairly proven, when the young man sought to evade its payment by pleading non-age. "Jess Hawkins!" exclaimed the judge, "you are an infernal rascal, you good-for-nothing sneak, you! Will you stand there and plead the baby act and cheat the man out of his money, after you've been cavorting about the country with his goods? Though the law may favor you, I won't stand it. I'll not give these big lawyers a chance to help you; and if you don't pay over the amount, my son Tom, thar, shall lick you quicker nor a streak of greased lightnin', before you leave the court-room." The counsel for the defendant remonstrated against this treatment of his client; but a suggestion from the judge, that he would be the next victim of his son Tom, unless he was "mighty kearful," quieted him, and the young man actually paid over the amount in controversy. Click to play (joeweb)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"[When] Twilight Dews" was written by Thomas Moore by 1823; music composed by Sir John Stevenson, who worked with Moore setting many of his songs to music. The original tune is rather longer than the two strains used for Stone's song. Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Sheet music (1841) in the Library of Congress American Memory collection, arranged by Lewis Tripp for voice and guitar. [Back to Contents] |
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22 Jan 08 - 08:56 PM (#2242509) Subject: ADD: Hangtown Gals (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Hangtown Gals [Air- New York Gals] 1 Hangtown gals are plump and rosy, Hair in ringlets mighty cosy; Painted cheeks and gassy bonnets; Touch them and they'll sting like hornets. Chorus Hangtown gals are lovely creatures, Think they'll marry Mormon preachers; Heads thrown back to show their features- Ha, ha, ha! Hangtown gals. 2 They're dreadful shy of forty-niners, Turn their noses up at miners; Shocked to hear them say "gol durn it!" Try to blush, but cannot come it. Chorus 3 They'll catch a neighbor's cat and beat it, Cut a bean in halves to eat it; Promenade in silk and satin, Cannot talk, but murder Latin. Chorus 4 On the streets they're always grinning; Modestly they lift their linen; Petticoats all trimmed with laces, Matching well their painted faces. Chorus 5 To church they very seldon venture- Hoops so large they cannot enter; Go it, gals, you're young and tender, Shun the pick and shovel gender. Chorus Put's Golden Songster, p. 58 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 126. Music "New York Gals" or "Boston Gals," Comic Songs Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]"New York Gals" was a minstrel song of unknown origin. It's not to be confused with either the popular sea song "New York Girls," or with "Buffalo Gals." Sheet music [PDF; 1843] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. [Back to Contents] |
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23 Jan 08 - 12:13 AM (#2242572) Subject: ADD: The Miner's Dream (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) The Miner's Dream [Air: Nelly Bly] 1 The miner when he goes to sleep, soon begins to snore; Dreams about his friends at home, whom he may see no more; A lovely wife or sister dear he may have left behind; Perhaps a father old and gray, a mother good and kind. Chorus: Now will you, say will you, listen while I sing A song that's called the miner's dream? 'Twill joy and comfort bring. 2 His boyhood years return again, his heart is filled with joy- Is rolling hoops or playing ball as when he was a boy. 'Tis winter time- he's skating now, of which he was so fond; 'Tis summer now- he's swimming in the old familiar pond! Chorus: 3 His boyhood days are past and gone, for now he is a man- Is going to California to try the pick and pan; Bright visions now of happiness are dancing o'er his mind; Disturb him not, but let him dream so long as he's inclined. Chorus: 4 His mind is home among the fields of wheat and yellow corn- Sits down beneath an apple tree, all shady in the morn; But morning comes- and at his door a neighbor gently knocks; He wakes and finds himself in bed among the hills and rocks. Chorus: Put's Golden Songster, p. 59 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 168. Music: Nelly Bly, Minstrel Songs, Stephen Collins Foster. Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]Written by Foster by 1849. Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection. Digital Tradition: Nelly Bly (with MIDI and score) [Back to Contents] |
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23 Jan 08 - 01:20 PM (#2242947) Subject: ADD: Then Hurrah for Home (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Then Hurrah for Home [Air: A Few Days] 1 I'm going home to stop awhile; Farewell! Farewell! Before I go we'll take a smile Then hurrah for home! These banking thieves I will not trust, Farewell! Farewell! But with me take my little dust, Then hurrah for home! 2 Oh, won't I have some high old times, Farewell! Farewell! Telling yarns about the mines? Then hurrah for home! I'll leave this world of rags and dirt, Farewell! Farewell! And wear a plug and ruffle shirt! Then hurrah for home! 3 I'll put on airs like Harry Meiggs, Farewell! Farewell! Live on oysters, ham and eggs, Then hurrah for home! I'll sink enough to pay my fare, Farewell! Farewell! Return when tired of staying there, Then hurrah for home! Chorus: Although I like the diggings, Farewell! Farewell! Although I like the diggings, I'm going to leave! For I can't always be with you, Farewell! Farewell! For I can't always be with you, Then hurrah for home! (Repeat) Put's Golden Songster, p. 60 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 175-176 Music: A Few Days, Golden Wreath Click to play (joeweb)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]There are number of songs that sprouted forth in 1854 sharing the common title and tune of "Few Days", mostly of a patriotic or religious nature. My brief research turned up no composer for the tune—period sheet music folios mention only arrangers—but I'd guess that it began as a spiritual. The present text seems most closely patterned on a version called "Few Days, or I'm going home", as sung by Christy's Minstrels, but for my transcription I used the version "Few Days, Few Days, or, We know the way," which is musically a bit more interesting. In every version I saw, the actual chorus used the same tune (sometimes simplified) as the first verse; the part that would vary most (if present) would be a secondary verse pattern. I've followed Cohen's lead in setting the Stone "chorus" to such a secondary pattern. But given the odd structure of the Stone text (three verses, implying no pairing, with the chorus placed last and explicitly repeated), I think it most likely that Stone envisioned using the same first verse tune for all successive parts. Sheet music can be found in the Lester S. Levy Collection and in the Library of Congress American Memory collection. Digital Tradition: Few Days (modern folk version dervied from Stone's text; no music) Mudcat thread: Few Days - I Can't Stay in These Diggins Mudcat thread: Then Hurrah for Home [Back to Contents] |
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23 Jan 08 - 05:28 PM (#2243131) Subject: ADD: The Steam Navigation Thieves (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) The Steam Navigation Thieves [Air: Walk Ye In] 1 The only legal swindle which the people cannot sever, Is the steamboat imposition on the Sacramento river, It would surely be a blessing if the company would fail; Then should any other organize, ride them on a rail. Chorus: Remember now! remember now! remember what I say; Keep your hands upon your money, or they'll rob you on the way- If you don't believe it, try it, either to or from the Bay. 2 They have robbed a world of people, still there's none that say a word, For if ever they were passengers, they'd be thrown overboard; If they start an opposition, then eight out of every nine Will support the imposition of the combination line. Chorus: 3 When you start from Sacramento and get stuck upon the sand, All you have to do is jump ashore and foot it up by land. If the devil ever gets them, he will Put them every soul, In the lowest pits of purgatory, there to shovel coal. Chorus: Put's Golden Songster, p. 61 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 138-139 Music: Walk Ye In, or History of the World, Minstrel Songs. Click to play (pdmusic.org)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]No composer has been listed for "De History ob de World", also known as "Walk in[to] de Parlor"; E.P. Christy claimed author credit (as he did with many songs he bought from writers like Stephen Foster)—the Levy site has sheet music dated 1847. A score may also be found in Minstrel Songs, Old and New, compiled by Stephen Collins Foster [scan of an 1882 edition, p. 70]. Sheet music in the Lester S. Levy Collection: History ob de World, Walk in[to] the Parlor. Mudcat thread: Sunday School (see msgs by Richie and Q) Mudcat thread: Ship Margaret Evans, songs (possible origin for "Let the Bulgine Run") [Back to Contents] |
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23 Jan 08 - 05:57 PM (#2243159) Subject: ADD: The Sensible Miner (John A. Stone) From: Q (Frank Staplin) The Sensible Miner [Air: The Irish Immigrant's Lament] 1 I'm mining in a dry ravine, That may not pay at all; I've dug a long and fancy drain, To sluice through in the fall; But should the rain hold off till late, And keep me in suspense, I'll write a line and tell dear Kate, My hide is on the fence. 2 When I have filled my pockets with "rocks," I'll buy an easy life; I'll buy an Allen pepper-box, Likewise a bowie-knife. No man shall rob my camp at night, Not even he weighs a ton; I'll show that miners are some on the fight, And a "right smart chance" on the run. 3 The money "I'm looking for!" troubles me now, And unless I should build a balloon, To send it safe home I've no idea how, No more than the man in the moon. 'Twould never arrive should I send it by mail, For they'd steal it and spend it for beer, And sharpers would swindle me some way or fail, So I think I'll enjoy it here. 4 I've never done anything here I regret; Hard work and I cannot agree; Like other poor devils I'm hugely in debt; But don't be alarmed about me- My debts will outlaw, and then I shall be free With the world, as I'll be when I quit; Then dress and appear like a rich millionaire- Like Brigham, "I'll git up and git." Put's Golden Songster, p. 62 Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 85-86. Music: Irish Immigrant's Lament, in Good Old Songs. Transposed from C to A. Click to play (joeweb)[Tune notes by Artful Codger]More properly titled "The Lament of the Irish Immigrant." Poetry by The Hon. Mrs. Price Blackwood. The Music Composed by William R. Dempster. (Boston, by 1840.) Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection, from which the MIDI was prepared. [Back to Contents] |
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23 Jan 08 - 08:38 PM (#2243252) Subject: Put's Golden Songster, pp. 63-64 From: Joe Offer Q wondered if we should post the information from pages 63-64, Mining Localities Peculiar to California. I can see how Q might not be interested, but these places are home, poetry to my ears. So, I decided to OCR them and post them myself. As you can see below, it didn't work very well. Q has a better copy, so I'll ask him to post them. Thanks for all your hard work on this, Q. -Joe- 4,. 3m Crow Jappy VL1ey ' Grozt4 Eogs O4O/ R4 Dog flfl* VeIqt, J&cksD* Oid De, .fiLn, ogi Thudet1 Lad1ae Vatc*i - - -.. -. De.4Wod1 - M11rs De!aiii, • Googe Eya, — reeort cao .Lozf.r EU!, • - - - - - -. Poke Rzvfn, ShaghaRflt, MA4 V5on - . . 8brt-t.zi1 tzon, . . .°° ,. • : . 8p lack Ear, - - .- . quack flfll, -. WM O.i Nai' od, D. *a?b &ti Jn. . WUd Go9* -, . - Biiaiy P1aI - Sb*nbe Fnk, Ot*veyaM Cafioo, • Oi1dI ear, een-up Ra'a. GoapeIOtd1 , II.n-RoosYamD. J.oefeñ Lrett, :' . - CI1ckeø-b$ef P1II, • LD .... . . . - :: lazy Canon, -: •• Coa .HcUzw, Mur D Wbky Bet, ri Poor Mi'r.e. Poverty {iU, .';. Niger i11, ITuzb CaToi, Oree*trs C*, ve-&t,. •. • Bk'c'tz.r TL, CbrieUq Y1. Piety, • • E.ough Reedy, • llo'q P.e Trip Sbie, •. Brin, Guk •. - , Pike }flhl; •, .czr-Lac. H1i1 •,Ltbeny Hill, • Port 'ITne, • • Pokei 'eL, -Let&e CayoL TU SkInthL, GLip-and-gi M4eD UjUow, Gpbèr Fti.L, Yink,.e Doo4 Ood H SLnd-Hcrie CelSoo, floreowt, Paiuae Rartoe, ]3b )Ud)ey.Fteb, Pettkat Sde, ctpe. 1iokM, Oe Eye, Cbuckeh.d Dggn% Niitcakt' Camp, Pnth-Coach 11111, Mount Zon, - Pvb-ulei1ey, Pippy1.own, Barifcjt Dgig, Pe)t-Pot HilL. |
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23 Jan 08 - 09:47 PM (#2243291) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Q (Frank Staplin) News to me- Put translated into Lower Slobovian. Hotsy dandy! (Will do later)- |
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23 Jan 08 - 10:24 PM (#2243315) Subject: ADD: Mining Localities Peculiar to California From: Q (Frank Staplin) Mining Localities Peculiar to California Put's Golden Songster
Put's Golden Songster, pp. 63-64 [Back to Contents] |
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24 Jan 08 - 01:41 PM (#2243768) Subject: ADD: Few Days (John A. Stone, 1867) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Few Days [Lyrics John A. Stone, Music unknown] 1 Our country now is great and free, Few days, few days; And thus shall it forever be, We know the way, Though rummie foes may gather here, Few days, few days, We will protect what we hold dear, We know the way! Chorus: We'll battle innovation, Few days, few days, And fight against usurpation By a cunning foe. For our guide's the Temperance banner, Few days, few days, Our guide's the temperance banner, We know the way. 2 The world shall see that we are true, Few days, few days, And that we know a thing or two, We know the way! As Temperance men go hand in hand, Few days, few days; Our countless throng shall fill the land We know the way! Chorus: 3 Then shout aloud, o'er hill and plain, Few days, few days, We will temperance rights maintain, We know the way! We'll always guard it with our might, Few days, few days; And keep it steadfast in the right, We know the way! Chorus: The California Temperance Song Book, p. 46, Temperance Legion [-?], San Francisco, 1867. Included in California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties. American Memory. Based on Few Days, Our Country Now Is Great and Free, The Know-Nothings Union Song. Sheet music, words by K. N., Arranged by S. G. A., 1854, Oliver Ditson, Boston and New York. In 1854, the hey-day of the Know Nothings political power, several songs including "Few Days" in the title were published, most of them patriotic in tone, and having the same musical form. One was a Christy's minstrel song which may have been in circulation before 1854. Sheet music for several of these is preserved at American Memory, and in other collections. |
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28 Jan 08 - 04:01 PM (#2247310) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone ('Old Put') From: Q (Frank Staplin) A couple of discrepancies between the Publishing data, Preface and Contents as transcribed at the head of this thread, and the printed "Put's Golden Songster." Publication in 1858, not 1856. Contents A California Ball- p. 13, not 18 That is even so- p. 53, not 58
Fixed. —joeclonelite |
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12 Nov 09 - 09:03 PM (#2765163) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone Songsters ('Old Put') From: Artful Codger Regarding "The Happy Miner", to the tune "I Get in a Weaving Way": Christy's and White's Ethiopian Melodies (1854, p.38; search Google Books) contains the song "Sally is de Gal for Me" with the chorus: When I get in a weaving way, Spend my money free, Oh, here's good liquor! come and drink! Oh, Sally is de gal for me! Sadly, no score given. Per the thread here on "Jawbone", N.L. White, in Negro Singers' Own Book (1846), said "Sally Is de Gal" was sung by Jim Carter. So while the tune for this song may still remain elusive, there are a few more clues to work from. |
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11 Oct 12 - 09:40 PM (#3418355) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone Songsters ('Old Put') From: Artful Codger I've added more tune info and links to the Put's Golden Songster song entries, as I did for the songbook Put's Original California Songster. Each song features at least one sound file, whenever the tune could be found. The table of contents and the song entries are cross-linked for ease of navigation. And there's a link in the first message in this thread directly to the table of contents. [Jump to Contents] |
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16 Nov 13 - 08:18 PM (#3576372) Subject: RE: PermaThread: John A. Stone Songsters ('Old Put') From: Joe Offer I hadn't noticed the great work that Artful Codger has done on the melodies for these songs. I am duly impressed, and grateful. -Joe-
-Joe Offer- |