Luke Jordan, Nov 8, 2014
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Pick Poor Robin Clean (Take 1) · Luke Jordan
Never Let The Same Bee Sting You Twice - Blues, Ballads, Rags & Gospel In The Songster Tradition
℗ 2005 Document Records
Released on: 2005-12-27
Auto-generated by YouTube.
-snip-
WARNING- This 1927 song includes "the n word" and the word "coon" which is used as another offensive referent for Black people.
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a multi-part pancocojams series on the pre-Blues song "Pick Poor Robin Clean".
This pancocojams post presents information about Luke Jordan and showcases two YouTube sound files of Luke Jordan's versions of "Pick Poor Robin Clean". (Those two sound files contain the same lyrics but slightly different guitar instrumentation.) The lyrics of Luke Jordan's versions of "Pick Poor Robin Clean" are included in this post.
African American vocalist and guitarist Luke Jordan was the first person to record the song "Pick Poor Robin Clean" in 1927. This song may have been sung by Luke Jordan and/or by
other people before that date. Interest in this old song has been revived by
its inclusion in the 2025 hit Ryan Coogler movie Sinners.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/05/geeshie-wiley-elvie-thomas-pick-poor.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases the 1931 recording of "Pick Poor Robin Clean" by Geechie Wiley and Elvie Thomas.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/05/larry-johnson-pick-poor-robin-clean.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases the 1970 recording of "Pick Poor Robin Clean" by Larry Johnson.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/05/ryan-cooglers-2025-sinners-movie.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases the version of the song "Pick Poor Robin Clean" that is part of Ryan Coogler's 2025 movie Sinners.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/05/online-comments-about-overall-meaning.html for Part V of this pancocojams series. That post presents online excerpts and comments about the meaning of the song "Pick Poor Robin Clean".
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Luke Jordan for his musical legacy and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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INFORMATION ABOUT LUKE JORDAN
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Jordan
"Luke Jordan (January 28, 1892 or November 1893 – June 25,
1952) was an American blues guitarist and vocalist of some renown, particularly
in the area of his home, in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Biography
Sources conflict on Jordan's birthplace. Some sources list
his birthplace as Appomattox County, Virginia, or Bluefield, West Virginia.[5]
According to his World War I draft registration card, Jordan was born in
Lynchburg, Virginia. At the time of his registration on June 5, 1917, he was
living in Bluefield and worked as a delivery boy and janitor.[6] Jordan's
gravestone mentions that he served in the "7th Development Battalion"
during the war.[7]
His professional career started at age 35, when he was
noticed by Victor Records. He went to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1927 and
made several records. The records sold moderately well, and Victor decided to
take Jordan to New York in 1929 for two more sessions. He recorded few known
tracks in his career. In comparison with the harsh voices of many contemporary
Delta blues musicians, Jordan sang in a smooth and relaxed tenor.
[...]
Recorded August 16, 1927, Charlotte, North Carolina
[...]
39820-1. "Pick Poor Robin Clean." Victor unissued
39820-2. "Pick Poor Robin Clean." Vi 20957"...
snip-
African American pre-Blues male singer Luke Jordan was the first known person to record "Pick Poor Robin Clean": recording date 1927. (This was four years before "Pick Poor Robin Clean" was recorded by the two African American pre Blues female singers Geechie Wiley and Elvie Thomas. They recorded their version of "Pick Poor Robin Clean" in 1931.
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SHOWCASE SOUND FILE - "Pick Poor Robin Clean" (Take #2)
Luke Jordan, Nov 8, 2014
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Pick Poor Robin Clean (Take 2) · Luke Jordan
Never Let The Same Bee Sting You Twice - Blues, Ballads, Rags & Gospel In The Songster Tradition
℗ 2005 Document Records
Released on: 2005-12-27
Auto-generated by YouTube.
-snip-
Luke Jordan's track [take 2] of "Pick Poor Robin Clean" was first released by Victor records in 1927 is the first known recording of that song, preceding Geechie Wiley's & Elvie Thomas' record by four years. Click ___ for Part II of this pancocojams series for that post.
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LUKE JORDAN - "PICK POOR ROBIN CLEAN"
[C position, standard tuning]
"REFRAIN: You better pick poor robin clean, pick poor robin clean
I picked his head, I picked his feet, I picked his body but it wasn't fit to eat
You better pick poor robin clean, poor robin clean
So I'll be satisfied, havin' your family
Get off my money and don't get funny
'Cause I'm a ni-ger*, don't cut no figure
Gamblin' for Sadie, she is my lady
I'm a hustling coon, that's just what I am
REFRAIN: You better pick poor robin clean, poor robin clean
I picked his head, I picked his feet, would-a picked his body but it wasn't fit to eat
You better pick poor robin clean, pick poor robin clean
Says, I'll be satisfied, havin' your family
Oh, didn't that jaybird laugh when he picked poor robin clean?
Picked poor robin clean, poor robin clean
Oh, didn't that jaybird laugh when he picked poor robin clean?
Says I'll be satisfied, havin' the family
REFRAIN: You better pick poor robin clean, poor robin clean
I picked his head, I picked his feet, would-a picked his body but it wasn't fit to eat
You better pick poor robin clean, pick poor robin clean
Says, I'll be satisfied, havin' your family
Now if you have that gal o' mine, I'm gonna have your ma
Your sister, too, your auntie, three
If your great-grandmammy do the shivaree I'm gonna have her, four
I be satisfied, havin' the family
REFRAIN: You better pick poor robin clean, pick poor robin clean
I picked his head, I picked his feet, I would-a picked his body but it wasn't fit to eat
You better pick poor robin clean, poor robin clean
Says, I'll be satisfied, havin' your family"
Lyrics from https://weeniecampbell.com/wiki/index.php?title=Pick_Poor_Robin_Clean
*This word is fully spelled out in these lyrics.
-snip-
Information about the meaning of the song "Pick Poor Robin Clean" is given in Part V of this pancocojams series. Suffice it to say here that "Pick Poor Robin Clean" is a gambling/Dozens (insult) song that isn't about eating the flesh of a robin or any other bird.
Here's information about the word "shivaree":
From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shivaree
-snip-
n the context of Luke Jordan's versions of "Pick Poor Robin Clean" it appears that "do a shivaree" means "participating in an actual shivaree" or in another boisterous social event.
Click https://www.ncpedia.org/shivaree for additional information about the word "shivaree".
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This concludes Part I of this multi-part pancocojams series.
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