What Is The REAL Meaning of The African American Song "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground" That John Lomax Collected In 1940 In Alabama?

 

Knock John Booker (To The Low Ground)

 Mary McDonald - Topic, Sep 5, 2019

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Knock John Booker (To The Low Ground) · Mary McDonald

Deep River Of Song: Alabama, "From Lullabies To Blues" - The Alan Lomax Collection

℗ 2001 The Association for Cultural Equity, under exclusive license to Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.

Released on: 2001-05-15

Recording Engineer, Producer, Speaker: John A. Lomax

Recording Engineer, Producer: Ruby Lomax

Producer: Steve Rosenthal

Mastering Engineer: Phil Klum

Vocalist, Speaker: Mary McDonald

Assistant Producer, Recording Second Engineer: Ruby Pickens Tartt

Composer Lyricist: Traditional

Auto-generated by YouTube.

[comments are turned off]

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about and lyrics for the African American song "Gon' [Gonna] Knock John Booker" (To The Low Ground). This song is classified as an African American children's game song. In this sound file, one person sings this song to the accompaniment of up-tempo hand clapping and (probably) foot stomping.

After hearing this song, my speculative conclusion is that "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground" was song that accompanied a dance competition (dance challenge). As such it was similar to African American "show me your motion" circle game songs, except that the children (or people of other ages) who participated in that dance competition weren't expected to imitate the movements of previous dancers. Instead, they were expected to show off their best dance moves regardless what dance steps other people had performed. 

Also, the African American song "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground" may have been a mash up of the 1840s and later African American "Johnny Booker" songs and the 1920s bluegrass instrumental tune "Billy In The Low Ground".  

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers and singer/s of "Gon' Knock John Booker". Thanks to the African American woman Molly (or Mary) McDonald for singing this song, and thanks to Alan Lomax for collecting and recording this song a many other American folk songs.  Thanks to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post. 
-snip-
Most of the content of this post was found in a 2014 pancocojams post about the song "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground". That post had no comments. I deleted it and replaces it with this posit that includes additional information.

The YouTube sound file that I embedded in that 2014 pancocojams post was published by Nico Fournier on May 10, 2014 That post is no longer available on YouTube.

The summary for that sound file categorized it as "Afro-American Blues and Game Songs"

There apparently were at least two comments in that sound file's discussion thread because I added this statement underneath that publisher's categorization of this song:
"In response to a query [from the person recording this song] who shared that this game was played in the yard and in the house too."

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INFORMATION, LYRICS, AND DANCE INSTRUCTIONS FOR "GON' KNOCK JOHN BOOKER TO THE LOW GROUND"
From http://www.loc.gov/folklife/LP/AFS_L4_sm.pdf The Library Of Congress. Music Division; Archive of American Folklore
"The slave children played ring games, many of the tunes for which were adaptations of white game songs and country tunes. Three of these ring games follow; [titles "Rosey", "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground", and Run [N word*] Run"

*ThE "n word" is fully spelled out in that pdf.

GON KNOCK JOHN BOOKER TO THE LOW GROUND
Gon knock John Booker to the low ground
Tu-da darlln' day.
Gon knock John Booker to the low ground
Tu-da darlln' day.
That lady bow to beat you.
Tu-da darlln' day.
That lady bow to beat you.
Tu-da darlln' day.
That gentleman bow to beat you
Tu-da darlln' day.
That gentleman bow to beat you

Tu-da darlln' day.

Chorus:
Hey-ay-ay,
Hey-ay-ay,
Hello, my lover
Keep a- g-wine on
Hello, my lover
Keep a-runnin on
Hello, my lover
Keep a- gwine
That ole mule buck
That ole mule buck
Keep a- gwine
Kicked the saddle off
That ole mule buck
Keep a- gwine
[The next lines repeat what has gone on before]
-snip-
White folklorist John Lomax collected this song in 1940 in Alabama as it was sung by African American woman Harriet McClintock.

I believe that "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground" was a "show me your motion"  African American challenge dance competition. My guess is other children sung the song while one person at a time, but probably more than one person showed off their best dance moves while other people sung that song. 

Here are my guesses about the meanings of some of the lyrics of that song in the context of that song.

gon'" - African American Vernacular English word meaning "gonna" (going to), also given as
 "gwine".

**
In the context of the song "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground", I think that the words "Knock John Booker to the low ground" has a very similar meaning as the contemporary African American Vernacular English saying "Kick 'em to the curb" (meaning,"beat that person" / "get rid of him or her" . If "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground" was a dance challenge game song-as I think it was-, the dance challenger wants to dance better than her or his competitor herein referred to as "John Booker". If that dance challenger dances better than John Booker, she (or he) would have (figuratively) knocked John Booker to the low ground.

I think that same meaning of "knock" was used for the old African American children's dance song (game song) "Knock Jim Crow". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/09/knock-jim-crow-real-origin-of-dance.html for a 2014 pancocojams post for the song "Knock Jim Crow". 

Furthermore, I believe that the word "knock" in both of those African American songs have the connotation of dancing very well". The American saying "to knock it out of the park" (i.e. to hit a home run in baseball or in softball" has a similar complimentary meaning..

The 2016 dance name "Hit The Quan" is a "contemporary" example of the use of the phrase  "hit the" + the name of a Hip Hop dance that has basically the same meaning as "Knock John Booker" and "Knock Jim Crow" i.e. "to do that particular dance" very well.  

**

In the excerpt given toward the end of this pancocojams post https://andybiskin.com/musings/andy-biskin-and-16-tons-songs-from-the-alan-lomax-collection "Musings: Andy Biskin and 16 Tons: Songs from the Alan Lomax Collection" Alan Biskin (who worked for a brief period of time with folklorist Alan Lomax) wrote that "when you hear the lyrics you realize it’s a slave-era protest song. Alan writes, “‘Booker’ is another form of buckra, a word of African origin meaning ‘white’.”
-end of quote-

I disagree with that statement as I don't find any references to slave-era protest in the lyrics for that song. 

I'm aware that the name "John Booker" was used in a number of a number of plantation (pre-end of Civil War) dance songs with titles such as "Jonny Boker", "Old Johnny Booker", "Mister Booger" "What Johnny Booker Wouldn't Do").

However, with all due respect to Alan Lomax, if the "Knock John Booker" song that his father John Lomax collected in 1940 originated as a protest song that was sung by enslaved Black people in Alabama or elsewhere in the United States, the song that John Lomax heard and recorded in 1940 didn't have any protest lyrics.

It seems to me that Alan Lomax based what I think is his faulty conclusion about the slave protest origins of that song on his belief that the last name "Booker" derived from the West African word "buckra" meaning "White man" and later, "White people".  Here's information about the etymology of the word "buckra" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckra
"Buckra or Backra is a term of West African origin. It is mainly used in the Caribbean and the Southeast United States. Originally, it was used by slaves to address their white owners. Later, the meaning was broadened to generally describe white people.

Etymology

"Buckra" has been found in many variants, successively bacceroe, bochara, backra, baccra, bakra, buckera, buckra, bockra,[1] and more. It probably derives from the Ibibio and Efik Annang word mbakara, meaning (white) European or master.[2] It is thought to have emerged during the 17th or 18th century colonial period of slavery, when enslaved people were transported from West Africa and Central Africa to plantations in the Caribbean owned by European colonizers.

Initially, it was used by enslaved people to address their white owners and their overseers. Later, the meaning was broadened to generally describe white people. After the abolition of slavery, the word survived to refer to white people, usually used by black people in the US in derogatory meaning."...

However, another etymology has been given for the last name "Booker" in the African American folk songs "Johnny Booker".  Here's a comment about the song "Johnny Booker" from https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=67154 "Lyr Req: Old Johhny Bucker"

From: Dave Sutherland, Date: 21 Feb 04 
"It is in the forum under "Old Johnny Booker". It started life as a minstrel song called "Old Johnny Bigger" with the politically incorrect chorus "Old Johnny Bigger was a gay old ni-ger*". It later changed to Booker and was a favourite among soldiers in both the first and second world wars. Jack Elliott of Birtley was perhaps best known for purveying the song to the folk scene, Both he and Bob Davenport have recorded the song.
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment. The word "gay" in those lyrics means "happy".

Click  http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-old-time-song-johnny-booker.html for the 2013 pancocojams post "The Old Time Song "Johnny Booker". 

If "Gon' Knock John Booker To The Low Ground" originated as a slave-era protest song, my guess is that its meaning and probably also its performance activity had changed a lot when John Lomax happened upon a Black woman singing it in 1940 Alabama.

By then, my guess is that in the context of that song "John Booker" no longer was a general referent for a White man if it ever was.  Instead "John Booker" referred to any person who another person beat in this dance challenge.

Also, I think that the words "the low ground" no longer literally meant "a lower level of ground". Instead, by the 1940s in the context of this song, my guess is that "the low ground"  figuratively, not literally meant "where the people stood who lost the dance challenge".. 

**
"That lady (or "that man") bow to beat you" - "bow to beat you" might mean "performing a bow or curtsy before starting the dance challenge (dancing).

However, in the "Musings: Andy Biskin and 16 Tons: Songs from the Alan Lomax Collection" article that has previously been mention in this pancocojams post (an excerpt of which is  given toward the end of this post), the writer gave that lyric as "bound to beat you".  In large part because of that quote and also because that meaning makes more sense for what I believe was a dance challenge, I believe that the word "bow" is a mistranslation for the word "bound". In that song "bound to beat you" means "is going to beat you (with "beat you" meaning "win"/ dance better than you".)

**
"That ole mule buck"- the old mule bucked ,meaning "leap[ed] with arched back and come down with head low and forelegs stiff, in order to dislodge a rider or pack" http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bucked

I wonder if the children who sung the line about the mule bucking performed the "bucking" movement that still lives on in the [new style] Black majorette dance routines. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/07/eight-dd4l-dancing-dolls-of-jackson.html for a pancocojams post that shows examples of "bucking". Note that "bucking" isn't the same as the tap dance movement of "buck & wing".

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EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE ARTICKE ABOUT FOLKLORIST ALAN LOMAX
https://andybiskin.com/musings/andy-biskin-and-16-tons-songs-from-the-alan-lomax-collection "Musings: Andy Biskin and 16 Tons: Songs from the Alan Lomax Collection

"Alan Lomax (1915-2002) had a profound influence on our understanding of American folk music. His legacy includes thousands of essential field recordings, as well as anthologies, essays, and groundbreaking research that seeks to unravel the very meaning of music within a culture. He was a tireless advocate for what he, way ahead of his time, termed "cultural equity": giving all cultures an equal voice and promoting their diversity and preservation.

[,,,]

Alan had a genius for finding singers who not only gave us songs we’d never heard before, but also delivered intimate, unforgettable performances by infusing the words and melodies with all they knew and lived.

[,,,]

One of my favorite Lomax recordings is his "Southern Journey," a 13-volume collection from around the same time as FSNY. For that series Alan returned to many of the rural southern locales he had visited early in his career, excited to find new songs and singers. Alan always relished the fact that he and I were both displaced Texans living in exile in New York City, and I think of this CD as my own homecoming journey. I hope it proves to be a good travelling companion for you.

[…]

"Knock John Booker" is an African-American children’s game song. Alan’s father, John Lomax, recorded Aunt Molly McDonald singing it on a farm in Alabama in 1940, and as far as I can tell, there are no other available renditions. When you hear the lyrics you realize it’s a slave-era protest song. Alan writes, “‘Booker’ is another form of buckra, a word of African origin meaning ‘white’.”

Gon’ knock John Booker to the low ground Tu-da darlin’ day

That lady bound to beat you, Tu-da darlin’ day”…

Gon’ knock John Booker to the low ground Tu-da darlin’ day

That lady bound to beat you, Tu-da darlin’ day”…

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INFORMATION ABOUT BLUEGRASS TUNE "BILLY IN THE LOW GROUND" 
From AI Overview (retrieved March 2, 2026)

AI Overview #1 [retrieved March 2,2026]
"  "Billy in the Low Ground" is a foundational, traditionally upbeat American fiddle tune with 18th-century Scottish/Irish roots, likely originating from tunes like "The Braes of Auchtertyre" (1761). It became a staple in old-time and bluegrass music, typically played in the key of C, and was popularized in the 1920s by early recording artists like A.C. "Eck" Robertson.

Origins and Evolution

Roots: The tune's ancestry is traced to early Scottish/Irish music, possibly related to the 1724 tune "O, Dear Mother What Shall I do?" or the 1761 "The Braes of Auchtertyre".

Title Meaning: Theories suggest the title may refer to William of Orange at the 1690 Battle of the Boyne (a "low ground" battle) or simply a description of someone in a low-lying, swampy area.

Alternative Names: The song has been known as "Fiddler’s Drunk and the Fun’s All Over," "Jinny in the Lowland," and "The Belles of Tipperary".

Bluegrass and Early Recordings

Early Recordings: The tune was famously recorded in the 1920s by A.C. (Eck) Robertson (1924) and Fiddlin' John Carson (1923), solidifying its place in the American repertoire.

Key of C: While many old-time tunes are in D or G, "Billy" is famous for being in the key of C, which makes it distinct for fiddlers and popular among guitarists (notably, Tony Rice's version is often considered the bluegrass standard).

Variations: It has been played by a wide variety of musicians, including Uncle Jimmy Thompson, the Kessinger Brothers, and Lowe Stokes.

Old Time vs. Bluegrass

There is a distinct, older version known as "Old Time Billy in the Lowground," linked to Kentucky fiddler Kelly Gilbert, which predates the more common, fast-paced bluegrass version.

The bluegrass version is often recognized for its "crooked" (uneven) structure in some interpretations, although the standardized version is a 2-part reel.

Common Performances

The tune is a jam favorite for bluegrass bands, with notable versions by Doc Watson (played in D), Byron Berline and Clarence White, and modern interpretations by Billy Strings.

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AI Overview #2 [retrieved March 2, 2026]

The traditional fiddle tune "Billy in the Low Ground" was first recorded in the early 1920s, with common attributions to early 1920s recordings by artists like Fiddlin' John Carson (circa 1923) or A.C. (Eck) Robertson (1924). It is a well-known American fiddle tune with roots in 18th-century Irish and Scottish music.

Earliest Recordings: While some sources cite A.C. Robertson's 1924 recordings, the tune was in the repertoire of various fiddlers, with recordings by Fiddlin' John Carson in 1923 and recordings by the Kessinger Brothers in 1929.

Contest Tradition: The song was a popular contest tune, appearing in the 1919-1928, Berea, KY, contest tune lists.

Origins: The tune is rooted in older British/Irish fiddle traditions, with early American printings appearing in the 19th century.

It is often listed as a seminal, early American old-time/country tune from the 1920s"
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxKhfjBrWiY "Billy in the Lowground" - Benny Thomasson, published by Joy of Fiddling, Oct 21, 2016 for one of many YouTube videos of "Billy In The Low Ground"

The musician who introduced the fiddler Benny Thomasson referred to "Billy In The Low Ground" as "that old breakdown tune."

I don't think the tune for "Billy In The Low Ground" sounds the same as the tune for the song "Knock John Booker To The Low Ground". But "Knock John Booker.." could have been inspired by that instrumental song.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Ten Examples Of Caribbean-Canadian Singer, Songwriter, & Banjoist Kaïa Kater's Roots Music And Her Natural Hairstyles

Kaïa Kater,  Feb 21, 2024

Live video for "Fédon" from 'Strange Medicine' ...

Mason Jar Music - video

Kaïa Kater - vocals and banjo

Andrew Ryan - upright bass and harmony vocals

Alec Spiegelman - clarinet and effects

Jackson Hillmer - drums

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post combines my interest in documenting banjo music-particularly contemporary banjo music performed by people of Black ancestry- with my interest in documenting contemporary natural hairstyles that are worn by females of Black ancestry.

This pancocojams post presents information about Caribbean-Canadian singer, songwriter, and banjo player/guitar player Kai Kater.

 This post also presents ten* YouTube videos that showcase Kaia Kater's musical artistry and also showcase some of the natural hairstyles that she has worn for her performances and/or hairstyles that are shown on her album covers and for her acceptance of her 2025 Juno award.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Kaia Kater for her roots music and thanks to her (or her hair stylist/s) for her various natural hairstyles. Thanks to all those who are also featured in these showcased videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.   
-snip-
*I started this post by planning on focusing on five different natural hairstyles that Kaia Kater has worn in YouTube videos or sound files of her music. I raised that number to seven, then eight, and I now am highlighting ten different hairstyles that Kaia wore in those videos/sound files. I know that there are hairstyles that aren't included in this post. Thanks, Kaia, for the expressions of creativity that you share through your music as well as through your hairstyles.

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INFORMATION ABOUT KAIA KATER

https://www.kaiakater.com/about About Kaia Kater

" Bio

2025 JUNOS Contemporary Roots Album of the Year Nominee

2025 International Folk Music Awards Nominated

Montreal-born Grenadian-Canadian Kaia's jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR's Tiny Desk, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and No Depression. Through her artful banjo playing and lush songwriting, Kaia draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean, and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background; her ties to the Canadian folk music scene; her college years spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia, her father’s experience growing up in Grenada, and her recent work in film composition.

Kaia Kater’s new album, Strange Medicine (coming May 2024 on Free Dirt Records/ acrönym in Canada) was created during a period of deep self-reflection and reinvention.  Taking the helm as co-producer, alongside Joe Grass (Elisapie, Barr Brothers), the album finds Kater expanding her creative scope with cinematic arrangements, and working with guest artists such as Taj Mahal, Allison Russell and Aoife O’Donovan. The album celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history, while also sharing meditations on her own life.

Kaia released her first EP Old Soul (2013) when she was just out of high school. Since then, she’s gone on to release several albums, Sorrow Bound (2015), Nine Pin (2016) and Grenades (2018) and Strange Medicine (May 2024).  For the JUNO-nominated and Polaris Music Prize long-listed Grenades, Kaia leaned into a wide array of sounds and styles in order to convey a broad range of emotions and topics, most notably her Caribbean ancestry and her father’s experience as a refugee in Canada.

In 2020, Kaia took part in the Slaight Music Residency at the Canadian Film Center, leading her to write original music for The Porter (BET+ 2022), for which she garnered a Canadian Screen Award.  She also wrote and performed music for the new film, My Dead Friend Zoe (March 2024).

 [...]

“...One of the most remarkable Canadian folk records in some time...Kater's music is somehow ancient and brand new at the same time.”

-Tom Power, CBC Radio 2

SHORT BIO 

Grenadian-Canadian Kaia Kater's jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, Rolling Stone and The Guardian. Her new album, Strange Medicine (May 2024), celebrates the power of women and oppressed people, while also sharing meditations on her own life. Kaia is equally recognized for her film work, winning a Canadian Screen Award for 'The Porter' (CBC/BET+), and contributing to the new film, My Dead Friend Zoe (March 2024) as a songwriter and singer.

[...]

“...plaintive, mesmerizing ... writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran...”

— Rolling Stone"...

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS OF KAIA KATER'S MUSIC THAT ALSO FEATURE EXAMPLES OF HER NATURAL HAIRSTYLES 

With the exception of Video #1 that is embedded at the top of this post, all of these videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube.

SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Sun to Sun

Kaïa Kater, Jul 31, 2015

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises

Sun to Sun · Kaia Kater

Sorrow Bound

℗ 2015 Kingswood Records

Released on: 2015-06-16

Music  Publisher: Kaia Hurst Kater (BMI)

Auto-generated by YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Kaia Kater - En Filant Ma Quenouille

 

Beehive Productions, Nov 10, 2015

Kaia Kater - En Filant Ma Quenouille

Filmed and multi-tracked by Beehive Productions in Saranac Lake, NY,  July 2015

Captured with Peluso Microphones

Part of the "Ear to the Ground" series featuring sessions and interviews exploring the artists and places that make up Roots Music Culture

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4-Saint Elizabeth · Kaia Kater

Kaïa Kater, May 12, 2016

Saint Elizabeth · Kaia Kater

Nine Pin

℗ 2016 Kingswood Records

Released on: 2016-05-13

Music Publisher: Kaia Kater

Auto-generated by YouTube.

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 -Nine Pin

Kaïa Kater, Aug 23, 2016

From the album "'Nine Pin" (May 2016)  more info: www.kaiakater.com

Kaia Kater - Banjo, vocals

Chris Bartos - Electric guitar

Brian Kobayakawa - Upright bass

 

USA - Kingswood Records  UK - Proper Distribution

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 - Grenades

Kaïa Kater, Oct 19, 2018

From Kaia Kater's album Grenades (Smithsonian Folkways/acronym Records) on 10/26/2018 and 1/11/2019 (Europe).

Kaia Kater - vocals

Alyson McNamara - organ

Aaron Goldstein - pedal steel

Anna Ruddick - electric bass

Brad Kilpatrick - drums

 

Mitch Fillion (Southern Souls) - video

Aaron Goldstein (Baldwin Street Studio) - mixing & audio engineer

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #7 - The Internet

Free Dirt Records, Jan 12, 2024

"The Internet" is Kaia Kater's new single out now on Free Dirt ~ https://lnk.to/kaia-kater-internet

"This was a quick write, a couple of verses in a notebook over a glass of wine during the pandemic about how weird it is to talk to people through a screen. I was listening to Kate Bush’s 'Hounds of Love' on repeat at the time and was heavily inspired by her song “Watching You Without Me” about the qualities of being an observer. I took the bridge of the song in a similar direction as her song, full of barely intelligible words, like the ones you might hear when you’re losing your internet connection with someone: Can you hear me? Can you see me? Don’t ignore me." - Kaia

Produced by Kaïa Kater and Joe Grass
Engineered by Gautier Marinof
Mixed by Ryan Freeland at Stampede Origin
Mastered by Richard Addison at Trillium Sound
Recorded at Studio Mixart

Written by Kaïa Kater-Hurst (SOCAN)

I can only talk to you

through the Internet

In bits and in bytes and right angles

Carved up my life just for the Internet

You take the leg, the wing, the shoulder and sing:

“All Hail To Our God The Internet”

 

I spilled my drink onto the Internet

Everything twitched and was gone

Who am I now without the Internet?

I’m not the saint, the fiend

the stupid machine

“Liking” likes, like I should like the Internet

 

I spy the satellites of the Internet

Above me like human-made stars

Concentrically circling the internet

But never enough

To touch

To feel any rush

Out beyond the pull of The Internet

 

Oh how I long

to just

feel any rush

Out beyond the pull of The Internet

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #8 - Kaia Kater covers "Undone in Sorrow"

Salt Lick Sessions, Jan 14, 2024

"Undone in Sorrow" written by Ola Belle Reed (popularized by Crooked Still)

Kaia Kater, vocals and banjo with Andrew Donavan Ryan, bass.

 Recorded September 24, 2023 at Studio 9 at Porches Inn during the FreshGrass Festival  @MASSM0CA in North Adams, Massachusetts.  @FreshGrassFoundation  

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #9 -The Witch 

Kaïa Kater, May 1, 2024

Live video for "The Witch" from 'Strange Medicine' coming May 17 on Free Dirt / acronym: https://lnk.to/kaia-kater-strange-med...

Mason Jar Music - video

Kaïa Kater - vocals and banjo

Andrew Ryan - upright bass and harmony vocals

Alec Spiegelman - saxophone and effects

Jackson Hillmer - drums

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #10 -  Kaia Kater wins Contemporary Roots Album of the Year | 2025 JUNO Awards Gala

The JUNO Awards, Apr 8, 2025  #JUNOS #roots #Kaiakater

Kaia Kater wins Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at The 2025 JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada

 #JUNOS

#Kaiakater

#roots

 Photo: CARAS/Ryan Bolton Photography

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Examples Of "Hop High My Lulu Girl" (also known as "Lulu Gal" and other titles)

DrQuickbeam, October 10, 2009
-snip-
The lyrics for this version are given as Lyrics #1 below.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents some information, YouTube video examples, and lyrics for the Old Time Music/Bluegrass song "Hop High My Lulu Gal" (also known as "Lulu Gal" & "Lula Gal" and other titles).

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and  aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the singers and musicians who are featured in the YouTube video that is embedded in this post. 

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS OF THIS SONG
These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
This video is embedded at the top of this post.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Hop High Lulu Girl (Roustabout)

Steve Allerton, Sep 26, 2022

Inspired by Dirk Powell, with a nod to Riley Baugus and Fred Cockerham.  Bottle Gourd banjo built by the wonderful Noah Cline.  Tuning here is e-A-E-Ab-B.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 -Kaia Kater - "Lulu Gal"

World One Video, Jun 9, 2015

Kaia Kater performing a new song not yet recorded on cd called Lulu Gal.  With Scotty Leach on fiddle and vocals.

Recorded 'In The Moment' on Friday May 15, 2015 at the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference near Asheville, North Carolina.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG
From https://secondhandsongs.com/work/238564/all 

Added by mduval32323

Hop High My Lulu Gal

..."Originally written by [Traditional]

Language English

Adapted from Miss McLeod's / Hop Light Ladies / Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe written by [Traditional] – Lyricization

[...]

Adaptations

An adaptation is a musical work, which uses elements (music or lyrics) from another musical work.

[Some early recording dates for this song]

Titles                                         Performers                                Release Dates

Miss McLeod's Reel                  Victor Dance Orchestra              December 1906         

Miss McLeod's Reel                  Prince's Orchestra                      March 1914    

Hop Out Ladies
and Shortenin' Bread  Medley   Henry Whitter                             May 1924        

Hop Light, Lady                          Fiddlin' John Carson and His Virginia
                                                   Reelers                                     December 2025                                     
                                

Hop About Ladies                      Oliver Sims                                December 1926                                                                                                                    

Hop High Ladies,
the Cake's All Dough                  Uncle Dave Macon and
                                                   His Fruit-Jar Drinkers                May 1927       

Did You Ever See
the Devil, Uncle Joe?                  Fiddlin' Powers & Family         1928 "...   

****
LYRICS FOR VERSIONS OF THIS SONG
These examples of lyrics for this song are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

VERSION  #1
HOP HIGH, MY LULU GIRL
(traditional; composers unknown/ performed by Dirk Powell in Hand Me Down; released in 1999)

Where did you get those high top shoes And the dress that you wear so fine I got my shoes from a railroading man And the dress is from a driver in the mine

CHORUS Oh hop high, hop high Hop high, my Lulu girl Oh hop high, hop high Hop high, my Lulu girl I'll pawn you my watch and I'll pawn you my chain I'll pawn you my gold wedding ring To pay my little Lulu's fine I'll pawn you my wagon and my team CHORUS Where have you been my pretty little girl Where have you been so long I've been in the pen with them rough and rowdy men And honey I'm goin' back again CHORUS -snip- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyuojxLhCy8 This example is given as Showcase video #1 in this pancocojams post.

Here are two comments about Dirk Powell's version of "Hop High Lulu Girl"
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41680

1. Subject: RE: Help: Say, Darlin', Say From: GLoux Date: 12 Apr 05 - 08:00 AM "The liner notes to Dirk's recording of 'Hop High My Lulu Gal' say that it is known to come from Fred Cockerham. I don't have a recording of Fred doing it, though... -Greg" ** 2.

Subject: RE: Origins: Say, Darlin', Say
From: GUEST,peter beck
Date: 07 Jul 11 - 04:23 PM

"In re: "Hop High My Lulu Gal," the song is also (better) known as "Roustabout."...

****
VERSION #2
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=142687
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Time Roustabout
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 11:53 AM

"Here's a swift transcription:
Roustabout (Fred Cockerham version)

Roustabout oh roustabout
Where have you been so long
been in the pen with the 40 dollar men
Honey I'm going back again

hopeye hopeye hopeye
Oh baby-o
Hopeye my Lulu gal

Oh where did you get your brand new shoes
Dress you wear so fine
Oh I got the shoes from from a railroad man
Dress from a driver in the mine.

hopeye hopeye hopeye
Oh baby-o
Hopeye my Lulu gal

Who's gonna shoe your pretty little feet
Who's gonna glove your hand
Mama will shoe my pretty little feet
Poppa will glove my hand

hopeye hopeye hopeye"

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

"Old Joe Clark" (Five YouTube Examples Of This Old Time Music/Bluegrass Music Song)

The Biscuit Eaters, Feb 9, 2023

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the Old Time Music /Bluegrass Music tune & song "Old Joe Clark".

This post showcases five YouTube video examples of the United States Old Time Music /Bluegrass Music tune & song "Old Joe Clark".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/04/general-information-comments-about.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents some general information and comments about the song/tune "Old Joe Clark". The Addendum of that post presents some information about and examples of floating verses from "Old Joe Clark" that are found in some other American Old Time Music/Bluegrass Music songs.

The earliest sources for these songs suggest that Black Americans were the originators of a number of the early verses for "Old Joe Clark" and the other American Old Time Music/Bluegrass Music songs that include those verses. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and sound file and thanks to all the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

****
ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE YOUTUBE VIDEOS/SOUND FILES 
These videos are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

EXAMPLE #1 - Old Joe Clark

OldTimeMusic, Feb 23, 2009

Callahan Brothers perform Old Joe Clark in the 1945 Jimmy Wakely western "Springtime in Texas".

****
EXAMPLE #2 - Old Joe Clark

Doc Watson, Mar 14, 2014

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Old Joe Clark · Doc Watson · Merle Watson · Sam Bush · Marty Stuart · T. Michael Coleman · Alan O'Bryant

Home Sweet Home

℗ 1998 Sugar Hill Records, A Welk Music Group Company

Released on: 1998-01-01

****
EXAMPLE #3 - Old Joe Clark  
 

Dan D. Dirges, Jan 25, 2015

Dan D. Dirges performs the classic traditional folk song, Old Joe Clark.

lyrics - Old Joe Clark

Old Joe Clark's a fine old man

Tell you the reason why

He keeps good likker 'round his house

that Good old Rock and Rye---------

 

Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark

Fare thee well, I say

Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark

I'm a going away------

 

Old Joe Clark, the preacher's son

Preached all over the plain

The only text he ever knew

Was High, low, Jack and the game

 

Old Joe Clark he had a mule

His name was Morgan Brown

And every tooth in that mule's head

Was sixteen inches around---------

 

Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat

She would neither sing or pray

She stuck her nose in the butermilk jar

And washed her sins away

 

Old Joe Clark he had a house

Fifteen stories high

And every story in that house

Was filled with chicken pie-----------

 

I went down to Old Joe's house

He invited me to supper

I stumped my toe on the table leg

And stuck my nose in the butter

 

Now I wouldn't marry a widder

Tell you the reason why

She'd have so many children

They'd make those biscuits fly------------

 

Sixteen horses in my team

The leaders they are blind

And every time the sun goes down

There's a pretty girl on my mind

 

Eighteen miles of mountain road

And fifteen miles of sand

If ever travel this road again

I'll be a married man-----------

****
EXAMPLE #4 - Old Joe Clark Singing Game Demo

Musicplay, Aug 9, 2017

****
This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

"Old Joe Clark" (General Information & Comments About This American Old Time Music/Bluegrass Music Song)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the Old Time Music /Bluegrass Music tune & song "Old Joe Clark".

This post presents some general information and comments about the song/tune "Old Joe Clark". Some of these entries include lyrics for this song. This post also presents some general information and comments about the song/tune "Old Joe Clark".

The Addendum of this post presents some information about and examples of floating verses from "Old Joe Clark" that are found in some other American Old Time Music/Bluegrass Music songs.

The earliest sources for these songs suggest that Black Americans were the originators of a number of the early verses for "Old Joe Clark" and the other American Old Time Music/Bluegrass Music songs that include those verses. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/04/five-video-examples-of-old-time.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases five YouTube video examples of the United States Old Time Music /Bluegrass Music tune & song "Old Joe Clark".

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE ABOUT MINSTREL SONGS
Since this pancocojams blog focuses on African American culture and other Black cultures throughout the world, I would like to share the reason why I'm publishing posts on 19th century minstrel songs.
 
My focus on 19th century minstrel songs in this pancocojams blog shouldn't be interpreted to mean that I believe that Black Americans composed these songs. 

However, I believe that some themes, terms, and some previously existing floating verses that Black Americans did compose (largely as Southern plantation secular dance/work songs) were taken from those sources by White composers and used in a number of minstrel songs. White men are named as the composers of those songs without any acknowledgement of those Black sources. 

I recognize those Black contributions through these posts and I also recognize that some blackfaced minstrels were Black Americans. The influence of Black Americans in minstrelsy extends from the United States South to music traditions in other parts of the world including Great Britain and South Africa. 

****
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT "OLD JOE CLARK" 
The sources for these online quotes are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes online.

ONLINE SOURCE #1
From 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Joe_Clark

" "Old Joe Clark" is a US folk song, a mountain ballad that was popular among soldiers from eastern Kentucky during World War I and afterwards.[1] Its lyrics refer to a real person named Joseph Clark, a Kentucky mountaineer who was born in 1839 and murdered in 1885.[1][2] The "playful and sometimes outlandish verses" have led to the conjecture that it first spread as a children's song and via play parties.[3] There are about 90 stanzas in various versions of the song.[1] The tune is based on an A major scale in the Mixolydian mode, but moreover has definite hints of a complete blues scale, namely, the flatted 3rd and 5th.[4]

Although "Old Joe Clark" may have originated in the 19th century, no printed records are known from before 1900.[3] An early version was printed in 1918, as sung in Virginia at that time.[1]

"Old Joe Clark" has been described as "one of the most widely known of all Southern fiddle tunes [as of the late 20th century. ... It] has, to a degree, become part of the [United States] national repertory. One may hear it in bluegrass jam sessions, old-time fiddle sessions, and country dances throughout the United States."[3]

Gary Cooper sang several verses of this song in the 1945 western, “Along Came Jones”.

Lyrics

Fare-the-well Old Joe Clark, goodbye Mitsy Brow-owww-owwwn

Fare-the-well Old Joe Clark, I'm gonna leave this town

Old Joe Clark he had a house 16 stories high

and every story in that house was filled with chicken pie

I went down to Old Joe's house – never been there before

He slept on a feather bed, and I slept on the floor.

 

Refrain:

Round and around Old Joe Clark Round and around I say

Round and around Old Joe Clark. I hav'n't long to stay."...

****
ONLINE SOURCE #2
From https://www.balladofamerica.org/old-joe-clark/
"Old Joe Clark: About the Song

“Old Joe Clark” is an American fiddle tune that is well-known throughout the United States and other parts of the world. Many different verses and choruses have been sung to the tune. The song’s origins are unclear, as is the identity of Joe Clark himself, if the title did actually derive from a namesake. Various claims indicate that Joe Clark may have been a moonshiner in the Virginia hills, a veteran of the War of 1812, or a banjo player from Clay County, Kentucky.

Lyrics

chorus:

Round and round, old Joe Clarke

Round and round, I say

Round and round, old Joe Clarke

I ain’t got long to stay

 

Fare thee well, old Joe Clarke

Fare thee well, I say

He’d follow me ten thousand miles

To hear my fiddle play

 

verses:

Old Joe Clarke the preacher’s son

Preached all over the plain

The only text he ever used

Was high low jack and the game

 

I went down to old Joe’s house

Never been there before

He slept on the feather bed

And I slept on the floor

 

Old Joe Clarke he had a dog

As blind as he could be

Chased a redbug ’round a stump

And a coon up a hollow tree

 

Old Joe had a yellow cat

She would not sing or pray

She stuck her head in a buttermilk jar

And washed her sins away

 

I went down to old Joe’s house

Old Joe wasn’t at home

I ate up all of old Joe’s meat

And left old Joe the bone

 

I used to live on mountaintop

But now I live in town

I’m boarding at the big hotel

Courting Betsy Brown"

****
ONLINE SOURCE #3
From https://wmeamusic.org/files/2016/03/CMPtp2011_GenMus_OldJoeClark-Bartling.pdf
..."Title: Old Joe Clark Composer: Unknown: Folk song of 1860’s Instrumentation/Voicing: Unison singers/folk instruments

[...]

This plan was designed for Grade 5.

[...]

ANALYSIS

Broad Description:
Traditional Type/Genre: American Folk Song/Fiddle Tune Background: Old Joe Clark is one of the most widely know Southern fiddle tunes. It has to some degree become a part of the national folk repertoire. You can hear it in most old time fiddle jam sessions, many blue grass concerts, on multiple recordings, and at country dances across the nation. It has also become a children’s favorite with its fanciful verses and easy melody. 

[...]

This song has traveled all across the nation as a fiddle tune. It also has a tradition of being a children’s play party song. Children have sung it and made up their own verses for many years. Adults have sung it and created verses of their own as well.

[...]

Elements of Music

Form: Verse and Refrain. (AB form)

Rhythm: This arrangement is in 2/4. The two main rhythmic patterns are a steady eighth note pattern in the verse (A) section and a dotted eighth note- sixteenth note - quarter note pattern in the refrain (B) section.

Melody: Mixolydian mode. The Mixolydian scale, or mode, is the fifth of the seven musical modes. It is similar to the major scale except for the lowered seventh. The Mixolydian scale is the scale that appears when a major scale is played with the fifth note (fifth scale-degree) as the root. Thus, a C major scale played from "G" is a G Mixolydian scale. This is why the term "mode" is more appropriate than "scale".

[...]

Texture: Voice and accompaniment. This song is traditionally accompanied by guitar, fiddle, folk percussion (spoons, washboards etc.) banjo, string bass etc. The texture can vary depending on the group that is performing it. Expression: This song should be sung with a lively, joyful and even silly spirit. It is all about having fun and singing with humor. The verses can often be sung by a soloist or solo group. The refrain should be sung a little louder with an emphasis on a steady pulsing beat and the entire community of players and/or singers joining in on this repetitive portion.

Special Considerations: There are so many versions of this song that it is important to emphasize that a group of students may have had experience with a different version than what is being taught. A discussion on the folk tradition of passing songs along through the generations without written notation or verses has created so many different versions. Discuss how different parts of the country may sing it differently. Connecting this song to the social studies unit of pioneers and westward expansion can establish additional insights into the song.

Reasons to Perform this Song: - to learn an American folk song that is part of our American heritage - to learn the historical significance of the song - to improvise lyrics - to learn the rhythmic patterns that include a dotted eighth – sixteenth note pattern - to listen to a variety of versions of the song both vocal and instrumental - to perform on folk instruments - to compose a different verse using musical elements of dynamics and tempo.

Heart Statement: The heart of “Old Joe Clark” is its humorous, joyful feeling that is created by its rhythmic composition of dotted rhythms and improvised lyrics. The fact that individuals would create lyrics for the verses and the community would sing the refrain.

[...]

MUSIC SELECTION “Old Joe Clark” has stood the test of time. It has been sung and played for many generations and has become a part of our national repertoire. It has a rich history and has been performed by a great variety of instrumental and vocal groups. This song has a sense of community because it has been sung for years in a community setting at barn dances, around campfires, at fiddle concerts, folk concerts, and community singing events. Its great sense of fun and humor is appealing to both elementary students and adults. There is so much to teach in the piece including the instruments, melody, rhythms, history, and expression to name just a few. This song just sticks in your head and gets your foot tapping. Every time that I teach this song, I have students tell me that they love making up new verses and singing it to their families."...

****
ONLINE SOURCE #4
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=48624
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: old joe clark?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Jun 02 - 05:24 PM

"A lot of songs have the meter of "Old Joe Clark-Liza Jane." One of these is known as the "The Gal From The South," which usually includes the line

"Old massa had a yaller gal,

He brung her from the south," etc.,

It includes this verse:

Old massa had a banjo,

Its strings were made of twine;

The only tune that I could play

Was "I wish that gal was mine."

"My Liza Jane" has these lines:

Saturday night and Sunday too, pretty gals on my mind;

Monday mornin' just 'fore day, white folks got me gwine,

White folks got me gwine, white folks got me gwine.

When I go to my gal's house and she is at home,

I lays myself back in de big arm cheer and picks on de old banjo,

And picks on de old banjo, and picks on de old banjo.

 

As I went down the new cut road, she went down de lane.

Was de last time I saw my true love, so go 'long, Liza Jane.

Go long, Liza Jane, go long Liza Jane.

 

Not what you want, but offered for comparison. From Newman L. White, American Negro Folk Songs. The chorus you offer is common to several versions of Old Joe Clark (in Lomax, etc.) but not with verses suggesting slavery or playing the banjo.

 

In Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, is the verse:

I had a banjo made of gourd,

The strings was made of twine,

But the only tune that I could play

Was I wish that gal was mine.

 

No verses in Randolph suggest slavery; this one, also from Randolph, suggests prison:

 

Old Joe Clark is dead and gone, I hope he's a'doin' well,

He made me wear the ball and chain,

An' it made my ankles swell.

 

No other verses with this fragment collected in 1930."

****
ONLINE SOURCE #5
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=25394

1.
Subject: RE: Old Joe Clark. THE folk song/tune?
From: The Shambles
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 01:38 PM

"Is Old Joe Clark the complete and typical example of a folk song/tune?

I have heard it played and sung many times. I don't think I have ever heard it played exactly the same twice. As for the words, there appears to be so many different ones, that it is a surprise if you hear ones you know. You don't really expect to hear a familiar version.

Why is it so popular and is it the song/tune with the most versions?"

**
2.
Subject: RE: Old Joe Clark. THE folk song/tune?
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 02:27 PM

"...just my opinion...but

Old Joe Clark is extremely easy to play (with a noter) on the dulcimer. I suspect it is the quintessential beginners song. Thus, with all of us beginners playing it and feeling like we are really keeping up with the real players/performers, it probably gets bastardized a lot.

 

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong!"

**
3.
Subject: RE: Old Joe Clark. THE folk song/tune?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 06:16 PM

"Old Joe Clark goes back a long ways (pub. 1842, "Nursery Rhymes," Halliwell) and probably older.

'Joe Clark' cannot be referred or traced to anyone, no connections can be made.

I prefer this one:

Old Joe Clark is a preacher,

He preached all over the plain,

The highest text he ever took

Was high, low, jack and the game!

 

(Randolph, Ozark Folk-Songs, vol. 3, p. 124. Many verses, everyone has contributed over the years).

 

See the threads, esp. 25394 and 48624.

 

Old Joe Clark 25394

Old Joe Clark 48624

 
**
4.
Subject: RE: Old Joe Clark. THE folk song/tune?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 18 - 11:16 AM

"I picked up a copy of Mother Goose Rhymes, and there were the same words used in Old Joe Clark, Little Liza Jane, Whoa, Mule, Whoa, etc.. Which came first? The chicken or the egg?"

**
5. 
Subject: RE: Old Joe Clark. THE folk song/tune?
From: Lighter
Date: 09 Aug 18 - 06:19 PM

"The earliest reference I've seen to the tune/song is from the "Asheville [N.C.] Daily Citizen" of July 8, 1892:

 “At night, the banjos were brought out, and to the strains of ‘Old Joe Clarke’ and ‘Pretty Little Liza Jane’ and ‘I’m gwine down to town,’ the puncheons resounded to the tread of the ‘dancers dancing in tune.’”

**
6.
Subject: RE: Old Joe Clark. THE folk song/tune?
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 12 Aug 18 - 03:23 AM

"Guest: “Which came first? Chicken or the egg?”

 Rooster.

Eliza Jane; Lucy Long; Old Joe and Pomp (Pompey) were all stock minstrel characters pretty much from the start (c.1840.)

 “Many are the verses and variations to Liza Jane, but "Old Joe Clark" is the banner song for length. "There are one hundred and forty-four verses to 'Old Joe Clark,' though I don't know all of them," modestly affirmed a popular "caller" in Nolan County.”

46. OLD JOE CLARK.

Old Joe Clark is dead and gone,

I hope he's doin well(1)

He made me wear the ball and chain

Till it made my ankles swell.

 

Chorus—

 

Round and round, old Joe Clark,

Round and round, I say;

Round and round, old Joe Clark,

I ain't got long to stay.

 

Eighteen pounds of meat a week,

Bacon (candy) here to sell,

How can a young man stay at home,

When the gals all look so well.

 

Old Joe Clark had a big white house,

Sixteen stories high,

And every room in that old house

Was filled with chicken pie.

 

Old Joe Clark is mad at me,

I'll tell you the reason why,

I went down to old Joe's house

And ate all his chicken pie."...

[Thompson, Stith, ed., Some Texas Party-Play Songs, Publications of the Folk-Lore Society of Texas, No.1, (Austin, 1916, p.32)]"

****

ADDENDUM: ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT & EXAMPLES OF SOME FLOATING VERSES THAT MAY BE FOUND IN EXAMPLES OF "OLD JOE CLARK" AND IN SOME OTHER AMERICAN FOLK SONGS 

[DEFINITION OF "FLOATING VERSES" from Google Results (AI)
"In the context of folk and blues music, "floating verses" or "floating lyrics" refer to verses (or stanzas) that appear in multiple songs, often with slight variations, but sharing a common theme or idea. These verses are not bound to a specific song and can be freely borrowed and adapted by different singers and communities.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

Borrowed and Adapted:

Floating verses are like musical building blocks that are taken from one song and reconfigured into another.

Common Themes:

They often express shared experiences or emotions, making them recognizable across different songs.

Tradition-Steeped:

In traditional blues and folk music, singers often have a vast repertoire of floating verses readily available."]...

****
FOLK SONG EXAMPLES
These entries are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only

1. 
From http://www.ceolas.org/cgi-bin/ht2/ht2-fc2/file=/tunes/fc2/fc.html&style=&refer=&abstract=&ftpstyle=&grab=&linemode=&max=250?old+joe+clark

"FINGER RING. AKA and see "I Wish't I Had a New Five Cents," "New Five Cents." Old-Time, Breakdown/ Song. USA, Oklahoma. D Major. ADAE. AABB. Originally from African-American tradition. Source for notated version: R.E. Perkins (Sequoyah County, Oklahoma) [Thede].

***

I would not have a yeller gal, I'll tell you the reason why,

She'd blow her nose on yeller corn bread and call it pumpkin pie.

***

Refrain

Wish't I had a finger ring (or, new five cents),

Wish't I had a dime;

Wish't I had a finger ring (new five cents),

To give that gal of mine.

***
I would not have a yeller gal, I'll tell you the reason why,

Her neck's so long and yeller I'm afraid she'd never die.

***

Mawsy had a yeller gal, brought her from the South,

Her mouth looked like an old fireplace with the ashes all raked out.

***

Mawsy had an old gray mare I know her mighty well,

If she ever jumps in my corn patch she'd better jump in hell.

***

Mawsy had an old blind horse, he calls him Bawly Sam,

Every tooth in his old head is sixteen inches round.

****

(See "Old Joe Clark," "Old Dan Tucker" for similar floating verses, also the song "Raise a Ruckus (Roughhouse) Tonight")

Thede (The Fiddle Book), 1967; pg. 67."

-snip-
I found this quote while searching for information about the song "Old Joe Clark".
"yeller gal" = a light skin Black woman

"Mawsy" = a referent for a White woman (such as the Master's wife], in this song "Mawsy" can mean the same thing as "Missy".
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbcU4vQT2j4 "New Five Cents"

Walt Koken, Apr 26, 2022

"There are several versions of this tune out there, some by a different name, but this one, a three part tune, is one of our favorites."

****
2.
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=15777
Subject: Lyr Add: BOIL DEM CABBAGE DOWN
From: Stewie
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 03:34 AM

"For the purposes of comparison, here are 2 of the earliest recorded versions of the song. Fiddlin' John Carson's was the first version recorded - in 1924. Although 'Dem' is retained in the title of the song, Fiddlin' John definitely sings 'them'. However, the 'dem', the 'master', the 'yella girl' and the taking of the wife to 'New Orleans' (John was a Georgian chicken farmer) would seem to betray the song's minstrel/medicine show and black tradition connections. Carson's version was a reasonably sedate affair, accompanied only by his fiddle. Earl Johnson's version, recorded in 1927, is a much more spirited hoedown treatment - and it has totally different verses.

As an instrumental, 'Bile dem cabbage down' was part of the countryman's common stock - black and white - of traditional music that also included tunes like 'Old Hen Cackle', 'Turkey in the Straw', 'Sourwood Mountain', 'Leather Britches', 'Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy' and dozens of others. Clayton McMichen, the 'reluctant hillbilly' and member of the Skillet Lickers', said he won the national fiddle championship 16 times playing the tune. Evidently, he would improvise on the melody like a jazz soloist or modern bluegrasser. Some later fiddlers absorbed part of his improvisations as a normal part of the tune.

 

Anyhow, here are the lyrics of the 2 earliest recordings of the piece as a song. Like all transcriptions of early 78s, they are tentative and subject to correction by other ears - but I have done my best with the equipment at my disposal. Both are very different from that in the DT.

 

Cheers, Stewie.

BOIL DEM CABBAGE DOWN

Boil them cabbage down

Boil them cabbage down

The only tune that I can sing

Boil them cabbage down

 

Master had a little mule

And he called him silent slick

That mule it had such dreamy eyes

But how that mule could kick

 

Quit that ticklin' me

Quit that ticklin' me

Mule go away you let me be

And quit that ticklin' me

 

Feet was light as a feather

Face was made of lead

Mule's (?) kick you feel so quick

Land you on your head

 

Boil them cabbage down

Boil them cabbage down

The only tune that I can sing

Boil them cabbage down

 

Whisky by the gallon

Sugar by the pound

Great big bowl to put it in

Spoon to stir it around

 

Quit that ticklin' me

Quit that ticklin' me

Mule go away you let me be

And quit that ticklin' me

 

Wouldn't marry a yella girl

I'll tell you the reason why

She'd get up the very next morning

Be sure to tell a lie

 

Boil them cabbage down

Boil them cabbage down

The only tune that I can sing

Boil them cabbage down

 

If I had a scolding wife

I'd whup her sure as she's born

Tear her down to New Orleans

Trade her off for corn

 

Quit that ticklin' me

Quit that ticklin' me

Mule go away you let me be

And quit that ticklin' me

 

Now I got no money

Got no place to stay

Got nowhere to lay my head

Chicken a-crowin' for day

 

Quit that ticklin' me

Quit that ticklin' me

Mule go away you let me be

And quit that ticklin' me

 

Fiddlin' John Carson 73040-A-OK 40306 New York 18 December 1924. Reissued on Fiddlin' John Carson 'Complete Recorded Works Vol II' Document DOCD 8015.

 

BOIL DEM CABBAGE DOWN

 

Boil them cabbage down

Turn them hoecakes around

The only tune that I can play

Is boil them cabbage down

 

I went up on the mountain

(It is not known around) (?) Put me in a coffee pot

Blowed me through the spout

 

Boil them …

 

I asked that girl to marry me

She said she'd see me later

She mashed my nose all over my face

Like a great big hard potato

 

Boil them …

 

Wish I had a nickel

Wish I had a dime

Wish I had a redhaired girl

And I could call her mine

 

Boil them …

 

Wish I had a wide (?) brim hat

Push it in the crown

Go to see some pretty little girl

And turn my damper down

 

Boil them …

 

Greenback in my pocket

Whisky when I'm dry

If I come drunk and ragged

I'll live until I die

 

Boil them …

 

Earl Johnson and His Dixie Entertainers 80265-A-OK 45112 23 March 1927 Atlanta Georgia.Reissued on Earl Johnson 'Complete Recorded Works Vol I' Document DOCD 8005."

2. 

Subject: Lyr Add: BOIL THEM CABBAGE DOWN
From: Les B
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 09:10 PM

...Some of the verses to "Bile them..." seem to float between it and "Old Joe Clark" ....

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