512. Johnson's Mule

512
Johnson's Mule

Quite another matter than 'The Kicking Mule,' below. What
seem to be forms of this song are reported from Alabama (ANFS
288), Michigan (BSSM 447), and Nebraska (ABS 213-14).

'Johnson's Mule.' Reported hy .Mrs. Sutton with tlie remark: "I tliink
this must be a music-liall ditty, but it is very effective when sung to the
banjo."

(Jld Johnson had an old gray mule,
And he driv him to a cart.

 

 

111' l()\f(l that imilf. and tlir nuilc \i>\v<\ him

W ith all his mulish heart.

When the rooster crowed ole" Johnson knowed

That dawn was ijoin' fur to hreak.

He comI)ed that mule with a waj^on wheel

And he ruhbed him down with a rake,

And you could hear him sing

Hee haw — hee haw — hee haw

And vou could hear him sing.

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512

Johnson's Mule

'Johnson's Mule.' Contributed by Mrs. Sutton, Lenoir, Caldwell county,
between 1921 and 1925.

F-460

 

Ole John - son had an old grey mule, And he

 

driv' him to a cart.

 

He loved the mule, and the

mule loved him With all his mu - lish heart.


roos - ter crowed ole' John-son knowed That dawn was goin' fur to

 

Wi break. He combed that mule with a wa - gon wheel And he

 

WW -m- - -0-

rubbed him down with a rake, And you could hear him

 


sing Hee - haw — hee haw - hee haw - hee haw - hee haw - hee

 


haw - hee haw - hee haw haw haw And you could hear him sing. .

For melodic relationship cf. **TNFS 186 ('Whoa, Mule') ; measures
7-8, 15-6, and 25-6 correspond to the same in our version.

Scale: Irrational (3,4), plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: aba^ca^ba^cdeeici
(2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,3,3,2) = mmin (8,8,10) = barform.