Topic: The Carolina Tar Heels--Tom Ashley Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
The song is all the more clever for being a parody of "Little Girl of Mine in Tennessee", which has the same melody, same scansion, and the same lyrics in the same places in many instances.  This happens every so often in Old-Time music.  I remember "Little Red Caboose Behind The Train" copping melody and lyric ideas  from "Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane".
All best,
John,

[Gumbo]

Thanks uncle bud - that about clinches it. I also hear the bulldog growling through the gate in that version.

It's going to be hard not to sing "Sal almost lost her knee" though 

[banjochris]

The song is all the more clever for being a parody of "Little Girl of Mine in Tennessee", which has the same melody, same scansion, and the same lyrics in the same places in many instances.  This happens every so often in Old-Time music.  I remember "Little Red Caboose Behind The Train" copping melody and lyric ideas  from "Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane".

John, just to avoid confusion, I think you mean "The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee" (done memorably by Charlie Poole and Tom Ashley in later years among many others) -- although it may well have been called "Little Girl of Mine in Tennessee" by someone, that title is also a pretty well known Flatt and Scruggs song. Both of them are good 'uns!

On the subject of those parodies, I seem to remember in Norm Cohen's Long Steel Rail some discussions of parodies that were either recorded before the source song was (which I think happened with "Hills of Roane County" or parodies that were more popular than the original (arguably the case with "Wreck of the Old 97" vs. "Ship That Never Returned). I'm sure there are many other good examples.
Chris

[Johnm]

Yup, I meant the one Clarence Ashley sang, as you had it, Chris.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I don't know if the Carolina Tar Heels had Gwen or Garley Foster on their recording of "The Apron String Blues".  Tom Ashley handled the lead vocals and his delivery is so droll.  The band never goes to the IV chord on the second lines of the verses which gives the song an unusual sound.  Ashley, I believe, plays the bumptious signature lick on the guitar (it could be Gwen Foster playing it, too).  The song can be heard at:  http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2101.msg69237#msg69237 .  NOTE:  As per banjochris's following post, Clarence Ashley is not featured on this track, and it was not even issued as a Carolina Tar Heels record in the first place.  Personnel is Garley Foster and Dock Walsh.

I dreamed last night my bed was falling down
I dreamed last night my bed was falling down
It was nothing but sweet mama, making her last go-round

I waked up this morning, well, I'll tell you what I said (Spoken: What'd you say, boy?)
I waked up this morning, I will tell you what I said
Lie here, sweet mama, lie here and take your rest

When we went up on that lonely hill
When we went up on that lonely hill
Remember, sweet mama, that I could not keep you still

Yes, sweet mama, your apron strings won't tie
Yes, sweet mama, your apron strings won't tie
I'm a-leavin' you, honey, I'm tellin' you goodbye (Spoken: Boy, I'm in trouble!)

I'm a-leavin' you, mama, I'll never change my mind
I'm a-leavin' you, mama, I'll never change my mind
I'm a-leavin' you, honey I'm a-leavin' you far behind.

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Issued as by the Pine Mountain Boys -- just Garley Foster and Dock Walsh, who sings on this one. Recorded May 30, 1931 in Charlotte, NC.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Chris.  I may have been missing Ashley all along.  I'll fix the text.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

By the way, Tony Russell's Country Music Records discography -- the old-time equivalent of Dixon and Godrich -- is only $19.98 in paperback on Amazon. Very much worth it esp. at that price.
Chris

[uncle bud]

I use mine a lot and it's great to have. I know much less about band personnel, recording periods and discographical details when it comes to old-time country, so this book is fantastic.

[Johnm]

Yes, thanks for the tip, Chris and uncle bud.  I certainly need to get that book.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

I love that nutty signature lick on Apron String Blues. I have two reissues of this, one on the JSP set Mountain Blues where the speed at the end of the track slows down and changes the pitch like the Pine Mountain Boys are  running out of gas. Makes the lick even weirder.

[Johnm]

Yes, it sounds like the guitarist is playing with a thumb pick out of C position, capoed up, and every time he crosses from the third fret of the sixth string to the open fifth string and from the third fret of the fifth string to the open fourth string, he really accentuates that bumpy string crossing.  It is funny, but it's also really consistent, and done just the way he wanted to do it.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi roig,
I'm hearing in the second verse,
   Yes, every day you FEELIN' THROUGH
   Yes, every day you FEELIN' THROUGH
   But the GOOD BOOK SAYS, "THERE'S THE BLUES, DARN FOOL"
   And you can't like the blues nohow

In the fourth verse, I'm hearing
   I'm goin' down TO South a little while
   I'm goin' down TO THE South a little while
   I'm goin' down South FOR TO BE RECONCILED
   And you can't like the blues nohow

That's a cool song.  It's a kind of 16-bar blues, where you return to the IV chord for the third line, as you do in "Going Down That Road Feeling Bad" or Blind Lemon's "One Dime Blues".  In terms of how the lyrics work, which is sort of an AABC set-up, the song that seems closest to it is "Roll On, Buddy, Roll On", which was recorded by Sam and Kirk McGee with Arthur Smith.  Bill Monroe recorded it later, too.
All best,
Johnm
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I merged the recent thread on "I Don't Like The Blues Nohow" into the pre-existing Carolina Tar Heels Lyrics thread.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I noticed there was no thread devoted to Tom/Clarence Ashley's lyrics, so it seemed natural to incorporate them into the Carolina Tar Heels Lyrics thread.  He recorded (as Clarence Ashley) "Dark Holler Blues" on October 23, 1929, accompanying himself on banjo in sawmill tuning and very much working the same territory as he had on "Coo Coo Bird" and "Little Sadie".  The song is most often sung as "East Virginia" or "East Virginia Blues".  You can find it on the JSP "Clarence Ashley" set that came out a couple of years ago.  It's a tremendous set, for it includes not only Clarence Ashley's early solo numbers, but also Carolina Tar Heels tracks, duets with Gwen Foster, Byrd Moore and His Hot Shots, a lot of Emry Arthur Tracks, and J. W. Dykes tracks.  Here is "Dark Holler Blues":



I was born in old Virginia
South Carolina I did go
There I courted a pretty little woman
But her age I did not know

Well, her hair was brown and curly
Oh, her cheeks was rosy red
On her breast she wore white lilies
Oh, the tears that I have shed

When I'm asleep I'm dreaming about you
When I wake I have no rest
Ever' moment seems like an hour
Oh, the pain soaks through my breast

I'd rather be in some dark holler
Where the sun don't never shine
For you to be some other man's darling
When you ain't no longer mine

Papa says I must not marry
Mama says it'll never do
But little girl, if you are willing
I will run away with you

For I'd rather be in some dark holler
Where the sun don't never shine
For you to be some other man's darling
When you h'ain't no longer mine

When I'm asleep I'm dreaming about you
When I wake I have no rest
Ever' moment seems like an hour
Oh, the pain soaks through my breast

All best,
Johnm