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21 Aug 21 - 08:42 PM (#4117424) Subject: Origins: Long Summer Day From: Joe Offer I don't see a thread on this song, and it's a really significant one. There was one post back in the early history of Mudcat, but I think this song needs more research. Thread #2864 Message #13666 Posted By: Barry 30-Sep-97 - 11:23 PM Thread Name: Songs on, or about slavery Subject: Lyr Add: LONG SUMMER DAY^^
Long Summer Day was last collected in the southern prison system, on the work gang, it survived through the obvious common bond(age). Not many of these songs from the slaves have make it to be handed on. Most that have survived are from other traditions or cultures (see Steven Foster), from slavers, preachers or sailors that crossed paths, collided with or happened on by.
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21 Aug 21 - 08:51 PM (#4117425) Subject: RE: Origins: Long Summer Day From: Joe Offer Here's a performance of this song by Mudcatter Rick Pollay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt9TppdLy1s Rick's notes: In the 1930s Alan Lomax collected some song fragments from black prisoners that seem to come from a much older 19th century song about slavery. Even though he recorded it with Guy Carawan, few others in America did and the song has been largely ignored and forgotten at home in the USA. It became far better known in the UK, as Lonnie Donegan and his skiffle band made a hit of it in 1958 with his characteristic brisk style during the folk revival era (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBY-AoRzRh4) |
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21 Aug 21 - 09:18 PM (#4117431) Subject: ADD: Long Summer Day (Lomax) From: Joe Offer This is from Our Singing Country, by John and Alan Lomax (MacMillan, 1941, pp 396-398) LONG SUMMER DAY A to Bb. No. 196. Clear Rock, Sugar Land and Taylor, Texas, 1933. Me an my pardner an' my pardner's frien' Can pick mo' cotton than a gin can gin. Me an' my pardner can pick a bale, Can pick mo' cotton than de scales can weigh. Me an' my pardner an' two or three mo' Can pick mo' cotton than a boat can hold. LONG SUMMER DAY Long summer day makes a white man lazy, Long summer day, Well, a long summer day makes a white man lazy, Long summer day. Well, a long summer day make a nigger run away, sir, Long summer day, Well, a long summer day‘ make a nigger run away, sir, Long summer day. Well, a-pickin’ that cotton in the bottom field, sir, Long summer day, Well, it’s gatherin’ up the cotton in the bottom field, sir, Long summer day. Well, he run away to see Miss Mary, Long summer day, Well, he run right away to see his baby, Long summer day. Well, the white man sont and got him a doctor, etc. Well, “Go back to the field, you got no fever,” etc. Well, the summer clay makes a nigger feel lazy, etc. And here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry: Long Summer Day (I)DESCRIPTION: "Long summer day make a white man lazy, long summer day" (x2). "Well, a long summer day make a nigger run away." "He run away to see miss Mary." He declares he is sick. The boss orders him back into the field.AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1933 (collected from Moses "Clear Rock" Platt) KEYWORDS: work hardtimes disease love FOUND IN: US(So) REFERENCES (1 citation): Lomax/Lomax-OurSingingCountry, pp. 396-398, "Long Summer Day" (1 text, 1 tune) Roud #15042 File: LxSi396 Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2021 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
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21 Aug 21 - 09:27 PM (#4117433) Subject: RE: Origins: Long Summer Day From: Joe Offer Performance by Moses (Clear Rock) Platt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=766VCd1oGZ8 Two Gallants version (which I don't like): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgofdULILjw |
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22 Aug 21 - 05:39 PM (#4117518) Subject: RE: Origins: Long Summer Day From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar I feel I recall hearing this sung by Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Could so, but maybe not, and may instead have been Alan Lomax's recording, on the same EP where he sang 'I'm A Rambler I'm A Gambler', a true favourite of mine. Long summer day make a white man lazy, long summer day Long summer day make a black man crazy, long summer day Long summer, long summer, long summer day Long summer, long summer, long summer day |
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21 Feb 22 - 01:33 PM (#4137399) Subject: RE: Origins: Long Summer Day From: GUEST,John Lomax III My dad recorded this during one of his performances for Peter Gardner's SAMPLER program, broadcast on Houston radio on station KRBE which at the time was the University of Houston's station. Taped in 1965 and I will includee it on a project I am doing with Rice University, recipient of the Gardner Tapes via donation. I hope to get FOLK - LIVE - The Gardner Tapes out into the world this summer. |
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12 Mar 23 - 10:41 AM (#4167388) Subject: RE: Origins: Long Summer Day From: GUEST,David Harley I used to have a recording of this by Guy Carawan, on an album called 'A Guy Called Carawan'. To the best of my recollection, it was credited to one of the Lomaxes and the words were along the lines of: Long summer days make a white man lazy Long summer days Those long summer days make a slave run away sir Long summer days He ran away to see Miss Mary He ran away to see his little baby I'm down in the bottom picking that cotton The master killed a Jersey Bull, got himself a bellyful Oh the long summer, long summer, long summer days |
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12 Mar 23 - 10:44 AM (#4167389) Subject: RE: Origins: Long Summer Day From: GUEST,David Harley Re the Guy Carawan post: it's Alan Lomax to whom it was credited. |