03 Aug 02 - 01:47 PM (#759336) Subject: ADD: Sugar in the Gourd From: Bee-dubya-ell A current lyric request thread looking for a sea chantey with the words "wouldn't do me any harm" in it reminded me of these lyrics to the well-known traditional old-time fiddle tune, "Sugar in the Gourd". I got these verses from a Public Radio broadcast of Indiana fiddler Dan Gellert playing at a folk festival in the seventies. SUGAR IN THE GOURD Met her down the road, she danced on a board. Danced to a tune called Sugar in the Gourd. Sugar in the gourd, honey can't get it out. Only way to get sugar gotta roll the gourd about. Had an old hen, she had a wooden leg. Was the best old hen that ever laid an egg. Laid more eggs than any hen around the farm. And another drinka liquor wouldn't do me any harm. Traditional: from recording by Dan Gellert
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04 Aug 02 - 02:59 AM (#759482) Subject: Lyr Add: SUGAR IN THE GOURD From: masato sakurai SUGAR IN THE GOURD (From: The Fiddler's Companion: Sugar in the Gourd)
Well I'm goin' down the road and I met her on a board, ~Masato
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04 Aug 02 - 07:02 PM (#759783) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: toadfrog Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers recorded a really exceptional "Sugar in the Gourd". I have that on a Rounder record; it has to be on a CD by now. |
04 Aug 02 - 07:59 PM (#759808) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: Bee-dubya-ell Thanks Masato. I had a feeling that there were probabbly a lot more words than the couple of verses I knew. Just had to get the right person to find them. *G* Bruce |
05 Aug 02 - 09:52 AM (#760010) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: Mrrzy I have a rather different version by Bob Gibson, I think, on Offbeat Folk Songs. Will post when have more time. |
05 Aug 02 - 03:39 PM (#760193) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: Gypsy is this the same tune as Sugar in the coffee? |
31 Jan 09 - 12:03 PM (#2553745) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: GUEST,joe izen Another verse from the singing of the Fat City Stringband: Some folks say that a preacher won't steel. I caught two in my corn field. One had a bushel, one had a peck. One had a watermelon 'round his neck. The recording is highly recommended. Fat City morphed into arguably the most influential old time band of all time, the Highwoods Stringband. |
31 Jan 09 - 12:38 PM (#2553771) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: Q (Frank Staplin) I wonder how many fiddle and dance songs used the old floater 'a preacher won't steal.' Here it is in White, collected from "cornfield Negroes" in Alabama, 1915-1916. 39E Some folks say dat er preacher won't steal, But I caught one in my cornfield. He had er bushel, his wife had er peck, De baby had a roastin' ear hung er round his neck. Newman I. White, 1928, American Negro Folk-Songs," Harvard Univ. Press; reprint 1965, Folklore Assoc. |
23 Mar 09 - 12:58 AM (#2595072) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: GUEST,J. Guyton The Version I Grew Up With of "HAD A LITTLE HEN" Had a little hen, had a wooden leg, best dern hen ever laid an egg, laid more eggs than any hen around the barn, another little drink wouldnt do me no harm. |
04 Jul 09 - 12:30 PM (#2671479) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sugar in the Gourd From: GUEST Re the preacher lyrics mentioned above, an older version is from a song called Way Down Yonder in the Corn Field. I collect antique phonographs and recordings and on an Edison record from 1912, sung by a blackface minstrel group, and instead of preacher the word used is the 'N word' which if you don't know what it is, it is the bad slang for a person of African American descent. The lyrics on that recording are: Some folks say that a (insert 'N word' here) won't steal Chorus: Way down yonder in the corn field But I caught a couple in my corn field. Chorus: Way down, way down, way down yonder in the corn field One had a bushel and the other had a hoe Chorus: Way down yonder in the corn field If that ain't stealin, I don't know. Chorus: Way down, way down, way down yonder in the corn field |