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Country Blues => Country Blues Lyrics => Topic started by: Johnm on September 08, 2014, 04:13:40 PM
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Hi all,
I had occasion to figure out John Hurt's version of "All Night Long" recently and it got me to thinking of how his version compared with Burnett & Rutherford's version. Here are the two versions. Leonard Rutherford's fiddling on his version has always seemed to me to be about as good as Old-Time fiddling gets.
Burnett and Rutherford - All Night Long (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u7601PrlSk#)
All night long, all night long
All night long, all night long
I'm going to the depot, look 'pon the board
If the train ain't here, somewhere on the road
Somewhere on the road, somewhere on the road
If the train ain't here, somewhere on the road
All night long, all night long
All night long, well, all night long
I'm going to the depot (fiddle finishes verse)
If I'd a-minded, what mama said
I could-a been a-sleeping in mama's bed
Me being young, and foolish, too
I left my home on the 'count of you
On the 'count of you, on the 'count of you
I left my home on the 'count of you
I'd druther be dead and in my grave
Than be in this town, treated this-a-way
All night long, all night long
All night long, all night long
H'ain't got no woman, h'ain't got no kin
H'ain't got nobody to be bothered with
All night long, all night long
All night long, all night long
So if I live and don't get killed
Gonna make my home in Louisville
All night long, all night long
All night long, from midnight on
All night long, all night long
All night long, all night long
It's great the way, as the rendition goes along, more space is devoted to the fiddle until finally Leonard Rutherford is given three consecutive solo passes through the form.
Here is John Hurt's version:
Mississippi John Hurt-All Night Long (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugUeI0Ea6ow#)
It's all night long (guitar)
It's all night long (guitar)
If I hit it can I get it, baby, all night long
(Guitar finishes verse)
It's all night long (guitar finishes verse)
And it's all night long (guitar)
And it's all night long (guitar)
And it's all night long (guitar finishes verse)
It was just 'fore day (guitar)
And it's just 'fore day (guitar)
When the rooster crows (guitar finishes verse)
My baby (guitar)
Oh my baby satisfy my soul
And it's all night long (guitar finishes verse)
John Hurt's version of the song, in contrast, is so much more trancey, with a great amount of repetition and lots of elided lyrics. I'd appreciate help with the bent bracketed line.
Skip James also did a version of "All Night Long" and there are other Old-Time versions of the song, as well.
Edited 9/8 to pick up correction from uncle bud
All best,
Johnm
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Hi John,
I hear "If I hit it, can I get it". Skip sings this as well.
Certainly was a popular tune, and you can hear why from the fiddling. I really like the Miles and Bob Pratcher variation as well. Like you said of Hurt, trancey:
Miles and Bob Pratcher - if it's all night long (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDyDjU2lywI#)
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Thanks very much for the help, Andrew. I reckon you got that line, and I have made the change. Re Skip's version, I found myself wondering if John Hurt got the song from Skip. It might go some way towards explaining John Hurt's dearth of lyrics for the song.
Thanks for the Pratchers' version, too. I had never heard it before, and I love the way they accelerate.
All best,
Johnm
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Yes, I was wondering the same thing about him getting it from Skip.
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The Practer's get that drive that Black string bands get where the fiddle is more integral to the band sound and no more important the the rhythm instruments, in this case the fiddle. When a banjo is involved it usually predominates rather than fiddle IMHO. Get juxtapositions of a classic piece.