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Hand Me Down My Walking Cane/I’m Gwine Home on de Mornin’ Train/All My Sins Been Taken Away/Mary Wore Three Links of Chain/All My Sins Are Taken Away/Mary Wore A Golden Chain/As I Went Down in the Valley to Pray
Traditional Old-Time Spiritual and Bluegrass Gospel;
ARTIST: From Folksinger's Wordbook.
Jerry Lee Lewis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syIrzks6OqI
I’m Gwine Home on de Mornin’ Train- John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip collection at the Library of Congress. Performed by Dock Reed, Jesse Allison, and Hettie Godfrey. Recorded by John and Ruby Lomax, 1939.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/7410
CATEGORY: Traditional Bluegrass Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; First Recorded in 1927 by Price Family Sacred Singers (I Went Down Into the Garden To Pray); Buffalo Ragged Five (All My Sins Are Taken Away) 1932
RECORDING INFO: Hand Me Down My Walking Cane [Me II-R12] - Bland, James A.
Rt - Herlong's Train ; All My Sins Are Taken Away
Rm - All Old Bachelors Are Hard to Please
Mf - Ballad of the Blue Bell Jail
Leisy, James / Songs for Pickin' and Singin', Gold Medal Books, sof (1962), p110
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swinging Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p200
Best, Dick & Beth (eds.) / New Song Fest Deluxe, Hansen, Sof (1971/1948), p 47
Gearhart, Livingston (ed.) / Gentlemen Songsters, Shawnee, sof (1959), p31
Sandburg, Helga (ed.) / Sweet Music, Dial, Bk (1963), p130 [1952ca]
Home Spun Songs, Treasure Chest, Fol (1935), p39
Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1978/03,p25
Frey, Hugo(ed.) / Bill Hardey's Songs of the Gay Nineties, Robbins, Fol (1942/1938), p68b
Herder, Ronald (ed.) / 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, Dover dn500/500, Sof (1998), p128
Blake, Norman. Whiskey Before Breakfast, Rounder 0063, LP (1987), trk# 1
East, Earnest; & the Pine Ridge Boys. Old Time Mountain Music, County 718, LP (1969), trk# 8
Ferretti, Silvio. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1981/06,p10c
Greenwood County Singers. New Frankie and Johnnie Song, Kapp KL 1362, LP (196?), trk# A.06
Griffin, Neil. Griffin, Neil / Deluxe Bluegrass Banjo Method, Mel Bay, sof (1974), p 70
Kweskin, Jim. Swing on a Star, Mountain Railroad MR 52793, LP (1979), trk# 7
McCurdy, Ed. Everybody Sing, Vol 3., Riverside RLP 1420, LP (196?), trk# A.01b
Poston, Mutt; and the Farm Hands. Hoe Down! Vol. 6. Country Blues Instrumentals, Rural Rhythm RR 156, LP (197?), trk# 10
Reser, Harry. Banjos Back to Back, RCA (Victor) LPM-2515, LP (1962), trk# B.01b
Round Peak Band. Round Peak Band, Marimac 9044, Cas (1992), trk# A.09
Schilling, Jean and Lee. Porches of the Poor, Traditional JLS 617, LP (1971), trk# 2
Schilling, Jean and Lee. Folk Festival of the Smokies. Volume II, Traditional FFS-529, LP (1972), trk# A.08
Shanty Boys. Shanty Boys, Elektra EKL 142, LP (1958), trk# 14 (Walking Cane)
Simmons Family. Wandering Through the Rackensack, Dancing Doll, LP (197?), trk# A.05
Simmons Family. Simmons, Tommy (ed.) / Simmons Family, Simmons, Sof (1974), p11
Singer, Joey; and the Fraternity Chorus. Required Singing, Epic LN 3282, LP (1959), trk# A.01b
Sizemore, Asher; and Little Jimmy. Sizemore, Asher; and Little Jimmy / Favorite Mountain Ballads & Old T..., Sizemore, fol (1932), p39
Skillet Lickers. Corn Licker Still in Georgia, Voyager VRLP 303, LP (197?), trk# A.18 [1929/04/12]
Stoneman, Ernest V. ("Pop"). Ernest V. Stoneman, Vol.1, Old Homestead OHCS 172, LP (1986), trk# B.08 [1927/01/28]
Tanner, Gordon. Rosenbaum, Art (ed.) / Folk Visions & Voices. Traditional Music & So...., Univ. of Georgia, Bk (1983), p 95 [1979/10/13]
Tanner, Gordon;, Smokey Joe Miller, and Uncle John Patterson. Down Yonder. Old Time String Band Music from Georgia, Folkways FTS 31089, LP (1982), trk# A.02 [1979/10/13]
Wear, DeWayne; and the Great Wear Family. Hoe Down! Vol. 4, Rural Rhythm RR 121, LP (197?), trk# 2
Williamson, George & Mary. Our Mountain Heritage, Old Homestead OHS 80010, LP (198?), trk# B.03
Uf - Mary Wore Three Links of Chain
Early recordings of "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane."
Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers, 1926
Kelly Harrell, 1926
Henry Whitter & Fiddler Joe, 1926
Ernest Stoneman, 1927
Vernon Dalhart, 1927
Carson Robison, 1930
Boswell Sisters and Dorsey Brothers, 1932
"Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet" (random references)
Royal Chanters, 1946, Savoy records
Rodeheaver, Homer, ed., "Rodeheaver Negro Spirituals, 1923" no. 12.
Charles Winters and Elond Autry, date?- before 1942.
RECORDING INFO: All My Sins Been Taken Away [Me III-C 4]
Mary Wore Three Links of Chain [Me III-C 4]
Rt - Hold On
At - All My Sins Been Taken Away
Buffalo Ragged Five (All My Sins Are Taken Away) 1932
Price Family Sacred Singers (I Went Down Into the Garden To Pray) 1927
Sandburg, Carl (ed.) / American Songbag, Harcourt, Sof (1955/1928), p474
Kincaid, Bradley. Mountain Ballads and Old Time Solos. Album Number Six, Bluebonnet BL 123, LP (1963), trk# B.05 [1963/07ca]
Richardson, John. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p168/# 90 [1934-39] (Mary Wore Three Silver Chains)
OTHER NAMES: "Mary Wore Three Links of Chain" "My Sins Are All Taken Away"
"Mary Wore A Golden Chain" "I’m Gwine Home on de Mornin’ Train" "As I went down in the valley to pray"
RELATED TO: "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" "Free at Last"
SOURCES: Folk Index; Meade
NOTES: "All My Sins Been Taken Away" is closely tied to "Mary Wore Three Links of Chain" and the similar "Hand Me Down My Walking Chain." James Blnd reportedly wrote/arranged "Hand Me Down My Walking Chain" in 1880 but there seems to be little evidence and no sheet music to back up this claim.
The Great Song Thesaurus (Oxford UP) has an entry "(Oh) Hand Me Down My Walking Cane," and it says: 1865 w.m. traditional black American spiritual
Even this seems suspect as there is no reference to the source. The song, "Hand Me Down My Walking Chain" was popular among both blacks and whites and was recorded by various early Country string bands with Gid Tanner then Kelly Harrell both in 1926.
How do you separate the spirituals? Versions of "All My Sins Been Taken Away" usually include lyrics from "Mary Wore Three Links of Chain" while "Hand Me Down My Walking Chain" has more secular lyrics such as , "going to leave here on the midnight train."
"All My Sins Been Taken Away" usually doesn't have the "hand me down my walking cane" verse.
One of the early versions of "All My Sins Been Taken Away" was published in 1922 by E. A. Perkins in the Journal of American Folk-Lore.
21. ALL ER MY SINS ARE TAKEN ERWAY- 1922 JOAFL (Excerpt)
CHORUS: All er my sins are taken erway.
All er my sins are taken erway.
All er my sins are taken erway,
Oh, glory to His name!
All er my sins are taken erway.
Taken erway.
Sister Mary wore three links of chain,
Sister Mary wore three links of chain,
Sister Mary wore three links of chain,
Every link had Jesus' name.
All er my sins are taken erway.
Taken erway.
"Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane" BALLAD INDEX:
DESCRIPTION: Known mostly by the first verse: "Hand me down my walkin' cane (x3), I'm gonna catch the midnight train, All my sins been taken away, taken away." Remaining verses involve traveling, prison, food, where the singer wants to be buried, etc.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1926 (recordings, Kelly Harrell, Gid Tanner, Henry Whitter & Fiddler Joe)
KEYWORDS: rambling food prison death burial floatingverses
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Silber-FSWB, p. 53, "Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane" (1 text)
BrownIII 363, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (1 text plus mention of 1 more)
DT, WALKCANE
Roud #11733
RECORDINGS:
Boswell Sisters, "Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane" (Brunswick 6335, 1932)
Vernon Dalhart, "Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane" (Durium [UK] 9-3, 1933)
Durium Dance Band w. Carson Robison & his Pioneers, "Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane" (Durium [UK] EN-27, 1932)
Sid Harkreader w. Grady Moore, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Paramount 3022, 1927; Broadway 8055 [as "Harkins and Moran"], c. 1930)
Kelly Harrell, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Victor 20103, 1926; Montgomery Ward M-4330, 1933; on KHarrell02)
Sim Harris, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Oriole 916, 1927)
Lester McFarland & Robert Gardner, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Brunswick 107/Vocalion 5028, 1927)
Claude Moye, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Champion 15688 [as Asparagus Joe]/Supertone 9363 [as Pie Plant Pete], 1929)
North Carolina Hawaiians, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (OKeh 45297, 1929; rec. 1928)
Carson Robison w. his Pleasant Valley Boys, "Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane" (MGM 12266, 1956)
Carson Robison [Trio], "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Crown 3027, c. 1930)
Short Creek Trio, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Gennett 6272/Challenge 398 [as Logan County Trio], 1927)
Ernest V. Stoneman and the Dixie Mountaineers, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Edison 51938, 1927) (CYL: Edison [BA] 5297, 1927)
Ernest V. Stoneman, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Banner 1993, 1927/Domino 3964/Regal 8324/Oriole 916 [as by Sim Harris]/Homestead 16490 [as by Harris], c. 1929)
Gid Tanner & his Skillet Lickers, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (Columbia 15091-D, 1926)
Gordon Tanner, Smokey Joe Miller & Uncle John Patterson, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (on DownYonder)
Henry Whitter & Fiddler Joe [Samuels], "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (OKen 45061, 1926)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "All My Sins Been Taken Away"
cf. "Heaven and Hell" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Mary Wore Three Links of Chain" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Free at Last" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Dawsonville Jail" (lyrics)
SAME TUNE:
Ballad of Blue Bell Jail (Greenway-AFP, p. 143)
Notes: It is possible (perhaps even likely) that the song filed as "All My Sins Been Taken Away" is a worn-down version of this piece, but it is known in enough versions that I finally split them. - RBW
"All My Sins Been Taken Away" is known by a number of titles including "As I went down in the Valley to Pray," "Mary Wore Three Links of Chain," "My Sins Are All Taken Away," "I’m Gwine Home on de Mornin’ Train" and "Mary Wore A Golden Chain."
In Alton C. Morris, Folksongs of Florida (University of Florida Press, 1950, 1990, pp. 168-169; with tune), there's another version, which "the white people of Florida have borrowed," recorded from the singing of Mr. John Richardson, Jacksonville, who learned the song from his father:
Was it? What was the evidence? Erskine Peters' Lyrics of the Afro-American Spiritual (Greenwood) contains a seemingly related one:
Hand me down my silver trumpet, Gabriel,
Hand it down;
Hand me down my silver trumpet, Gabriel,
Hand me down
Hand me down my silver trumpet,
Hand me down my silver trumpet,
All my sins been washed away. (Traditional)
Well, this version looks like a spiritual. But the collection (without melody) doesn't give the date or place it collected. According to Index to Negro Spirituals (Cleveland Public Library), "Hand Me Down" (this short title) is located in Utica Jubilee Singers Spirituals (1930), which I have not seen. There is no mention of "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" in Blues and Gospel Records 1890-1943 (Oxford UP); the titles of 10 recordings are "Hand Me Down the Silver Trumpet," "Hand Me Down the Trumpet Gabriel," "Hand Me Down the Silver Trumpet Gabriel," "Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet, Gabriel," "Hand Me the Silver Trumpet," and "Hand Me Down" (and "Hand Me Down My Old Suitcase").
Surely, this version of "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (so the title goes) has the silver trumpet" line, so these two song families are related; at least they were intermingled somewhere. But, up to now, I cannot confirm the thesaurus.
cho: Oh, hand me down (Hand me down)
Hand me down (hand me down)
Hand me down my silver trumpet Gabriel
Hand it down, Throw it down,
Any old way, just get it down
Hand me down my silver trumpet Lord
If you get there before I do
Hand me down my silver trumpet, Gabriel
Tell all my friends I'm comin' too
Hand me down my silver trumpet, Lord.
Oh, Satan's mad an' I am glad
Hand me down my silver trumpet, Gabriel
he lost a soul he thought he had
Hand me down my silver trumpet, Lord.
The Levy Collection has "Hand Me Down Dem Golden Shoes" (Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: By Jacob J. Sawyer. Publication: Boston: W.A. Evans, 1883).
Hand me down dem golden shoes,
keep dat lamp a burning
So I can shout an bring de news,
Keep dem bright an' clean.
HAND ME DOWN MY WALKIN' CANE- Folksinger's Wordbook: This is another of James Bland's great contributions to the age of minstrelsy. It has known many verses. In fact, we have added a few for good measure.
1. Oh, hand me down my walkin' cane,
Oh, hand me down my walkin' cane,
Oh, hand me down my walkin' cane,
I'm gonna catch the midnight train
'Cause all my sins are taken away.
2. Oh, hand me down my old buzz saw,
Oh, hand me down my old buzz saw, oh,
Hand me down my old buzz saw,
I'll need it down in Saginaw,
'Cause all my sins are taken away.
3. Oh, hand me down my old banjo,
Oh, hand me down my old banjo,
Oh, hand me down my old banjo,
I'm gonna play for the U.S.O.,
'Cause all my sins are taken away.
4. Oh, if I die in Tennessee,
Oh, if I die in Tennessee,
Oh, if I die in Tennessee,
Just send my bones back C.O.D.,
'Cause my sins are taken away.
On the subject of verses added 'for good measure', the 'Folksinger's Wordbook' gives these extra ones not noted above:
But if I should die in New York State
Just ship my body back by freight
The devil chased me round a stump
I thought he'd catch me at every jump
Now some folks say it ain't no fun
When a song like this goes on and on
Yes, on and on, and on and on
On and on and on and on
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