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Old Corn Liquor
ARTIST: Dink Roberts
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Early 1900’s; Volume 3 of the Brown book collection of North Carolina Folk Songs features a lyric fragment from Kate Russell, collected in 1923 Person County, NC.
RECORDING INFO: Carlin, Bob. Old Time Herald, Old Time Herald, Ser, 7/5, p28(2000) [2000]; Hart and Blech. Build Me a Boat, Voyager VRCD 354, CD (2001), trk# 3; Roberts, Dink. Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia, Smithsonian SF 40079, CD (1998), trk# 10; Tate, Rob. Appalachia, The Old Traditions, Home Made Music LP-001, LP (1983), trk# B.03 [1979/08/11] ; Thompson, Joe. Family Tradition, Rounder 2161, CD (1999), trk# 9; Thompson, Joe; and Odell Thompson. Oldtime Music from the North Carolina Piedmont, Global Village Global-C217, Cas (1989), trk# 3; Thompson, Joe; and Odell Thompson. Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia, Smithsonian SF 40079, CD (1998), trk# 11; Reeltime Travelers. Livin' Reeltime, Thinkin' Old-Time, Yodel-Ay-Hee 042, CD (2002), trk# 5 (Ain't Gwine Drink A, No More); Recorded by the Poplin Family of Sumter, South Carolina (Ain't Gwine Drink A, No More);
RELATED TO: Ain't Gonna Drinka No More
OTHER NAMES: Ain't Gwine Drink-A No More
SOURCES: Ceolas; Folk Index; Volume 3 of the Brown book collection of North Carolina Folk Songs.
NOTES: Recorded by the Poplin Family of Sumter, South Carolina and also Reeltime Travelers as “Ain’t Gwine Drink-A No More” this tune is a fiddle solo and banjo tune found in the Carolina’s as an African-American dance tune and breakdown.
The standard verse is found in Dink Roberts’ version:
I got drunk and fell off the wagon
Old Corn Liquor don't take no draggin'
From Ceolas: “We learned this relentless dance tune from the great African-American fiddle-banjo duo, Joe (b. 1918) and Odell (1912-1994) Thompson when they first attended the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in 1987. Not only did we learn about their music and culture, we became fast friends with the talented cousins from Mebane, NC. We had occasion to visit with the two of them orily once after that, when they returned to Fiddle Tunes in 1992. Odell died in a tragic traffic accident in 1994, but we've been fortunate to have several gatherings with Joe since then.”
“This tune is Joe's favorite for calling "frolic figures" ("Hands Up Eight/Great Big Eight" square dance calls) to. Its lyrics and structure bear a close resemblance to the song the Poplin Family of Sumter, SC, called"Ain't Gonna Drink-a No More," found on Melodeon LP 7331 Gwine Back to Sumter. Both Joe & Odell and Dink Roberts play this song-tune on Black Banjo Songsters of the North Carolina and Virginia Piedmont (Smithsonian Folkways CD 40079). Joe and his newer band (Bob Carlin, Pam and Clyde Davis) play it on Family Tradition (Rounder CD 3719). Volume 3 of the Brown book collection of North Carolina Folk Songs features a lyric fragment from Kate Russell, collected in 1923 Person County, NC, the area where Joe Thompson's father was raised. You also can hear Joe and Odell on: The North Carolina Banjo Collection (Rounder CD 0439-0440) and Rounder LP 2016, Ain't Gonna Rain No More, as well on some harder-to-find recordings.”
Thomas Sneed: “From the Poplin Family of Sumter, South Carolina, whom our friend Jack Tottle recorded in the early 60s while serving in the armed forces. Bob Carlin plays a version he got from the African American fiddler Joe Thompson called “Old Corn Liquor.” An agreeable tune whether you’re on or off the wagon. This song must be a lot of fun to play and sing. Short quick verses, some five-part harmony on the chorus. The fiddle dominates the sections between verses, again spending its time mostly in the lower register for a gutsy driving sound. But be sure to follow what’s going on with the banjo.”
OLD CORN LIQUOR- From Old-time Music Forum
Version 1: I got drunk and fell on my hat
Old Corn Liquor was the cause of that.
Dink's Version 2:
I got drunk and fell off the wagon
Old Corn Liquor don't take no draggin'
Substitute lyrics from Dink Roberts:
Call for the fiddle, call for the bow
Call for the Black Eyed Daisy
Call for the fiddle, call for the bow
Almost run me crazy
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