500. Georgia Buck

500

Georgia Buck

This is reported by Robert Duncan Bass (JAFL XLiv 434) as
one of the sonj^s of Nej^roes in the Pedee country. South Carolina,
with the notation that it "was a favorite of some years ago" but
that he has secured only a fragment (six lines) ; "the rest seems
to have been lost." Odum (JAFL xxiv 363) reports the line
"Don't ever let yo' baby have her way" from the singing of South-
ern Negroes. The Archive of American Folk Song has a record of

' This is "rufus" in the manuscript ; doubtless merely a slip of the pen.
Or does it stand for "rough house" ?

 

15 L A C K y A C K M I N -S T K E L , N E C. R SON (I S 561

it made by B. L. Lun^tOrd. See also Mrs. Steely 219 (i935);, Dr.
White on one of the niamiscripts writes "Cf. Old Joe Clark," and
in ANFS 337 he recalls stanzas of that song which lie heard sung
by mountain whites containing the line "Never let a woman have
her way." But otherwise they contain nothing of our song. It
is of course not unlikely that 'Cieorgia Buck' is sometimes sung as
part of 'Old Joe Clark,' since almost anything may be included in
that song. Randolph OFS 11 307 has two stanzas from Arkansas
entitled 'Barbro Buck' and cites SharpK 11 274. A girl sings of
her lover in the .Smithern army.

A

'Georgia Buck.' William B. Covington in igi3 reported the following
as "reminiscences of my early yovitli spent in the country on the border
of the sand hills of Scotland county."


1 Georgia Buck, Georgia I'.uck,
Georgia Buck said so :

'Go to my shack, dog on my track,

And it's nobody's business but mine.

If you don't believe I'll fight

Just follow me out tonight.

And I'll shoot you or I'll cut you, God knows.'

2 Georgia Buck, he's dead,
And de last word is said,
'Baby, let vour bangs hang low.'

(or)
'Never let a woman have her wav.'

 

'Georgia Buck.' Reported by Mrs. Sutton as sung by Mrs. Buchanan
of Horse Creek, Ashe county. Mrs. S. remarks : "This seems to be a
sort of joking song — the verses are made up as the singer goes along
and are usually unveiled allusions to some one in the crowd." Dr. White
has noted on the manuscript: "1 learned the second stanza from N. C.
mountains, with similar tune, about 191 1. Only it was 'Old Joe Clark.'
Another stanza gave bis last words as 'never let a nickel go by.' "

1 Old Georgie Buck he died.
He laughed and he cried

'Oh rock me the cradle, law, law.'

2 r)ld Georgie Buck is dead ;
And the last word he said :

'Don't never let no woman have her way.'

3 Georgie Buck passed away
On his own wedding day.'

'I'm .shore glad to escape, boys,' he said.
' The manuscript has here "May"— presumatily a mere slip in copying.

 

 

'Georgia Buck.' Obtained from Miss Jewell Rubhins (later Mrs. C. P.
Perdue) of Pekin, Montgomery county, in 1922. A fragment.

I been around the ben'
And I'm gwine ter go agin,
Georgia Buck said so.
----------------

 

 

500
Georgia Buck

 

'Georgia Buck.' Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Turkey Creek, Buncombe
county. No date given. "Stanza 2" is second on the record but an extra
stanza in text III 561.

 

F-453

 

 

2. Geor - gie Buck is

dead; And the last word he

said- was 'Nev - er let no woman have her way.

Geor - gie Buck said so; I was stand-in' on the

log And when I shot the preach-er's dog-
nev - er was so sor - ry in my — life.

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: a. Structure: abc (2,2,4).

 

B Georgia Buck.' Sung by Mrs. Silas Buchanan, Horse Creek, Ashe county.
No date given.

F-454

Old Geor-gie Buck — he died. — He laughed and he


cried — *0h rock me the era - die, law, law.'

Scale: Tetratonic (2,4), plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: mm^n (2,2,4)
— barform.

 

'Georgia Buck.' Sung by Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county,
1922.

F-455
I been a - round the ben'
And I'm gwine ter go a - gin, Geor - gie Buck said so.

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: mmin (2,2,2)
miniature barform. The epode is exceedingly short.