A Folk Concert in Town Hall, New York
Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear FW02428; Year of Recording 1959
This live recording of three very different singers presents Jean Ritchie's southern ballads, Oscar Brand's sea songs and "atomic blues," and Dave Sear's repertoire of Scottish songs. The three enjoy working together, and their enthusiasm is audible in both the music and the spoken introductions to several tracks.
Shortenin' Bread- Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 1:25
Ha Ha This-a-Way- Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:12
Shady Grove Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:26
The Rolling of the Stones Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:58
Pretty Polly Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 3:37
The Admiral Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 3:17
Dhrinnin Dhu Dhrinnin Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 1:52
My Willy Boy Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:19
Jenny Jenkins Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:41
Poor Howard Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 1:44
Lord Randall Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:58
Ennery My Son Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 1:49
The Inniskillin Dragoon Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 3:10
Trip Trap Robbers in the Sea Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 1:27
Talking Atom Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:55
Aiken Drum Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 1:56
Fair and Tender Ladies Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:31
Black-Eyed Susie Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear 2:29
FOLKWAYS RECORDS Album No. FA 2428
©1959 FolkWays Records and Service Corp., 701 Seventh Ave., NYC, USA
It might seem to the un1nstructed observer that, since the three folksingers programmed for Town Hall that November evening were of remarkably different temperaments and backgrounds, the program would have little cohesion. Jean Ritchie, youngest of the fourteen children of Abigail and Balus Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky, is a singer in a tradition that began with the first Ritchie who came ashore from an English sailing vessel in the early 18th century. Oscar Brand, born in Winnipeg, Canada, has been mainly concerned with the remarkably varied songs sung by lumberjacks, short order cooks, soldiers, sailors and marines met in his long journey through the midwest, the American Army, to the honor of having the longest-running folkmusic program in the world--broadcasting since 1945 for New York City's Municipal Station. Dave Sear is a New York-born boy, who fell in love with folkmusic at an early age and has maintained this affair requited and glowing--to the present day.
Despite the disparity of background, the three have already perfonned together on record, on radio, on television, onstage, in motion pictures and at many private parties. Jean Ritchie's simpl1ci ty in depth, Oscar Brand I s rural urbanity, and Dave Sear's dedicated insouciance, all combine to make a remarkably complete picture of varying styles in American folkmusic. And besides, they enjoy working together.
PO HOWARD: The song Vas a Southern Negro game song, but, as a result of the Weavers' arrangement,
it has taken on some of the characteristics of a square dance banjo tune.
LORD RANDALL: (Child Ballad 21) This is probably one of the best known and oftenest-sung ballads-sung in every language in the world. The form is constant; a young man is poisoned and comes home to die. The version sung at the concert was first
heard by Oscar Brand in Mineheart, Georgie, in 1942.
THE INNISKILLING DRAGOON: Oscar Brand's first Christmas in New York was spent as a boarder with an Irish family possessed of an extensive repertory of old folksongs, vaudeville dialogues, and musical comedy gems. Years later, he dj,scovered that the town in the song was really Enniskillen, a lovely North Irish community.
TAIKING ATCMIC BLUES: Written originally by Vern
Partlow, newspaperman practicing his trade in
California, the song vas recorded in 1946, banned
from the network, and sung about in the well-known
traditional manner. It came to Oscar Brand's
at.tention in 1949, he made some minor additions
and has been chanting it since.
FAIR AND TENDER LADIES: Each singer chose the version
of this song he enjoyed singing--that night. Oscar
Brand's version owes most of its form to the Carter
Family's recorded performance.
BLACKEYED SUSIE: There are enough verses to Blackeyed
Susie to keep the danCing alive until dawn.
And tha·t;, of course, is the function of such a
song. It's a banjoed-up play party song which,
although it has enough verses of its own, has
borrowed from "Dan Tucker", "Joe Clark", "Eliza Jane"
and many other similar songs.
HA HA THISAWAY: Cecil Sharp has a British version
of this children's game song, but Leadbelly' s
American paraphrase has more life, verve, and
power in one phrase than the British song has
in seven verses.
THE ROLLING OF THE STONES: Sojourning through a
singing world, one hears many fragments of songs,
distorted stories, and weird melodies. Oscar Brand
admits that he doesn't remember where he heard this
song, which is probably the old Scottish ballad
that originally told of the brothers who loved
the same beautiful woman.
THE ADMIRAL: Jean Ritchie taped the singing of
Howard Mitchell, who had just been discharged
from the Navy. Among the songs was this enlisted
man's plaint. Oscar Brand learned the
song and, subsequently, "collected" many new
verses from Marines and Coast Guarders.
JENNY JENKINS: According to British song-books,
this song has been a favorite of the Empire
for centuries. In America, it's a play-party
song with as many verses as there are colors.
Jean and Oscar have recorded this song before
and sung it many times in concert, but the
colors are always different and the answers
are never the same.
OSCAR BRAND I JEAN RITCHIE I aDd DA.v:l SEAR at TOWN
BALL FA 2428
SIDE I, Band 1: "SHORTli:NIN' BREAD"
sung by Jean Ritchie
accompanied by Oscar Brand and Dave Sear
Ever since ray dog's been dead
Hogs been rootin' ray 'tater bed
CHORUS:
I do love sbortenin' bread
I do love shortenin' bread
Mama loves sbortenin' bread
Papa loves sbortenin' bread
Everybody loves sbortenin' bread
Two little children a-layin' in bed
One was sick and tbe other 'most dead
Sent for the doctor and the doctor said
Why, all they needs if some shortenin' bread
(CHORUS)
Some folks say the preacber won't steal
But I sav three in ray cornfield
One had a bushel and one had a peck
And the other had a roaatin' ear around his neck
I do love shortenin' bread
I do love shortenin' bread
Mama loves shortenin' bread
Papa loves sborten"1n' bread
Davy loves shortenin' bread
Oscar loves shortenin' bread
Jeanie loves shortenin' bread
Everybody loves shortenin' bread
SIDE I, Band 2: "HA HA THIS-A-WAY"
performed by Oscar Brand
introductory comments by Oscar Brand
''Leadbelly used to sing this song in which I used
to join him. Clap your hands three times while
you sing "Then Oh Then." At progressive schools,
I sometimes get four claps, for as you knov, at
progressive schools the children are forced to do
what they vant to!" ---
CHORUS:
Ha Ha this-a-vay
Ha Ha that-a-vay
Ha Ha this-a-vay
Then oh then
(REPEAT CHORUS)
Nov, when I vas a little boy, a little boy, a
little boy
When I vas a little boy a fev years old
M' Daddy went and left me, left me, left me
M' Daddy went and left me, I've been told
(REPEAT CHORUS TWICE)
My Mama came and got me, sbe got me, she got me
M' Mama came and got me, to save my soul
My Mama didn't scold me, scold me, scold me
M' Mama didn't scold me, I've been told
(REPEAT CHORUS ONCE)
They put me in the school there I school there,
school there,
They put me in the school there to save ray soul
I learDed the Golden Rule there, Rule there,
Rule there
I learned the Golden Rule there I've been told
(REPEAT CHORUS ONCE)
I learned ray lesson, ray lesson, ray lesson
I learned ray lesson to save ray soul
Nov vasn't that a blessin' blessin' blessin'
Wasn't that a blessin' I've been told!
(REPEAT CHORUS TWICE)
SIDE I, Band 3: "SHADY GROVE"
performed by Jean Ritchie
introductory comments by Jean Ritchie:
"In Kentucky we didn't have IIIILIIY forma of entertainment.
We didn't have movies, television,
radios and things like that. ADd so we had to
make our own fun. It usually took the form of
a Saturday night "play-party". It vas called a
pl~-party because if you called it a square
dance the preachers wouldn't let you do it!
They didn't have baby-sitters back then - that's
sort of a nev-fangled thing. The babies vere
alvays taken a;Long too, and pretty soon, even
over all the noise and the shuffling feet, the
babies would get tired and have to go to sleep.
They would be put to sleep in tbe back room
on some feather-bed. One of ray earliest
memories vas of hearing this wonderful dancing
sound going on outsidej fiddles and such, and
feet pounding the floor. It was an unusual
lullaby, and it was nice. SHADY GROVE is one
of our mountain play-party tunes."
CHORUS:
Shady Grove, mountain love, Shady Grove ray love
Shady Grove, mountain love, mountain Shady Grove
Cheeks as red 8S the bloomin' rose, eyes the
deepest brown
You are tbe darling of my beart, s~ till the
sun goes down
(CHORUS)
Went to see ray Shady Grove, she vas standing in
the door
Shoes and stockings in her hands, with her feet
on the floor
(CHORUS)
Wisht I had a big fat horse, corn to feed him on
Pretty little girls st~ at home, feed him vhen
I'm gone
(CHORUS)
SIDE I, Band 4-: "THE ROLLING OF THE .~.~"
performed by Oscar Brand
introductory comments by Oscar Brand:
"The funny thing about folk songs is that in
transition in the oral tradition so many things
are lost and so many things are gained. There's
an article I remember about Lady Mondigreen who
died with the Earl of Murray. Although many
verses of THE ROLLING OF THE STONES are missing,
somebody killed somebody, and it is a very
lovely song!"
CHORUS:
Oh will you go to the rolling of the stones
The tossing of the ball.
Or will you go and see pretty SUsie
Dance among them all.
I w1l.l go to the rolling of the stones
The tossing of the ball.
And I w1l.l go and see pretty Susie
Dance among them all.
They had not danced but one single dance
Nor half a floor around
When the sword that hung at his brother's side
Gave him his fateful wound
They picked him up and carried him in
Laid him there on the ground
And there he lay for many a day
Nor made one single sound
Then Susie charmed the birds from the sky
The fish from out the bay
Until she came to her true lover's side
And there was contented to stay
(CHORUS)
SIDE I, Band. 5: "PRETTY POLLY"
performed by Jean Ritchie
introduction by Jean Ritchie:
"Some love songs do have tragic endings. This
one is about Pretty Polly who met with an
avful fate. When I was a little girl, we
used to hide our heads under the feather bed
when we sang this song at home! Everybody in
Kentuc~ thinks this happeaed in the next
town. My grandfather said he knew those
people. Yet, when I travelled in different
parts of the world. I found the same story
allover - the story of the girl who is murdered
by her own sweetheart."
Oh Polly, pretty Polly, come go along with me
Oh Polly, pretty Polly, come go along with me
Before we get married some pleasure to see
Oh Willy, oh Willy, I'm afraid of your ways
Willy oh Willy, I'm afraid of your ways
I'm afraid you will lead. my poor body astray
Oh Polly, pretty Polly you're guessin' about right
Oh Polly pretty Polly you're guessin' about right
'Cause I dug on your grave the best part of last
night
He led her over mountains and valleys so deep
He led her over mountains and valleys so deep
And at last Pretty Polly began for to weep
Oh he stabbed to the heart and her heart's bJ.ood
did flow
He stabbed to the heart and her heart's blood did
flow
And into the grave Pretty Polly she did go
Oh he threw a little dirt over her and started
for home
Oh he threw a little dirt over her and started
for home
Leavin' no one behind but the wild birds to moan
It's a debt to the devil poor William must pay
It's a debt to the devil poor William must pay
For kill in ' pretty Polly and running away
Oh where is pretty Polly - over yonder she stands
Oh where is pretty Polly - over yonder she stands
With rings on the fingers of her lily-vbite hands
SIDE I, Band 6: "TIlE AlJoIIRAL"
performed by Oscar Brand
introduction by Oscar Brand:
"This is the story of a famous admiral who had a
great navigational sense. There was only one
thing he did that made him seem queer. Every
morning he would get up with a puzzled look on
his face. He would then rush to the sate, take
out a slip of paper, read. it very carefully, and
then get this beatific, secure smile. One day
he died and everyone came to read. the slip of
paper which had done so greatly for him. It said,
"stasboard right, port left". Howard Mitchell of
the battleship Leyte taught me this song."
CHORUS:
Singin'
Singin'
Sing
Sing
too-ra-li oo-ra-li oo-ra-li
too-ra-li oo-ra-li-ay
too-ra-li oo-ra-li oo-ra-li
too-ra-li oo-ra-li-ay
Now the enlisted men ride in a motorboat
The admiral he rides in a barge
He don't go a darn sight faster
But it makes that old bugger feel large!
(CHORUS)
The enlisted men ride in a motorboat
The admiral rides in a gig
It ain't that he goes any faster
But it makes that old bastard feel big!
(CHORUS)
The enlisted men eat in the ward-room
The captain won't eat with the mob
It ain't that he eats any better
He don't want us to know he's a slob!
(CHORUS)
The enlisted men sleep in their hammocks
The admiral he sleeps in his bed
He don't sleep a darn sight better
But he's forty feet nearer the head!
(CHORUS)
SIDE I, Band 1: "DHRINNIN DRU DHRINNIN"
performed by Dave Sear
Tis a mournful sad. ditty I'll tell you right now
About an old man and he had but one cow
He sent his old cow to the field to be fed
When word came to him that Dhrinnin vas dead.
CHORUS:
Oh oh-ru mush-a sweeter than thou
Oh oh-ru mush-a sweeter than thou
When the old man ¥as told that his cow vas so dead
Over hedges and ditches and fields he fled
Over hedges and ditches and fields that was plowed
And he never cried thwack till he came to his cow
(CHORUS)
I'd sooner lose Patsie, me only first born
Than ·to part with you Dhrinn1n now that ye are gone
So now I'll sit down and I'll eat me dry bread
And I'll have no butter since Dhrinn1n is dead!
(CHORUS)
SIDE I, Band 8: ''MY BOY WILLy"
performed by Jean Ritchie and Oscar Brand
''Thi s is one of Jean Ritchie's variants of the
Billy Boy songs".
Where have you been all the day, my boy Willy
Where have you been all the day, Willy von' t
you tell me now
I have been, all the day, courtin' with my lady
gay
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
Can she brew and can she bake, my boy Willy
Can she brew and can she bake, Willy lIOn' t you
tell me now
She can brew, she can bake, she can make a
wedding cake
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
Can she weave and can she spin, my boy Willy
Can she weave and can she spin, Willy won't you
tell me now
She can weave, she can spin, she can do most
anything
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
Can she make up a bed, my boy Willy
Can she make up a bed, Willy won't you tell me
now
She can make up a bed, fifty feet above her head
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
But she is too young to be taken from her Mammy
Did you ask her to wed, my boy Willy
Did you ask her to wed, Willy won't you tell me
now
Yes I asked her to wed, and do you know vbat she
said
I am much too young to be taken from my Mamn;y
I am much too young to be taken from my Mammy!
SIDE I, Band 9: "JENNY JENKINS"
performed by Jean Ritchie and Oscar Brand
introduction by Oscar Brand:
"Jenny Jenkins has many different versions but in
all of them the main joke is on the person who
plays Jenny Jenkins, for the onlookers are trying
to catch her by making her rhyme to all sorts
of . strange colors".
Oh will you wear blue oh my dear oh m'dear
Oh will you wear blue Jenny Jenkins
No I won't wear blue the color ain't true
CHORUS:
I'll buy me a tol-de-rol-dy-til-dy-tol-dy
Seek-a-double, uae-a-cauae-a, roll the tind me
Roll Jenny Jenkina roll
Oh will you wear black oh m' dear oh m' dear
Oh will you wear black Jenny Jenkins
No I won't wear black, it's the color ot a sack
(CHORUS)
Oh will you wear mauve oh m' dear oh m' dear
Oh will you wear mauve Jenny Jenkins
No I won't wear mauve 'cause it's too suave
(CllORUS)
Oh will you wear beige oh m'dear oh m'dear
Oh will you wear beige Jenny Jenkins
No I won't wear beige, they would put me in a cage
(CHORUS)
Then what will you wear, oh my dear, oh m' dear
What will you wear Jenny Jenkins
Oh I'll just go bare with a ribbon in my hair!
(CHORUS)
SIDE II, Band 1: "POOR HOWARD"
performed by Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand
and Dave Sear
They say poor Howard's dead and gone
Left me here to sing this song
Poor Howard' B dead and gone
Left me here to sing this song
CHORUS:
Poor Howard's dead and gone
Poor Howard's dead and gone
Poor Howard's dead and gone
Left me here to sing this song
Now who's been here since I've been gone
A pretty little gal with a green dress on
Who's been here since I've been gone
A pretty little gal with a green dress on
CHORUS MELODY WITH THE FOLLOWING WORDS:
A pretty gal with a green dress on
A pretty gal with a green dress on
A pretty gal with a green dress on
Left me here to sing this song
Who's been here since I've been gone
Oscar Brand with a new suit on
Who's been here since I've been gone
Oscar Brand with a new suit on
CHORUS MELODY:
Oscar Brand with a new suit on
Oscar Brand with a new suit on
Oscar Brand with a new suit on
Left me here to sing this song
SIDE II, Band 2: "LORD RANDALL MY SON"
Performed by Oscar Brand and Jean Ritchie
Introduction by Oscar Brand:
"Experts say that Lord Randall My Son is one of
the original versions from which My Boy Billy
came. I heard this one many years ago in
Alabama."
Where did you dine Lord Randall my son
Where did you dine my handsome young one
I dined with my true love, mother
I dined with my true love, mother
CHORUS:
Make my bed soon
For I'm weary at heart
I fade avay, adieu
What did you eat Lord Randall my son
What did you eat my handsome young one
Eels fried in eel-broth, mother
Eels fried in eel-broth, mother
(CHORUS)
I fear you've been poisened Lord Randall my son
I fear you've been poisened my handsome young one
Yes I have been poisened, mother
Yes I have been poisened, mother
(CHORUS)
What do you leave to your mother, Lord Randall my
son
What do you leave to your mother my handsome young
one
My gold ,and silver, mother
My gold and silver, mother
(CHORUS)
What do you leave to your true love, Lord Randall my
son
What do you leave to your true love, my handsome
young one
A rope to hang her, mother
A rope to hang her, mother
(CHORUS)
SIDE II, Band 3: "ENNERY MY SON"
performed by Jean Ritchie
introduction by Jean Ritchie:
"When I vas in England in 1953 I found a school
where the little children sang Lord Randall My
Son. They developed their own children's
version called ENNERY MY SON . Ennery is the
cockney dialect of Henry."
Where have ya been to, Rnnery my son
Where have ya been to, my beloved one
Woods, dear mother; woods, dear mother
CHORUS:
Make my bed, I've a pain in me head
And I wants to lay down and die
What did you see there, Ennery my son
What did you see' there, my beloved one
Gypsies, dear mother; Gypsies dear mother
(CHORUS)
What did they give you to eat, Ennery my 80n
What did they give you to eat, my beloved one
Snakes, dear mother; snakes, dear mother
(CHORUS)
What color were the snakes, Ennery my son
What color were the snakes, my beloved one
Green and yellow; green and yellow!
(CHORUS)
SIDE II, Band 4: "TRE IMHSKILLIN DRAGOON"
performed by Oscar Brand
introduction by Oscar Brand:
"When I vas young I boarded with an Irish
family who taught me many Irish ballads.
One of my favorites is the Inniskillin
Dragoon."
A handsome young damsel of fame and renown
A gentleman's daughter from Monathan town
As she rode by the barracks this beautiful maid
She stood on her coach to see the dragoons on
parade
Fare thee well Inniskillin, I'll see thee in awhile
And all thy bright vaters and every green isle
When the wars they are over we'll return in full
bloom
And they'll all welcome home their Inniskillin
Dragoons ' -
They all were dressed up like gentlemen's sons
With bright shiny sabres and carrabine guns
She said: William dear William you've enlisted
too soon
You brave, loyal, royal Inniskillin Dragoon
Oh Martha, dear Martha, your pardon I crave
It's now and forever I am your slave
But your parents have slighted me morn, night,
and noon
Because I am just an Inniskillin Dragoon
Oh William, dear William, never heed what they say
For we must forever our parents obey
But when you leave Ireland they'll soon change their
tune
Saying: The good Lord be with you Inniskillin
Dragoon
Fare thee well Inniskillin, I'll see thee in awhile
And all thy bright vaters and every green isle
When the wars they are over we'll return in full
bloom
And they'll all welcome home their Innisltillin
Dragoon
SIDE II, Band 5: ''TRIP TRAP ROBBERS IN THE SEA"
performed by Jean Ritchie
introduction by Jean Ritchie:
''When you are at the age of jumping rope, that's
when courtship begins. That's the vay it vas
with me. I had several sweethearts, more when I
vas four, five and six years old than I have had
since, and I probably enjoyed it just about as
much! I collected this' song in the northern
part of England. "
Trip trap robbers in the sea
Please turn the rope for me
Come come come to the fair
Oh no the fair ian' t there
I must not miss a loop
Up in the north a long way off
The donkey took the whooping cough
What shall we give him to make him better?
Salt - mustard - vinegar - pepper
I'll tell Mommie I saw Mary Anne
A-walkin' up the street with a nice young man
High-heeled shoes and a feather in her hat
I'll tell Mommie - saucy cat
Policeman, policeman don't catch me
I've got a wife and a family
How many children have you got?
Mind your own business
And that's the lot!
SIDE II, Band 6: ''THE TALKING ATOM"
performed by Oscar Brand
introduction by Oscar Brand:
"This is a typically American talking-blues.
It was recently written by Verne Partlow of
the west coast and rewritten slightly."
I'm gonna preach you a sermon about ole man Atom
And I don't mean Adam in the Bible for Adam
Don't mean Adam that mother Eve mated
But I do mean Atom science liberated
Einstein said he was scared
If Einstein said he was scared, I'm scared
I'm not always green, friends.
Stop the world, I want to get off!
To stay around longer all we gotta do
Is get all the people together with you
'Cause if we don't get together and do it
Well, one of these days we'll be shot
Right up to hell
And that's no future for a growing boy
Or a shrinking girl
The moral of my sermon I'm trying to say
Is: the atom bomb is here to stay
It's going to stay fixed, that's plain to see
But oh my dearly beloveds -- are we?
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
All men can be cremated equal!
You know, life used to be such a simple joy
And the cyclotron a super toy
You got born and lived, sometimes married
Atom was a word in the dictionary
One of them four-letter-words
But science was marching on
Some science boys from every clime
Got together and worked overtime
Worked and worked and when they were done
Why, they harnassed up the power of the doggone sun
They were splitting atoms
Hey Maj look at me I'm sp1ittin' atoms!
The diplomats are still splitting hairs!
Then the Jingo boys they put on a show
Turned back the clock on the UNO
Got a court order on atoms to maybe extinguish
Every doggone atom that didn't speak English
Damn the foreign-born atoms
America is for American atoms
Well, the atoms are in a national state of hysteria
That flourishes in Utah and in Siberia
Whether you're black, white, red, or brown
The question is the same if you boil it down
To be or not to be, that is the question!
It isn't a question of military doubt
Like who gets there firstus with the mostus atoms
It's the people of the world who decide their fate
Stick together or disintegrate!
Itis up to the people 'cause the atom don't care
He Just flits around and sears the air
He doesn't give a darn about politics
Or who gets whom into whatever fix
All he wants to do is settle down
And have his nucleus bombarded by neutrons!
Well, I've come to the end
And I hope I made it clear
About what you gotta do
And what you gotta fear
Here's the finish and here's my thesis:
Peace to the world
Or the world in pieces!
SIDE II, Band 7: "AIKEN DRtJ.1"
performed by Dave Sear wl10 says:
"Here's a Scotch ballad I learned from
Tony Saletan of Bo ston. "
CHORUS:
And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle
He played upon a ladle
And his name was Aiken Drum
There was a man lived in the moon
Lived in the moon, lived in the moon
There was a man lived in the moon
And his name was Aiken Drum
(CHORUS)
And his head was made of cream cheese
Of cream cheese, of cream cheese
His head was made of cream cheese
And his name was Aiken Drum
(CHORUS)
And his coat was made of good roast beef
Of good roast beef, of good roast beef
His coat was made of good roast beef
And his name was Aiken Drum
(CHORUS)
And his breeches were made of haggis bags
Of haggis bags, of haggis bags
His breeches were made of haggis bags
And his name was Aiken Drum
(CHORUS)
There was a man lived in the moon
Lived in the moon, lived in the moon
There was a man lived in the moon
And his name was Aiken Drum
(CHORUS)
SIDE II, Band 8: ''FAIR AND TENDER LADIES"
performed by Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand
and Dave Sear
introduction by Oscar Brand:
"In preparing a program of this sort, one of the
major problems is selecting which version we
should sing together. This often occurs when
we record our albums. Instead of solving this
problem, each one of us will sing his own version!"
JKAN RITCHIE'S VERSION:
Come all. you fair and tender ladies
Take a varnin' bow you court young men
There lies a bright star on a cloudy morn1n'
First it appears and then it's gone
I wisht I was a little sparrow
And I bad wings and I could fly
I'd fly avay to my false true lovers
And while they talk I'd sit and cry
~VE SEAR'S VERSION:
But I am not a little s~
I have no wings, neither can I ny
So I'll Just sit here to veep in sorrow
And try to pass my troubles by
JEAN RITCHD, DA. VB SEAR AND OSCAR BRAND SING:
Come all. you fair and tender lII&idens
Be careful how you court young men
There lies a star on a cloudy morn1n'
First it appears and then it's gone
First they appear and then they're gone!
SIDE II, Band 9: ''BLACK-EYED StSIE"
performed by Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand
and Dave Sear
Black-eyed Susie she's full grown
She Jumps on a man like a dog on a bone
CHORtS:
Hey pretty little black-eyed Susie
Hey pretty little black-eyed Susie
Hey pretty little black-eyed Susie, hey!
Here sbe comes, boy she's a honey
All dres8ed up and vaitin for Sonny
(CHORtS)
Well, there's two old maids si ttin' in the sand
Each one wishin' that the other vas a man
(CHORUS)
Nov I got me a gal in Vera Cruz
She's got ten kids the Lord knovs whose
(CHORUS)
Here I come a-rid1n' ole Blindy
She'll carry double: - come and get up behind me
(CHORUS)
Now Susie and the boys vent berry pickin'
The boys got drunk and Susie got a lickin'
(CHORUS)
You've been tryin' your level best
Let's all. go home and take a rest!