Topic: Frank Hutchison lyrics

[Lynda]

Hi John,
Dad sang a lot of old songs. Some of the artists he liked were Frank Krumit, Jimmie Rodgers (the father), A. P. Carter, Hank Snow, Wilf Carter, Harry McClintock, Bradley Kincaid, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, and Vern Dalhart. When I was doing a family book of the songs dad sang, I realized there were probably many more. One of the only songs of Stuart Hamblen's that he sang was Sailor's Farewell.  The recording of dad singing it was played at his gravesite when dad passed away. My dad was a sailor and the song was befitting. In doing all of the research for the music, that one song never came up anywhere. When dad and I recorded 11 songs back in 1976, we both wished he could have remembered more of the lyrics to all of the rest of the songs he used to treat us to. I am so grateful that we did the ones we did. When I play that cassette, it's almost like he's just down the hall.
Lynda

[Rivers]

Sincere thanks for posting Lynda, brings your dad's greatly respected work and spirit to life for the rest of us who only know him through his records and others' various writings.

[Forum2002]

Thank you all for your work with Frank Hutchinson's lyrics.
I just wanted to see if some songs were ready for good use ...... 17 lyrics! Impressive.
A true Christmas gift. 1.000 thanks

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Frank Hutchison's "The Last Scene of the Titanic" was recorded at a session in St. Louis on April 29, 1927.  It's a very exciting cut, played out of Spanish with a slide and lots of cool rhythmic effects and a loose narration, an area in which Frank Hutchison particularly excelled.  His insertion of dance calls into the narration is a great touch.  The song was discussed near the beginning of this thread, but was never exactly finished off, in terms of the transcription, and I've been especially interested in different versions of "The Titanic", so I thought I'd revive it and see if we can settle on a version.  I think I've got it pretty close, but I generally get something wrong, so I'd appreciate any help.



   Titanic, the greatest ship ever was known, makin' its first sails across the sea
   Everybody was loaded up and wavin' their glad hands good-bye
   Captain Smith said, "How's your machinery?"  "All right"
   "How's your compass?"  "Settin' dead on New York."
   Keep a-truckin' on down
   Let 'er go!  Right on down the pike

   Blowed his old whistle, went right on down

   Everybody was fiddlin', dancin', havin' a big time on the lower deck
   Now you're right, but don't get wrong
   You get that girl and promenade on
   "Good mornin', babe, hello now, go on here."
   
   Captain Smith says, "We'll make a world's record out of this ship,
   Gonna make it to New York about two days-and-a-half or three days ahead of time."
   "How's the machinery now?"  "All right."
   "How's the compass?"  "All right."
   Keep her truckin' on down
   Let 'er go!  Right on down the pike

   Blowed his old whistle and went right on down

   Everybody was still havin' a big time
   Now you're right, but don't get wrong
   Get that girl with the red dress on
   Good mornin', babe, hello now

   Captain Smith's got a message it's foggy on the sea
   Couldn't see how to travel, all boats are tied up
   Doesn't know why there's an iceberg, from the North Pole,
   The biggest that ever was known, about a mile squares
   Impossible for any ships to run

   Captain Smith said, "Don't mind the fog on the sea.
   We've got the strongest dynamite headlight ever was known.
   Otherwise, the ship is unsinkable, plow through all icebergs."
   "Now, how's your machinery?"  "All right."
   "How's your compass?"  "Still on New York."
   Keep her truckin' on down
   Let 'er go!  Right on down the pike

   Blowed his old whistle and went right on down the pike

   Everybody's still havin' a big time
   Now you're right, but don't get wrong
   Get that girl and go right on
   "Good mornin', babe, hello now."

   The last scene you hear of the Titanic before it hit the iceberg
   Twenty miles it passed the lighthouse, just to hear the music on the lower deck

All best,
Johnm

[Lyle Lofgren]

Johnm: your transcription of "Last Scene of the Titanic" is accurate, at least to my old ears.

Lyle

[Johnm]

Thanks for checking it, Lyle.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Frank Hutchison accompanied himself out of G position for his performance of "The Lightning Express", a sentimental song in waltz time.  The song has many, many lyrics and an unusual two stanza refrain.  I would much rather hear a relatively country singer like Frank Hutchison or Charlie Poole sing this kind of material than a smoother singer like Vernon Dalhart.



The Lightning Express, from a depot so grand
Has started out on her way
And all of the passengers who were on board
Seemed to be happy and gay

Except one young boy who sat by himself
Was a-reading a letter he had
Was plain to be seen by the tears in his eyes
The contents of it made him sad

The sterned old conductor who started his beat,
Tickets from everyone there
And finally seeing the shy young boy
He roughly demanded his fare

"I have no ticket.", the boy replied,
"But I'll pay you back some day."
"I'll put you off at the next station."
But he stopped when he heard the boy say,

REFRAIN: "Please, Mr. Conductor,
Don't put me off the train.
The best friend that I have in this world
Is a-waiting for me in vain.

She's 'xpecting to die any moment,
May not live through the day.
I'd like to bid Mama good-bye, and it's, sir,
'Fore God takes her away."

A little girl sitting close by his seat
As he put the boy off at the gate
Taking his cap, a collection she made
And soon paid his way on the train

"I'm obliged to you, miss, for your kindness to me."
"You're welcome, I'm sure, and never fear."
Each time the conductor would pass through the car
The boy's words would ring in her ear

REFRAIN: "Please, Mr. Conductor,
Don't put me off the train.
The best friend that I have in this world
Is a-waiting for me in vain.

She's 'xpecting to die any moment,
May not live through the day.
I'd like to bid Mama good-bye, and it's, sir,
'Fore God takes her away."

This morning a letter from his sister arrived
"Come home, Mama's dying.", it read.
"That's why that I'm so anxious to ride
But I haven't the money to pay."

REFRAIN: "Please, Mr. Conductor,
Don't put me off the train.
The best friend that I have in this world
Is a-waiting for me in vain.

She's 'xpecting to die any moment,
May not live through the day.
I'd like to bid Mama good-bye, and it's, sir,
'Fore God takes her away."

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Frank Hutchison recorded "C & O Excursion", a harmonica novelty train number with commentary, at a session in New York City on January 28, 1927.  Frank Hutchison was a pretty spectacular harmonica player, and is particularly impressive here on the parts where he is playing chords and melody while imitating the train venting steam.  How'd he do that?  I'd very much appreciate help with the bent bracketed passage.

 

Excursion train is standin' on the shed, a-gettin' up steam, a-waitin' for orders.  Everybody's loadin' up and wavin' their glad hands good-bye.

He's ready to go, he calls in his flagman.

Flagman said, "Go ahead."  Ev'ything was all right.  He answered him, two whistles, ev'ybody hollered and train pulled out.

Come the Big Bend Tunnel, you can tell when they's goin' through the Tunnel.

Get through the Tunnel, on the other side he hits a hard grade to pull.  You can tell when he's goin' up that mountain.

Now at the top of the mountain, when he gets on top, he shuts off and coast down other side.  Something gets on the road, goin' down the mountain.

Ev'ybody made it safe.

Edited 10/28 to pick up correction from dj
Edited 10/28 to pick up correction from banjochris

All best,
Johnm

 

[dj]

Frank pronounced "hours" like "oars".

I don't have a copy of the song, but might Hutchison be saying "a-waitin' for ORDERS", as in orders to leave the yard?

[Lyle Lofgren]

Ev'ybody made it safe.
 

The opposite from "The Last Scene of The Titanic." Speaking of that song, does anyone know of a predecessor, or was it a Hutchison original? It's a very strange concept. All the other Titanic songs concentrate on the disaster and its aftermath, while this one ends before the ship hits the iceberg. And no one, not even the Watchman, has any foreboding of disaster.

Lyle

[Johnm]

Thanks for that suggestion, dj.  You were right, and I have made the change.  That's really good on your part, without having heard the track.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Lyle, I don't know enough of the other versions of the Titanic to know whether Frank Hutchison's was based on another performance, but it's not like any other I've heard.  It's almost as though Hutchison had a second part that told of the collision and its aftermath that he never got a chance to record, but that's just guesswork--nothing to support it.
All best,
Johnm

[Stuart]

FWIW, in 2009, I believe, Mary Katherine Alden posted the following to the PWBG:

"Gloria Raheja has done a lot of work on Hutchinson's life, times, and family so would probably know..." (referring to a question that escapes me.)

Gloria Raheja is a professor of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota. Here's the links to her pages:

https://apps.cla.umn.edu/directory/profiles/raheja

As you can see, she's currently working on, "Logan County Blues: Frank Hutchison in the Sonic Landscape of the Appalachian Coalfields," and under "Creative Activities" it lists:

"Co-producer and author of liner notes: CD containing new recordings of the music of Frank Hutchison, a 1920s Appalachian coal miner and musician"

I don't see any updates on her website, but perhaps she may have looked into precursors to "The Last Scene of The Titanic" and might know something.

The song sounds to me like old fashioned storytelling set to music. (And I mean this in a good way.) If this was the case, it might have come from much larger corpus or a longer story that he performed live, but just didn't fit on one side of a 78. But it's just speculation on one possibility on my part.

[banjochris]

John, I think that other missing bit is "he answered him" two whistles, etc.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Chris--it's clear now.  I will make the change.
All best,
John