|
Shoot that Turkey Buzzard/Turkey Buzzard
Traditional Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA; east Tennessee, east Kentucky, north Georgia, North Carolina
ARTIST: From Kuntz- various sources;
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Old melody; Lyrics from 1800’s;
RECORDING INFO: Shoot the Turkey Buzzard [Me IV-E 9]
Chancey Family. Rosenbaum, Art (ed.) / Folk Visions & Voices. Traditional Music & So...., Univ. of Georgia, Bk (1983), p168 [1979/11/11]
Chancey, Joe. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1982/12,p 9
Cunningham, Bill. Cunningham, Bill / Hoedown Fiddle in America (How to Play It), Ryckman-Beck, fol (1977), p46
Durham, Mel. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p178
Ebenezer. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p256
Fulcher, Bobby. Old Five String, Heritage (Galax) 039, LP (1981), trk# 13
Gaskin, Phyllis. Mountain Dulcimer - Galax Style, Heritage (Galax) 094C, Cas (1991), trk# 15
Hopkins, Al; and his Buckle Busters. Hill Billies, County 405, LP (1973), trk# A.04b [1928/12/20]
Jamieson, Stu;'s Boys. String Band Project, Elektra EKS 7292, LP (1965), trk# A.04
Kidwell, Fiddlin' Van. Midnight Ride, Vetco LP 506, LP (1975), trk# B.07
Mainer's Mountaineers. Good Ole Mountain Music, King 666, LP (196?/1946), trk# 9
Osborne, Uncle Charlie (Charlie N.). Relics and Treasures, June Appal JA 049, LP (1985), trk# 6
Roberts, Fiddlin' Doc. Fiddlin' Doc Roberts / Complete Recorded Works..., Vol 2. 1928-1, Document DOCD 8043, CD (1999), trk# 3 [1928/08/24]
Sapoznik, Hank (Henry). Brody, David (ed.) / Banjo Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Fol (1985), p149b
Schwarz, Tracy and Eloise. Our Kind of Music, Old Homestead 90092, LP (1978), trk# 2
Sprung, Roger. Ragtime Bluegrass, Vol. 2, Folkways FA 2371, LP (1964), trk# 2
Walker, John V.. Devil's Box, Devil's Box, Ser, 25/4, p21b(1991)
OTHER NAMES: "Turkey Buzzard,"
RELATED TO: "Greasy Coat" "Davy Dugger" "Engine on a Mogull," "Greasy String," "Old Coon Dog," "Higher Up the Monkey Climbs." “Slide on down” Miller's Reel (Southern vers); Seneca Square Dance; Davie Dugger; Engineer on the Mogull
SOURCES: Kuntz: A Fiddler’s Companion; Ebenezer [Brody]: Any Old Time String Band (Ca.) [Kuntz]; Joe and Chesley Chancey (Boardtown Community, Cherry Log, Gilmer County, Georgia) [Rosenbaum]; Vivian Williams (Seattle) [Phillips]; Mel Durham [Silberberg]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 256. Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; pg. 322. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 1, 1994; pg. 221. Rosenbaum (Folk Visions and Voices: Traditional Music and Song in North Georgia), 1989; pgs. 168‑169. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; pg. 144. Arhoolie 4009, "Any Old Time String Band." Biograph 6007, Ebenezer‑ "Tell it to Me" (appears as "Turkey Buzzard"). County 405, "The Hillbillies" (appears as third tune of "Soldier's Joy Medley"). Folkways FA 2371, Roger Sprung‑ "Ragtime Bluegrass 2." Gennett 6775 (78 RPM), Doc Roberts (Ky.). Vetco 506, Fiddlin Van Kidwell‑ "Midnight Ride." Mudcat Discussion Forum
NOTES: This old fiddle tune with lyrics is closely related to Seneca Square Dance, Davy Duggar, My Old Coon Dog and Greasy String. The lyrics from Brown date back to 1915. There are in the Brown Collection three fragments of the song that bear this title and another that might. One of them, in which with the turkey huzzard stanza is combined a memory of the Civil War, is dealt with under the title "Harness Up Yo' Horses' in the group of Martial, Political, and Patriotic Songs.
Texts A and C certainly, and B probably, are dance songs (See Version 2 for Brown's lyrics). C is a stanza from 'Jump Jim Crow' and has already been reported (with some slight differences) from North Carolina (ANFS 163). South Carolina (JAFL XLiv 428). and New Orleans (TNFS 127).
Turkey Buzzard' was communicated by Thomas Smith from Zionville, Watauga county, probably in 1915; the tune was obtained a few years later frum Mrs. N. T. Byers. In her singing, the first line of "each stanza is sung three times, which makes one suspect that the text of the first stanza is not correctly reported. Mr. Smith calls it a jig and says that it is "very popular among mountain musicians."
From Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc SHOOT THAT TURKEY BUZZARD G Major. Standard. AB (Silberberg): AABB (most versions). It has been identified as an east Tennessee tune name, however Rosenbaum (1989) believes it to have been widespread in the Georgia Blue Ridge. The piece is in the repertoire of Montecello, Ky., fiddler Clyde Davenport, who learned it from his father, a Tennessee fiddler. There are various verses sung to the tune:
Shoot That Turkey Buzzard from Kuntz:
Shoot that turkey buzzard, shoot that turkey buzzard,
Shoot that turkey buzzard, flyin' round the mountain.
***
Old hen cackle and chickens flew,
Rooster swore that he'd go, too.
***
Shoot old Davy Dugger, shoot old Davy Dugger,
Shoot old Davy Dugger, catch his wife an' hug 'er. (Rosenbaum/Chancey)
***
Shoot that turkey buzzard, shoot that turkey buzzard,
Blam!, blam!, caw!, caw! (Kuntz/Any Old Time)
|