The Bluegrass Messengers
 Angelina Baker- Original Minstrel Lyrics by Stephen Foster

Angeline the Baker

Old-Time; Song, Breakdown based on “Angelina Baker” by Stephen Foster. Virginia.

ARTIST: John J. Sharp's version;

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1850;

RECORDING INFO: Bay 727, "Kenny Hall and the Sweet Mills String Band." Beet 7003, "Wretched Refuse." County 201, J.W. Spangler (Va.) - "The Old Virginia Fiddlers." Rounder 0400, "Pickin' Around the Cookstove." Spudchucker Productions, Bert Edwards (N.C.) - "Bert's Bombaree" (appears as "Rocky Road"). Rounder C-11565, Stuart Duncan - "Rounder Fiddle" (1990). Tennvale 002, Roaring Fork Ramblers- "Galax 73."Austen, Seth. Appalachian Fiddle Tunes for Finger Style Guitar, Kicking Mule KM 174, LP (1982), cut# 4 (Angelina Baker). Deseret String Band. Utah Trail, Okehdokee --, LP (197?), cut# 5. Edmonds, Norman. Train on the Island, Davis Unlimited DU 33002, LP (197?), cut# 13. George, Franklin/Frank. Traditional Music for Banjo, Fiddle & Bagpipes, County C-2703, Cas (1992), cut#A.04 (Angeline). George, Franklin/Frank. Traditional Music for Banjo, Fiddle and Bagpipes, Kanawha 307, LP (1967), cut#A.03. Hall, Kenny; and the Sweets Mill String Band. Kenny Hall and the Sweets Mill String Band, Bay TPH-727, LP (1973), cut#A.01. Kretzner, Leo; and Jay Leibovitz. Pigtown Fling, Green Linnet SIF 1019, LP (1979), cut#B.06. New Golden Ring. Five Days Singing - Vol. II, Folk Legacy FSI-042, LP (1971), cut# 2. Pickin' Around the Cookstove. Pickin' Around the Cookstove, Rounder 0040, LP (1975), cut# 7. Rain-Crow Countryside Band. Roustabout, Log Cabin 8005, LP (1977), cut#B.09b. Smith, Paul. Devil Eat the Groundhog, Rounder 0409, CD (1999), cut#19. Texas Jack & the Magic City Trio. Union Grove, The Hub of the Universe, Union Grove SS-4, LP (1970), cut# 14

OTHER NAMES: "Angeline," "Angelina Baker," "Rocky Road" (N.C.), "Coon Dog" (Va.), "Georgia Row," "Walk up Georgia Row," “Julie Ann Flan” “Einstein the Genius” ”Julie Ann Johnson (Tune)” RELATED MELODY: Sailing On The Ocean ; Little Nell

SOURCES: J.W. Spangler (Virginia) [Reiner & Anick]; Wretched Refuse String Band (N.Y.C.) [Brody]; Stuart Duncan [Phillips]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 22 (2 versions). Johnson (The Kitchen Musician's Occasional: Waltz, Air and Misc.), Vol. 1, 1991; pg. 2. Krassen (Appalachian Fiddle), 1973; pg. 26-27(Angeline). Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; pg. 341-342. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; pg. 15. Reiner & Anick (Old-Time Fiddling Across America), 1989; pg. 88. Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc.

NOTES: "D Major. Standard or ADAE. AABB. This old time song and tune was derived from a sentimental song by Stephen Foster, called "Angelina Baker," whose lyrics tell about a slave who is parted from her lover when sold. Foster's original song can be heard played by the Critton Hollow Stringband on their album "Sweet Home" (Yodel-Ay-Hee 002). A similar tune, or an alternate title, is the Patrick County, Va., "Coon Dog." The 'revival' version commonly played today by old-time style musicians comes from fiddler J.W. 'Babe' Spangler (1882-1970), of Patrick County, Virginia." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc). See also the related "Little Betty Brown" and "Cousin Sally Brown." 

1. Way down on de old plantation Dah's where I was born,
I used to beat de whole creation Hoein' in de corn:
Oh! den I work and den I sing So happy all de day,
Till Angelina Baker came And stole my heart away.

CHORUS: Angelina Baker! Angelina Baker's gone --
She left me hear to weep a tear 
And beat on de old jawbone.

2. I've seen my Angelina
  In de spring-time and de fall,
I've seen her in de corn-field
  And I've seen her at de ball;
And ebry time I met her
  She was smiling like de sun,
But now I'm left to weep a tear
  Cayse Angelina's gone.

(CHORUS)

3. Angelina am so tall
  She nebber sees de ground,
She hab to take a wellumscope
  To look down on de town --
Angelina likes de boys
  As far as she can see dem,
She used to run old Massa round
  To ax him for to free dem.

(CHORUS)

4. Early in de morning
  Ob a lubly summer day
I ax for Angelina,
  And de say "she's gone away" --
I don't know wha to find her,
  Cayse I don't know wha she's gone,
She left me hear to weep a tear
  And beat on de old jawbone.

(CHORUS)
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