MichaelTheResearcher, April 27, 2013
Here are my friends in the Camptown Shakers with "Dandy Jim From Caroline" (alternate title "Best Looking Fellow In The County"). This was filmed at the Neshaminy State Park Civil War Reenactment on April 20, 2013. Many photographs of the day can be found at this blog entry: http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot....
I can't decipher the vocals for this rendition of "Dandy Jim From Caroline". I chose this video to include an example of the tune, because of the instruments that are played in this video, and because of a comment in the video's discussion thread.
Here's that comment:
Anthony Ohagan, 2013
"I have in my possession a copy of an advertisement from an Irish newspaper from 1848 for THE ETHIOPIAN SERENADERS performing in Dundalk, Ireland on October the 8th.
The advertisement contains all the songs in their repertoire
from the night which was during the time of the Great Irish Famine of the mid
19th century.
Dandy Jim from Caroline was one of their songs. Not the kind of music that many would associate with the Famine.
Thanks, lads for letting me hear that song at last"
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision - Oct. 21, 2022
This pancocojams post showcases a video of a music group performing the 1844 song "Dandy Jim From Caroline".
Some information and comments about that song are included in this post along with that song's lyrics and the definition for the English word "dandy".
The Addendum to this post provides some information about the Rhythm & Blues song "Jim Dandy" (also known as "Jim Dandy To The Rescue".)
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT & LYRICS THE SONG "DANDY JIM FROM CAROLINE"
Note: The two forms of what is commonly called "the n word" are given in this pancocojams post with amended spelling.
Lyrics for some contemporary versions of this song replace that word with "fellow".
From http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/minstrel/dandyjimfr.html
"Dandy Jim from Caroline
Baltimore: F. D. Benteen, 1844
[This song was published in 1844 by at least six publishers,
and in New York and Boston as well as in Baltimore. By
different
publishers it was attributed it to Chas. Reps, Dan Emmet,
Geo.
F. Bristow and J. T. Norton. The lyrics differ somewhat from
publisher to publisher.]
ARTISTS:
Japher's
"Original" SANDY RIVER MINSTRELS
FIDDLE & BONES: Jack Nuckols; BANJO, VOCALS &
JAW HARP: Mark Meadows; TAMBOURINE: Stephanie Meadows."
I've often heard it said of late
Dat Souf Carolina was de state,
Whar handsome Ni&&ars* bound to shine,
Like "Dandy Jim from Caroline."
For my ole massa tole me so,
I was de best lookin Ni&&er* in de County O,
I look in de glass an I found it so,
Jus what massa told me O.
I drest myself from top to toe,
And down to Dinah I did go,
Wid pantaloons strapp'd down behine,
Like "Dandy Jim from Caroline."
For my ole massa &c.
De bull dog clar'd me out ob de yard,
I tought I'd better leabe my card,
I tied it fast to a piece ob twine,
Signed "Dandy Jim from Caroline."
For my ole massa &c.
She got my card an wrote me a letta,
An ebery word she spelt de betta,
For ebery word an ebery line,
Was "Dandy Jim from Caroline."
For my ole massa &c.
Oh, beauty it is but skin deep,
But wid Miss Dinah none compete;
She chang'd her name from lubly Dine,
To Mrs. Dandy Jim from Caroline."
For my ole massa &c.
An ebery little one we had,
Was de berry image ob he dad,
Dar heels stick out tree feet behine,
Like "Dandy Jim from Caroline."
For my ole massa &c.
I took dem all to church one day,
An hab dem christened widout delay,
De Preacher christened eight or nine,
Young Dandy Jim from Caroline.
For my ole massa &c.
An when de Preacher took he tea,
He seem'd to be berry much perplex,
For noting cum across he mine,
But "Dandy Jim from Caroline."
For my ole massa &c.
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in those lyrics.
****
DEFINITION FOR THE ENGLISH WORD "DANDY"
From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandy
"Dandy
plural dandies
Definition of dandy (Entry 1 of 2)
1: a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal
appearance
2: something excellent in its class
a dandy of a game
dandy adjective
dandier; dandiest
Definition of dandy (Entry 2 of 2)
1: of, relating to, or suggestive of a man who gives
exaggerated attention to personal appearance : FOPPISH"
****
SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT THE SONG "DANDY JIM FROM CAROLINE"
These comments are from several Mudcat Folk Music Discussion Threads.
For the record, I participated in two of these discussions (given below as #1 and #3). In the first discussion thread that is given, I noted that some of the comments are missing probably because that website had crashed at some time or another.
1. From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81990
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dandy Jim of Caroline
From: Snuffy
Date: 16 Jun 05 - 01:20 PM
" "Dandy Jim from South Carolina also appears in the shanty Nothing
But A Humbug, collected in South Wales at the end of the 1920s. See this
thread for details"
-snip-
The word “thread” is a hyperlink to https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=72368
****
2. From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=72368#1463115
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: James M. Carpenter Shanties & Sea
Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Apr 05 - 03:38 PM
"Interesting that the "Humbug" lines were taken from old minstrel songs.
"Dandy Jim from Caroline" was written in 1843 by
Silas S. Steele and J. Richard Myers.
"Oh beauty is but skin deep,
But wid Miss Dinah none compete;
She changed her name from lubly Dine
To Mrs. Dandy Jim of Caroline." "
****
3. From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=97735&messages=12#1935885
a)
Subject: Lyr Add: SUGAR IN COFFEE (from Thomas W. Talley)
From: Azizi
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 06:06 PM
Sheep's in de meader a' mowin' o' de hay.
De honey's in de bee-gum, so dey all say.
My head's up an' I'se bound to go.
Who'll take sugar in de coffe-o?
I'se de prettiest liddle gal in de country-o.
My mammy an' daddy, dey bofe say so.
I looks in de glass, it don't say no.
So I'll take sugar in de coffee-o.
Source: Thomas W. Talley "Negro Folk Rhymes", originally published 1922"
****
b)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Prettiest Little Girl in the County-O
From: Richie
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 11:50 PM
From the MP3 of Sweet Dandy Jim of Caroline by Japher's "Original" SANDY RIVER MINSTRELS.
For my ole massa tole me so,
I was de best lookin *feller in de County O,
I look in de glass an I found it so,
Jus what massa told me O.
*edited
The Prettiest Little Girl originated from the chorus of Dandy Jim from Caroline (posted above). It was published in Baltimore by F. D. Benteen in 1844.
[This song was published in 1844 by at least six publishers,
and in New York and Boston as well as in Baltimore. By
different
publishers it was attributed it to Chas. Reps, Dan Emmet,
Geo.
F. Bristow and J. T. Norton. The lyrics differ somewhat from
publisher to publisher.]" "
****
ADDENDUM: 1956 R&B SONG "JIM DANDY TO THE RESCUE"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Dandy_(song)
" "Jim Dandy" (sometimes known as "Jim Dandy to the Rescue") is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart[1] and #17 on the pop charts in the United States. It was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked #352 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[2]
The song is about a man (Jim Dandy) who rescues women from improbable or impossible predicaments.[1] It proved popular enough that Chase wrote a second song for Baker entitled "Jim Dandy Got Married."[1]
The American English term jim-dandy for an outstanding person or thing predates the song; first attested in 1844, it may itself come from the title of an old song, "Dandy Jim of Caroline".[3] "...
-snip-
Both Lincoln Chase and LaVern Baker were African American.
It's interesting that there is a Wikipedia page for "Jim Dandy To The Rescue" but no Wikipedia page for "Dandy Jim From Caroline".
Update: Oct. 21, 2022: Instead of a Wikipedia page, I found this link:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dandy_Jim_from_Caroline.jpg
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment