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Julie Ann Johnson/ Julianne Johnson/Julianne Johnston
Traditional Old-Time & Minstrel Song/ Fiddle Tune.
ARTIST: Leadbelly 1934;
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes.
DATE: Minstrel song 1848; fiddle tune 1900’s.
Listen: LeadBelly; Julie Ann Johnson
Listen: Julie; Dink Roberts
Listen: Emmett Lundy (fiddle Solo) Julie Ann Johnson
Listen: Blue Ridge Highballers; Julie Gal
Leadbelly YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYoHWLittf8
Transcription of Lundy/Molesky fiddle tune by John Lamancusa See: http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.htm
RECORDING INFO: Julianne Johnson (Fiddle Tune)
Us - Julie Ann Johnson (Tune)
Julianne - Sparks, Randy/Traditional
Rm - Wayfaring Stranger
New Christy Minstrels. Tell Tall Tales!, Columbia CS 8817, LP (1963), trk# B.03
New Christy Minstrels. New Christy Minstrels / Tall Tales! Choral Album, Keys, Fol (1963), p42
Julie Ann Johnson (Song) 1934
At - Miss Julie Ann Johnson
Seeger, Ruth Crawford (eds.) / American Folk Songs for Children, Doubleday/Zephyr Books, Sof (1948), p 60 (Goodbye, Julie)
Lead Belly. Lomax, J. A. & A. Lomax / American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p244
Lead Belly. Lomax, John & Alan Lomax (eds.) / Leadbelly. A Collection of World Famou, Folkways, sof (1959), p42
Lead Belly. Lead Belly's Last Sessions, Smithsonian/Folkways SF 40068-71, CD( (Smi1), trk# 3.09 [1948/10/15]
Lead Belly and the Golden Gate Jubilee QUartet. Take this Hammer, Bluebird 82876-50957, CD (2003), trk# 20 [1940/06/17] (Julianne Johnson)
Seeger, Peggy and Mike. American Folk Songs for Children, Rounder 8001/8002/8003, CD( (1977), trk# 1-09 (Goodbye, Julie)
Julie Ann Johnson (Tune)
Rt - Angeline the Baker
Garren, Alan. Songer, Susan; and Clyde Curley (eds.) / Portland Collection, Portland Collection, Fol (1997), p116 (Juliann Johnson)
Jigsaw. Cut Up the Floor, Jigsaw --, CD (1996), trk# 14a (Juliann Johnson)
Luckiamute River String Band. Waterbound, Lucks '94, Cas (1994), trk# B.06
Lundy, Emmett. Fiddle Tunes from Grayson County, String 802, LP (1977), trk# 1 [1941/08]
Silberberg, Gene. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p 98
OTHER NAMES: "Julian Johnson" "Julianne Johnson"
RELATED: Julianna Johnston (minstrel); Julie Gal
SOURCES: Fiddler's Companion; Folk Index;
NOTES: Julie Ann Johnson was recorded in 1934 by Leadbelly. In the recording since it's a prison work-gang song, Leadbelly makes the sound of the axe hitting with a vocal sound which has been written "Haagh!" The old work song probably dates to the 1800s.
It's prossible there is a connection with the old minstrel song by Cool White of the Virginia Serenaders which was published in the 1848 New Negro Forget-Me-Not Songster. Here are White' lyrics:
The Original Julianna Johnston- Cool White; Virginia Serenaders 1848
Day is cum, de night is gone,
Ole feller take his rest.
Ob all de gals's I eber saw,
Juliainna suits me best.
CHORUS—Den Julianna Johnston don't you cry
I'm gwaine away to leabe you.
Wait a little while, I'll cum by'm by,
Don't let my parting grieve you.
In de morning lub, we must be gone,
I hear ole massa say, Sleep light,
Take care dont' sleep too long,
For we start at broke ob day.'
Den Julianna, etc.
Remember what you promise me
When we walked side by side,
Beneath de ole persimmon tree
You said you'd be by bride.
Den Julianna, etc.
An' when my lub, I'm gone away,
You sit and watch de moon,
Oh link ob him who cotch for you
De possum an' de coon.
Den Julianna, etc.
De morning breaks, ole massa calls,
Poor sinner must obey,
Good buy, my lub, I'll tink ob dee
Forebber and a day.
Den Julianna, etc.
Whether (See: Leadbelly's lyrics below) there is a connection between White's song and Leadbelly's is unknown (Leadbelly, at one time claimed that the song was named after his girlfriend- he calls her a "good looking girl" on the recording. He changed the lyrics in subsequent recordings). Many of the minstrel songs like Old Dad (Hook and Line/Catfish/Shout Lulu etc), Zip Coon; Jim Along Josie; Git Along John were popular fiddle tunes from the 1830s on.
It's possible that there is also a minstrel connection with Emmett Lundy's classic fiddle tune Julie Ann Johnson [Listen: Emmett Lundy (fiddle Solo)]. Born in Grayson County, Virginia on May 9, 1864, Lundy made the classic recording of Julianne Johnson for the Library of Congress during his session in the 1930s and 1940s. He learned the tune from Leonard Green, a fiddler born circa 1810 (married in 1833).
Lundy's tune is simple and resembles Angeline the Baker. Whether it resembles the original minstrel tune is unknown since Cool White's song in the Negro Songster is text only. A similar tune "Julie Gal" was recorded by the Blue Ridge Highballers in 1927 [Listen: Blue Ridge Highballers]. Another song that may be related is Dink Roberts banjo song, Julie [Listen: Julie; Dink Roberts]
The fiddle tune Julie Ann has also gone through at least one change since the Lundy recording. The tune remains in the key of D just as Lundy played it, but the “Low” part in his recording used a “D” chord (I) for the first 2 measures of each 4 bar phrase, while most modern recordings use the “G” chord (IV) in those spots.
Notes from Andrew Kuntz: JULIANNE JOHNSON [1]. AKA ‑ "Julie Ann Johnson," "Julian Johnson." Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA; Virginia. D Major. ADae or Standard tunings. AB (Silberberg): AABB (Phillips, Songer). Source for notated version: Ted Erhard with Footloose [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; pg. 129. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; pg. 78. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 116. Greasy Strings Productions 101C, Ray Bierl - “Cowboy Dancing: Songs and Fiddle Tunes.” Jim Martin Productions JMP201, Gerry Milnes (et al) – “Gandydancer.”
JULIANNE JOHNSON [2]. AKA – “Julie Ann Johnson.” Old-time, Breakdown. D Major. ADae tuning. Galax, Virginia, area fiddler Emmett Lundy (born in 1864) recorded this tune (a different version than “Julianne Johnson” [1]), one of the few he made. “It has no ‘G’ chord in it.”
JULIE ANN JOHNSON- Leadbelly (made at least three recordings of this song- one is in a medley) Listen: LeadBelly; [text not exact]
[tells about axes/ work song]
Julie Ann Johnson, Oh Lord (Haagh!),
Julie Ann Johnson, Po' man (Haagh!). (Repeat)
I'm gonna leave you, po' man (Haagh!),
I'm gonna leave you, po' man (Haagh!).
Look out Julie, po' man (Haagh!),
Look out Julie, po' man (Haagh!).
What's the matter with Julie, po' man (Haagh!),
What's the matter with Julie, po' man (Haagh!).
I'm gonna leave you, po' man (Haagh!),
I'm gonna leave you, po' man (Haagh!).
Goodbye Julie, Oh Lord Haagh!
Gonna marry Marthy, Oh Lord, (Haagh!),
Gonna marry Marthy, Oh Lord, (Haagh!).
It's Marthy promise, Oh Lord, (Haagh!),
Drop them axes, Oh Lord, Haagh!
etc.
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