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06 Mar 11 - 12:51 PM (#3108177) Subject: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,RobM This one wasn't anywhere, and not on the web either so I thought it would be interesting for those singing Old Joe Clark to have an additional set of lyrics. This version is found on the Newport Folk Festival LP from 1960 with Jimmy Driftwood on Mouth-Bow and Pete Seeger on Clawhammer banjo. I think it's quite different and mostly superior to the over-polished version he did have on his studio recording. ----------------------------- Old Joe Clark (Newport version) Old Joe Clark is a rough old man, mean as he can be he knocked me down with his right hand, and walked all over me. Chorus: Get out of the way for Old Joe Clark, hide that jug of wine, get out of the way for Old Joe Clark, he's no friend of mine. (Mouthbow solo) Old Joe Clark he used to be the biggest bum in town till Andrew Johnson appointed him the Marshall of the town. He is full of wine he is full of breeze, you ought to hear him brag, but all good rebels know that he is a low-down (scale-away*). (Chorus) When Old Joe Clark comes to my door, he treates me like a pup, he runs my bird all down to the floor and drinks my whiskey up. He puts his banjo in my hand and tell me what to play, then dances with my pretty little girl until the break of day. Chorus: Oh, Get out the way... -------------------------- (*) guessed on this, couldn't find any reference to the word he's saying there. |
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06 Mar 11 - 12:59 PM (#3108185) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,DWR scalawag? |
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06 Mar 11 - 01:18 PM (#3108199) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: Lighter Scalawag. For sure. But "Runs my bird all down to the floor"? Otherwise, great lyrics. |
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06 Mar 11 - 02:59 PM (#3108288) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: Arkie beard????? |
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06 Mar 11 - 03:09 PM (#3108300) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Long time since I have been to one of the dances. Some callers were very inventive with lyrics. Thanks for posting. (I'd like to get ahold of the low-down scalawag who plowed up a snow ridge at the end of my driveway. Snow removal my a...). |
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06 Mar 11 - 03:58 PM (#3108341) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,RobM Thanks for the replies! "Scalawag". The way Driftwood pronounced it I couldn't make out that word no matter how hard I tried, but it probably can be related to the fact that I'm from overseas and not too close to the British and Irish Isles at all... I don't know if this version is released on CD yet, but I can recommend the whole LP should you ever find it ,the full title is: The Newport Folk Festival, 1960 - Vol. 1 (Vanguard) The musicians were: Oscar Brand, Pete Seeger (of course), John Lee Hooker, Alan Mills, Jean Carignan (fiddle), Tom Makem, Bill Lee, Jimmy Driftwood (2 songs), The New Lost City Ramblers (3 songs) Some music-blogs may have it available somewhere also. |
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06 Mar 11 - 04:16 PM (#3108352) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST By the way, I couldn't hear anything else than "Runs my bird all down to the floor", For some inexplicable reason I imagine that the one who tells the story had a tame bird, but come to think of it, the lyrics could mean anything; to paraphrase? the post above: the inventiveness of the anonymous songwriters/and square-dance callers in this Old-Time genre can prove to be infinite, boundless... The Skillet Lickers main fiddler, Clayton McMichen used words that sounded like: Hold her, Newt, don't let her rare! Lay around the gin and the gents don't go Pull that calico from the wall. (probably could make a new thread about this subject). |
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06 Mar 11 - 05:08 PM (#3108377) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: Lighter I can't make a guess about the "bird" line without hearing it. "Beard" could be right if the other words need fixing too. "Don't let her rare!" would mean "Don't let her rear up like a frightened horse." A "calico" used to mean a girl. Can't guess about "lay around the gin, etc." |
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06 Mar 11 - 09:15 PM (#3108572) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,Gene Misheard Lyrics... He runs my bird dog under the floor G |
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07 Mar 11 - 10:40 AM (#3108936) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,RoM Can be... I could also send the sound file to those who wish to hear the lyrics for themselves. http://www.mediafire.com/?zkllvbfw44530nl I will not make it available for a long time so please reply when you have downloaded it. |
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07 Mar 11 - 02:36 PM (#3109081) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: Q (Frank Staplin) 'rar' up or 'rare' up often heard in rural America for rear up, some years ago (my childhood). Scalawag is American, applied to white southerners who supported the Reconstruction imposed by damnyankees following the War Between the States. It first appeared in print in 1848, meaning a reprobate, before its post-War application to Reconstruction supporters; how it originated is unknown. (Webster's Collegiate Dictionary) |
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07 Mar 11 - 02:47 PM (#3109088) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,DWR I think Gene's got it. Runs my bird dog under the floor. You gotta remember that not every house had closed foundations, and for sure that would be the case in porch floors. Dogs spent a good part of their lives under the porch. |
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07 Mar 11 - 02:59 PM (#3109098) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,Seonaid Given that the following line is "drinks my whiskey up," I'd say there's a good chance what Ole Joe is running down the floor is the other guy's *beer*. A mean man will drink your liquor, but it takes a truly mean man to waste it. Just a little Occam's Razor moment.... |
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07 Mar 11 - 03:08 PM (#3109105) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,DWR Nope, I just finished listening a few times, and it's BEAR DOGS. No kidding. 99% sure. Sounds like something Jimmy would say, too. |
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07 Mar 11 - 06:37 PM (#3109235) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,Seonaid "Bear dogs" makes sense in a fine, Southern backwoods way. Thanx.... It cheers me up to think the beer wasn't wasted! |
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12 Mar 11 - 02:34 PM (#3112499) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark - Jimmy Driftwood (1960) From: GUEST,RoberM Okay, now the song lyrics seem complete, thanks Gene, DWR and all the others. From 3rd Verse: -But all good rebels know that he's a low-down "Scalawag". 4th Verse -He runs my "Bear-Dog" under the floor, and drinks my whiskey up. Thanks for all the help! |
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28 Dec 20 - 08:07 PM (#4085407) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark (Jimmy Driftwood, 1960) From: GUEST When I was a kid I had a recording of this version in a collection of folk music. The recording included the lyrics for all the songs, and I can confirm that it's "low-down Scalawag." It's also "bear dogs" (plural -- "he runs my bear dogs under the floor) rather than "bear dog." Unfortunately I no longer have the recording. |
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28 Dec 20 - 08:14 PM (#4085408) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark (Jimmy Driftwood, 1960) From: GUEST Also, I think it's "He'd pull out the wine, he'd pull out the breeze" rather than "He is full of wine he is full of breeze" |
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28 Dec 20 - 11:10 PM (#4085432) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Old Joe Clark (Jimmy Driftwood, 1960) From: cnd For anyone interested, you can download the recording for a meager 89 cents from Amazon Music. All the previous corrections are correct other than the final one. While the intention of the statement may be "He'd pull out the wine..." he definitely actually says "he's pull out the wine, pull out the breeze." |