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Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?

06 Dec 01 - 03:59 PM (#605135)
Subject: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth

Help.

Trying to find words of old USA mining Ballard from The Eastern Mountain Coalfield. Slightly rembered from visit of US of A cousin many many years ago - it has a Chorus Line including the Words ( as best remenberd) "In Bloody Harlan".

No luck undr Harlan or Harlaan in DT or Forum. Is my search off ? Or can some soul provide the words.

Prsume Harlan is the correct spelling as it turns up in "Whose Side are you on"

Any hints, hits or other assistance would be greatfully received.

Gareth.

PS John L. Lewis was Welsh !!

06 Dec 01 - 04:12 PM (#605143)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: GUEST

Google doesn't come up with much useful (on either spelling)

Hope others can help

06 Dec 01 - 04:31 PM (#605160)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth

Thanks Guest - I did find some interesting footnotes Here, on an interesting Australian Orientatede site Which might, just might, date it.

Gareth

07 Dec 01 - 01:58 AM (#605502)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Lin in Kansas

Gareth, could it possibly be the song Stewie posted in this thread?

Lin

07 Dec 01 - 04:52 PM (#605931)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth

Lin Many thanks a fine song but not the one I had in mind.

Gareth

07 Dec 01 - 05:34 PM (#605957)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Stewie

In his 'Only A Miner', Archie Green refers to a song by George Davis [best known perhaps for his claim to authorship of 'Sixteen Tons'] titled 'Harlan County Blues' which was related in style and melody to an earlier song called 'Harlan Town Tragedy'. George Korson collected a version in 1940 and included it in the Library of Congress LP from his collection 'Songs and Ballads of the Bituminous Miners'. In 1968, John Cohen edited an LP by Davis titled 'When Kentucky Had No Union Men'. I don't have either of those LPs so I have no idea of the nature of this song. However, it might be worth investigation in your search, as would Korson's collection. Good luck.

--Stewie.

07 Dec 01 - 06:00 PM (#605975)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Bardford

Here's a link from Appalachian State University with tons of bituminous-related info:

Protest songs

07 Dec 01 - 07:05 PM (#606016)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth

Stewie/Barford

If it was worth recording I think it might be there.

Obvoiusly Hours of fun searching

Thanks.

Gareth

And will you be a Union Man
Or a thug for J H Blair"

07 Dec 01 - 07:39 PM (#606040)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Joe Offer

Interesting, Stewie. Rounder has reissued Korson's Songs and Ballads of the Anthracite Miners. Were there two Korson albums?
-Joe Offer-

07 Dec 01 - 07:50 PM (#606045)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Stewie

Yes, Joe, but the 'Bituminous' one has not been reissued on CD as far as I am aware. 'Anthracite' was L16 and 'Bituminous' L60.

--Stewie.

30 Aug 02 - 07:43 PM (#774559)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth

Still no joy - refersh please ?

Gareth

30 Aug 02 - 08:32 PM (#774581)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Stewie

Gareth, Rounder has since reissued the songs of the bituminous miners LP. I don't have it but, from listening to the brief sound clip on CDNow, I don't think 'Harlan County Blues' is the one you are after.

--Stewie.

31 Aug 02 - 02:03 AM (#774711)
Subject: Lyr Add: HARLAN COUNTY BLUES
From: masato sakurai

This doesn't seem to be the one asked for, but I think it is worth posting.

HARLAN COUNTY BLUES
[Recorded: Glomawr, Kentucky, March 14, 1940. Sung by Georeg Davies, author.]

A bunch of fellers the other day
O'er to Harlan went;
They told me about the fun they had--
All the time in jail they spent.

Most of the fellers were like me
Who didn't go along;
If you want the story, boys,
Just listen to this song.

"You didn't have to be drunk," they said,
"To get throwed in the can;
The only thing you needed be
Was just a union man."

None of the boys didn't like it much,
They said they's treated bad;
They took their knives or pocket books,
Or anything they had.

They throwed Bill Wheeler in the can,
With all his p'ison gases;
He had no money to pay a fine
So they just took his glasses.

Then Kelly said, "You can't do this to me,"
When they come to get his name;
"The hell they can't," the jailer said
"You're in here just the same."

Walter he's a funny chap,
With me you'll all agree;
He wants some one to hold to him,
When he gets on a spree.

Delmos he went down the street,
To a restaurant was bent;
When two fellers picked him up
And to the jail he went.

Put Bill Sheets in the jailhouse,
For reckless walking, so they say;
They can't hold Old Bill for that,
'Cause he always walks that way.

Sam Ward went to the jailhouse,
And the jailer twirled his keys;
Sam said, "Mr. Jailer,
Now won't you listen, please."

Everything grew quiet, boys,
You couldn't hear a sound;
"Turn 'em out," Sam Ward yelled,
"Or I'll turn this jail around."

When they all was freed again,
You could hear them all take on:
"Just thik of the fun that we'd a missed,
If we hadn't come along."

Then our president he asked our vice:
'How'd you get along so well?"
And Taylor Cornett laughed and said,
"Why, I was drunk as hell."

Lloyd Baker went over there,
To dodge the jail, he did;
He said, "They'd all stayed out of jail,
If they'd kept their buttons hid."

Now my song is ended,
And I hope no one is sore;
If there is, then please speak up
And I won't sing no more.

From: George Korson, Coal Dust on the Fiddle (1943; Folklore Associates, 1965, pp. 317-318; with music)

~Masato

31 Aug 02 - 02:38 AM (#774713)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai

Historical background information: The "Bloody Harlan" Years in Kentucky and Their Historical Context By Jennifer Peters.

31 Aug 02 - 09:27 AM (#774776)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth

Thanks to ya'll

Gareth

07 Oct 02 - 10:49 AM (#798296)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai

Chapter 2 in Timothy P. Lynch's Strike Songs of the Depression (University Press of Mississippi, 2001, pp. 49-84) is titled "'Dreadful Memories': Harlan County, Kentucky, 1931-32," where numbers of songs are quoted, but no song with "Bloody Harlan" is there.

~Masato

08 Oct 02 - 11:46 PM (#799286)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai

Still not found in Richard A Reuss with JoAnne C. Reuss, American Folk Music & Left-Wing Politics, 1927-1957 (Scarecrow Press, 2000), section "Class War and Songs in the Coalfields" (pp. 87-93).

10 Aug 03 - 10:20 AM (#999654)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Us mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: masato sakurai

I haven't seen this book, but it may be interesting.
Which Side Are You On?: The Harlan County Coal Miners, 1931-39 by John W. Hevener (University of Illinois Press, 2002).

10 Aug 03 - 02:12 PM (#999766)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: GUEST,Q

No useful help, but there were many protest songs written by women of Harlan County and the other coal-mining areas of the Appalachians- Sarah Gunning, Hazel Dickens, Florence Reece (wrote "Which side are you on") and others. Could have been by one of them. The strike against the Duke mining company was long and bloody; the songs that arose out of Harlan were rewritten to apply to the Empire mines in New Mexico, Lothian strike, and elsewhere.
Information on these song writers at Appalachian Protest

Again, no direct help, but an archive one could spend a few months with: Kentucky Recordings

11 Aug 03 - 02:34 AM (#1000089)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: dick greenhaus

There's a fine CD called "Coal Mining Women" on the Rounder label.

11 Aug 03 - 12:06 PM (#1000266)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Gareth

Thanks again. Eventually we will pin this one down !

Gareth

12 Aug 03 - 11:48 AM (#1000879)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Herga Kitty

Not the right one, and written more recently, but still a good song - Si Kahn's Lawrence Jones.

13 Sep 12 - 09:22 AM (#3403833)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: GUEST,999

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:John_Reid/Reece

Some good general information at that site.

13 Sep 12 - 10:47 AM (#3403882)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: US mining song ? Bloody Harlan ?
From: Dave Hanson

There is also a documentry film called ' Harlan County USA ' mostly great actual footage about the strike but also featuring the singing of Nimrod Workman, Sarah Gunning and Florence Reece, it's very good.

Dave H