Hi there
I've been tracking down the origins of this song. As most of y'all know, it was recorded by the Even Dozen Jug Band in '64; they credited it as "traditional."
Various forums, like Mudcat, have had extensive threads about this from time to time; the consensus seems to be that the authorship credit goes to "Dasher/Heywood."
Eventually someone will point out that there seem to have been only two previous recordings; a 1925 side by Doc Dasher with Eddie Heywood on piano, and a 1938 recording by Carl "deacon" Brown and His Orchestra.
Turns out the Doc Dasher & Eddie Heywoodd version is a different song. The only line in common with the version the Dozens did is "Evolution Mama, don't try to make a monkey out of me."
You can find it on Document # DOCD 5380, or on iTunes as part of a different compilation (search under Doc Dasher)
To make things more interesting, the Carl Deacon Moore version (credited to Terry Shand) is essentially the same song as the Dozen's version! I found an mp3 on Robert Harwood's blog: http://iwentdowntostjamesinfirmary.blogspot.com/search/label/Evolution%20Mama
Not sure who Terry Shand is; a correspondent said he was a composer, not a lyricist, and that "Evolution Mama" is not listed among his works; so we still may have a mystery here as to where Carl Moore got the song.
Anyway, here's what I've gleaned of the Doc Dasher song.
I'm still stumped by a couple lines, so any help would be appreciated:
Evolution Mama
Doc Dasher, vocal Eddie Heyward, piano
A brown skin man named Sam was called the sheik ol Alabam?
He had a high yella who could get his legs (?) over
Till at night he (cried forlorn hand???) --- (Obviously that makes no sense.)
She said ?Look a'here, monkey man
That started trouble in the land.
She said, ?Who?s a monkey?? She said ?You?s a monkey.
If I?m a monkey, You?s a monkey,
Here?s where fightin? began.?
He cried, ?Evolution mama, don?t try to make a monkey of me.
There?s plenty more good women, who thinks I?m just a honey bee.
I?ve never even been to monkey land, don?t take my money and give it to some outside man
You see me flirtin? ?round with some high brown, don?t let it fill your head and act like a clown.
Evolution Mama, don?t you set appeal to me (?) ? (I think the singer forgot the lyric here--he stumbles on the vocal)
If you want yourself a monkey, shake yourself a coconut tree
Remember all monkeys don?t live in a tree, remember all honey don?t come from a bee
Evolution mama, you have nothin? that appeals to me.?
?Evolution mama, don?t try to make a monkey of me.?
There?s plenty more good women, who thinks I?m just a honey bee.
I?ve never even been to monkey land, don?t take my money and give it to some outside man.
You see me flirtin? ?round with some high brown, don?t let it fill your head and act like a clown.
Evolution mama, you have nothin? that appeals to me,
If you want yourself a monkey, go shake yourself a coconut tree.
I ain?t good lookin?, I don?t dress fine,
Just a do-right papa, love to take my time.
Evolution mama, don?t try to make a monkey of me.?
Onward!
I've been tracking down the origins of this song. As most of y'all know, it was recorded by the Even Dozen Jug Band in '64; they credited it as "traditional."
Various forums, like Mudcat, have had extensive threads about this from time to time; the consensus seems to be that the authorship credit goes to "Dasher/Heywood."
Eventually someone will point out that there seem to have been only two previous recordings; a 1925 side by Doc Dasher with Eddie Heywood on piano, and a 1938 recording by Carl "deacon" Brown and His Orchestra.
Turns out the Doc Dasher & Eddie Heywoodd version is a different song. The only line in common with the version the Dozens did is "Evolution Mama, don't try to make a monkey out of me."
You can find it on Document # DOCD 5380, or on iTunes as part of a different compilation (search under Doc Dasher)
To make things more interesting, the Carl Deacon Moore version (credited to Terry Shand) is essentially the same song as the Dozen's version! I found an mp3 on Robert Harwood's blog: http://iwentdowntostjamesinfirmary.blogspot.com/search/label/Evolution%20Mama
Not sure who Terry Shand is; a correspondent said he was a composer, not a lyricist, and that "Evolution Mama" is not listed among his works; so we still may have a mystery here as to where Carl Moore got the song.
Anyway, here's what I've gleaned of the Doc Dasher song.
I'm still stumped by a couple lines, so any help would be appreciated:
Evolution Mama
Doc Dasher, vocal Eddie Heyward, piano
A brown skin man named Sam was called the sheik ol Alabam?
He had a high yella who could get his legs (?) over
Till at night he (cried forlorn hand???) --- (Obviously that makes no sense.)
She said ?Look a'here, monkey man
That started trouble in the land.
She said, ?Who?s a monkey?? She said ?You?s a monkey.
If I?m a monkey, You?s a monkey,
Here?s where fightin? began.?
He cried, ?Evolution mama, don?t try to make a monkey of me.
There?s plenty more good women, who thinks I?m just a honey bee.
I?ve never even been to monkey land, don?t take my money and give it to some outside man
You see me flirtin? ?round with some high brown, don?t let it fill your head and act like a clown.
Evolution Mama, don?t you set appeal to me (?) ? (I think the singer forgot the lyric here--he stumbles on the vocal)
If you want yourself a monkey, shake yourself a coconut tree
Remember all monkeys don?t live in a tree, remember all honey don?t come from a bee
Evolution mama, you have nothin? that appeals to me.?
?Evolution mama, don?t try to make a monkey of me.?
There?s plenty more good women, who thinks I?m just a honey bee.
I?ve never even been to monkey land, don?t take my money and give it to some outside man.
You see me flirtin? ?round with some high brown, don?t let it fill your head and act like a clown.
Evolution mama, you have nothin? that appeals to me,
If you want yourself a monkey, go shake yourself a coconut tree.
I ain?t good lookin?, I don?t dress fine,
Just a do-right papa, love to take my time.
Evolution mama, don?t try to make a monkey of me.?
Onward!