Topic: McKenzie Case - Belton Reese

[uncle bud]

"McKenzie Case", played by Belton Reese on banjo, was recorded by Charles Seeger at the Brevard Plantation, Adams Mill, South Carolina, in 1939. It appears on The Library of Congress Banjo Collection and on Document's Field Recordings Vol. 9 - Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky 1924 - 1939 DOCD-5599 (the tracklist for this disc on Document's website is incorrect and shows a bunch of Leadbelly recordings).

According to the notes for the LoC Banjo Collection, the case in question involved the shooting death of Henry L. Garland by S.W. McKenzie in 1910. The song has an alternate title, "Dr. Ray and Frank Weston", two characters who appear in the lyrics. Weston was a landowner and Belton Reese worked on his plantation. Reese composed the lyrics, apparently over some time, and based the melody on Railroad Bill.

There are some tricky spots I can't get, including the name of the principle character in the song. Reese sings what sounds like "Chainey" in the 6th verse. It doesn't quite sound like Chainey in the first and second verses, but I have transcribed it that way for now. One would expect the name to be whatever McKenzie's given name was, but who knows. All guesses welcome.  Reese also sings Garland's name as Garland/Garley/Garliss.

Reese played it out of C tuning (gCGBD) tuned down two steps to fBbFAC. I've attached a sound file since I don't expect everyone to have this track, but I think it's a treat.  Here is "McKenzie Case":



McKenzie Case - Belton Reese
fBbFAC (C tuning, gCGBD, tuned down two steps)

What did Tate say, heard him through the door
"I ain't got but a .32 and Garland got a .44
Gonna take my chance, like a man"

Tate told Miss Nappy, "Don't you weep and moan
Dr. Ray and Frank Weston bound to bring me home"
This tain't no lie, bring him home

Says Dr. Ray and Frank Weston went out and had a talk
"If [you're playin'/you pay] McKenzie, Frank, you sure got [to lawyer/the law/to loss]
[I doubt your chance/the doctor said], tain't no lie"

Says Frank said, "I'm a lawyer and everybody knows
If I lose McKenzie case, well I ain't gonna lawyer no more"
This tain't no lie, bring him home

Says what did Tate say, standin' [to/in] the union shed
"When I shot old Garliss down I thought I'd-a been dead
But I'm comin' home, tain't no lie"

Tate told the jailer, "Hand me down the key
Sold my watch, see the last of me
This tain't no lie, comin' home"

"One foot on the ground, the other on the step
Tell that conductor that I'm eastward bound
I'm comin' home, tain't no lie"

"Rubber-tired buggy, automobile hack
Carry old Garley to the cemetery and failed to bring him back
He done gone, and I'm done home"

edited to pick up corrections from banjochris and dj

[attachment deleted by admin]

[banjochris]

I can't get everything, but I'm pretty sure what you have as "Chainey" should be "Tate" throughout. Second line of the third verse I think is "if you PAY McKenzie" (maybe for false testimony?). And I think later on it's "standing to the Union shed."

Interesting song -- if I think of anything else I'll post...

[dj]

A couple of suggestions:

"If YOU PAY McKenzie, Frank, you sure got THE LAW"
THE DOCTOR SAID "tain't no lie"

Says what did Tate say, STAND'N' IN TH' UNION SHED

I think at the point where the line above is sung, Tate has been exonerated and he's standing in the passenger shed of the Union Something railroad waiting for the train to go home.  This fits in with the next line where he's climbing onto the train.

[uncle bud]

Thanks fellers. I'd had Tate in place of Chainey originally, and had left one instance behind in the 5th verse. That third verse is still problematic to me. I am pretty sure I hear an L as in PLAY more than PAY. For THE LAW/LAWYER at the end of that line, I think I hear a little bit of an S, like LOSS (instead of SURE GOT TO LOSE). And I can't decide yet whether I hear STANDIN' IN or STANDIN' TO THE UNION SHED, but thanks, dj, for making the line at least make sense to me. 

Will listen some more and see if others chime in with other possibilities.

[banjer]

Hey everyone, I just discovered this song and fell in love with it. This is the only link on the web discussing it! Thanks to uncle bud for posting it with the background info... and as far as Reese goes, this is his only recording I can find!

I'd like to add that it definitely sounds like 'if you play mackenzie, frank you sure got to loss' and that [I doubt your chance/the doctor said]-- neither of these sound right as I do hear a 'k' sound where you might hear doctor, but it just doesn't work completely. I have a feeling 'you sure got to loss' is wrong, and that the end of the second line is continued by the beginning of the third line, but I just can't figure it out. I wish we had more of his music so we could study his pronunciation.


Anyway, besides that, I was wondering if anyone has figured out the chords to it? I just started the banjo and I'd like to play this and I have no idea how he's playing it. Could someone maybe tab out the picking pattern he's doing or tell me what's going on? I would appreciate it!!

[banjer]

Also, I have to add, it sounds like the last line is 'he done gone, and I'm *not* home'. Which I don't quite understand but there's definitely a difference between those two words.

[banjochris]

Anyway, besides that, I was wondering if anyone has figured out the chords to it? I just started the banjo and I'd like to play this and I have no idea how he's playing it. Could someone maybe tab out the picking pattern he's doing or tell me what's going on? I would appreciate it!!

The chords are just C, F and G (of course he's tuned low). But it's C all the way through until, in the first verse (for example) the first syllable of Garland, where it changes to an F, then back to C on "chance," and then a quick G on "like" and back to C on "man". I'm at work at the moment so I can't turn it up enough to figure out the picking pattern, but that should get you started.
Chris