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West Virginia Gals/West Virginia Boys/If You Want to Go A-Courtin'/When You Go A-Courtin'/Come Girls, Come/Hello Girls/ Kansas Boys/Askansas Sheik/ Cornbread, Molasses and Sassafras Tea
Traditional Old-Time Song and Breakdown; Minstrel origin
ARTIST: Al Hopkins and his Buckle Busters. Recorded in New York on December 20, 1928.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes.
EARLIEST DATE: "De Free *Man" 1841; Collected by Cecil Sharp in 1916
RECORDING INFO West Virginia Girls/Gals:
Rt - Come Girls, Come; Old Leather Bonnet with a Hole in the Crown
At - Last Three Drops
Uf - Fire On the Mountain [Appalachian]
Hollow Rock String Band. Hollow Rock String Band, Rounder 0024, LP (1974), trk# B.06
Krassen, Miles. Krassen, Miles / Appalachian Fiddle, Oak, sof (1973), p39
Krassen, Miles. Krassen, Miles / Clawhammer Banjo, Oak, sof (1974), p34
Slater, Alec. Slater, Alec / Clawhammer Banjo Solos, Mel Bay, Sof (1979), p57
RECORDING INFO Kansas Boys [Me II-B41]:
Rm - Harriet Tubman's Ballad
Uf - Come Girls, Come
Brand, Oscar. Courtin's a Pleasure and Other Folk Songs of the Southern App..., Elektra EKL 122, LP (1957), trk# A.07 (Kansas Boys)
Lingenfelter, Richard E., et.al.(eds.) / Songs of the American West, U. Calif Press, Bk (1968), p452 (Kansas Boys)
O'Bryant, Joan. Folksongs and Ballads of Kansas, Folkways FA 2134, LP (1957), trk# B.01 (Kansas Boys)
Sandburg, Carl (ed.) / American Songbag, Harcourt, Sof (1955/1928), p129 (Kansas Boys)
RECORDING INFO Come Girls, Come [Sh 75B/Me II-B41]:
Rt - Poor Tuckahoe; When You Go A-Courtin'; U-S-U Range
At - Arkansas Boys; Free "Nigger"; Johnny Cake
Rm - West Virginia Girls/Gals
Cousin Emmy, "Cousin Emmy's Blues" (also issued as "Come All You Virginia Gals") (Decca 24213, 1947)
Riley Puckett, "The Arkansas Sheik" (Columbia 15686-D, 1931; rec. 1928)
New Lost City Ramblers, "The Arkansas Sheik" (on NLCR14)
Pete Seeger, "Texian Boys" (on PeteSeeger07, PeteSeeger07a)
Sandburg, Carl (ed.) / American Songbag, Harcourt, Sof (1955/1928), p128 (Hello Girls)
Cazden, Norman (ed.) / Merry Ditties, Bonanza Books, Bk (1958), p 66 (West Virginia Boys)
Lomax, John A. & Alan Lomax / Folk Song USA, Signet, Sof (1966/1947), # 11b (Texian Boys)
Sorrels, Rosalie (ed.) / Way Out in Idaho, Confluence, Sof (1991), p182 (Don't [You] Marry the Mormon Boys)
Scofield, Twilo (ed.) / An American Sampler, Cuthroat, Sof (1981), p 86 (Alsea Girls)
Silverman, Jerry / Folk Guitar - Folk Song, Scarborough Book, Sof (1983/1977), p 74 (Tex-I-An Boys)
Briegel, George F. (ed.) / 44 Old Time Morman and Far west Songs, Kessinger, Sof (1933), p49/#36 (Come Little Girls)
Fife, Austin E. & Alta S. / Cowboy and Western Songs, Bramhall House, Bk (1982/1969), p 25/# 9D (Mississippi Gals)
Drake, Rod. Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p110a [1952] (Come All You Mississippi Girls)
Fiddlin' Red and Patti O'Farrell. Gift to the Mountain, Fidllin' --, CD (2008), 4 (West Virginia Gals)
Gear, Jeanetta. Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p175/# 81 [1914] (Cheyenne Boys)
Groves, Lula. McIntosh, David S. / Folk Songs and Singing Games of the Illinois Ozarks, SIU Press, Bk (1974), p 25 [1950/02/09] (Illinois Gals)
Hannah, Mrs.; and Effie Mitchell. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p 7/# 75B [1918/09/29] (If You Want to Go)
Hathaway, Mark. Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p111 [1941] (Come All You Mississippi Girls)
Hopkins, Al; and his Buckle Busters. Anthology of American Folk Music, Vol 4, Revenant RVN 211, CD (2004), trk# 2.03 [1928/12/20] (West Virginia Gals)
Kraber, Tony. Silber, Irwin / Songs of the Great American West, Dover, Sof (1967), p229 (Kansas Boys)
McNamara, Rory. Still Got That Look in His Eye, Kicking Mule KM 323, LP (1984), trk# B.05 (Come All You Virginia Girls)
Mitchell, J. D.. Lomax, John A. & Alan Lomax / Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads, MacMillan, Bk (1938), p338 (Texian Boys)
Muir, Ann Mayo. So Goes My Heart, Folk Legacy FSI 099, LP (1985), trk# B.05 (Cousin Emmy's Blues)
Nash, Len. Fife, Austin E. & Alta S. / Cowboy and Western Songs, Bramhall House, Bk (1982/1969), p 22/# 9A (On the Road to California)
New Lost City Ramblers. Remembrance of Things to Come, Folkways FTS 31035, LP (1973/1966), trk# 17 (Arkansas Sheik)
O'Bryant, Joan. Asch, Moses (ed.) / 124 Folk Songs as Sung and Recorded on Folkways Reco, Robbins, Fol (1965), p 63 (Kansas Boys)
Risinger, Robert L.. Moore, Ethel & Chauncey O.(ed.) / Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwes, Univ. of Okla, Bk (1964), p300/#144 [1940s] (Mississippi Girls)
Sorrels, Rosalie. Lonesome Roving Wolves. Songs & Ballads of the West, Green Linnet SIF 1024, CD (1980), trk# 2 [1960s] (Don't [You] Marry the Mormon Boys)
Sorrels, Rosalie. Songs of the Mormon Pioneers, Festival LB 2582, LP (196?), trk# B.03 (Don't [You] Marry the Mormon Boys)
Stephens, Ed. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p 12/#342A [1928/06/20] (Arkansas Boys)
Toelken, J. Barre. Garland of American Folksong, Prestige International INT 13023, LP (196?), trk# 3
Wasson, Laura. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p 12/#342B [1942/01/28] (Missouri Boys)
RECORDING INFO When You Go A-Courtin' [Sh 75/Me II-B40]:
Rt - Come Girls, Come
At - Down at the Old Man's House
Lomax, John A. & Alan Lomax / Folk Song USA, Signet, Sof (1966/1947), # 11
Fife, Austin E. & Alta S. / Cowboy and Western Songs, Bramhall House, Bk (1982/1969), p 24/# 9C (When I Went a Courting)
Boone, Sina. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p 8/# 75C [1918/10/01] (If You Want to Go A-Courting)
Bradley, Bob. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p 9/# 75D [1918/06/09] (If You Want to Go A-Courting)
Jones, William. McIntosh, David S. / Folk Songs and Singing Games of the Illinois Ozarks, SIU Press, Bk (1974), p 41 [1935/02/16] (If You Want to Go A-Courting)
Kelly, Maidy. Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p112 [1938] (Went Out A-Sparking/Sparkin')
Sands, Mary. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p 6/# 75A [1916/08/05] (If You Want to Go A-Courting)
Wilson, Coral Almy. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p223/#466 [1929/07/17] (Old Leather Bonnet)
RECORDING INFO Corn Bread, Molasses and Sassafras Tea:
Rm - Cotton Eyed Joe - II
ALT TITLE: Cornbread 'Lasses and Sassafras Tea
Carter, June (Cornbread 'Lasses and Sassafras Tea)
Freight Hoppers. Where'd You Come From, Where'd You Go?, Rounder 0403, CD (1996), trk# 10 (Cornbread, Molasses and Sassafras Tea)
Gellert, Dan; and Shoofly. Forked Deer, Marimac 9000, Cas (1986), trk# A.05b
Harold and Abe. Cornbred, Molasses and Sassafras Tea, Heritage (Galax) 023, LP (1978), trk# 3
Lilly Brothers And Don Stover; Cornbread and 'Lasses and Sassafras Tea
Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys; Cornbread and 'Lasses and Sassafras Tea
CLOSELY RELATED TO: "Cornbread, Molasses and Sassafras Tea"
OTHER NAMES: West Virginia Gals/West Virginia Boys/If You Want to Go A-Courtin'/When You Go A-Courtin'/Come Girls, Come/Hello Girls/ Kansas Boys/Askansas Sheik/Don't Marry the Mormon Boys/Missouri Boys/Poor Tuckahoe/California Boys/East Virginia Girls/Mississippi Gals/The Mormon Boys
SOURCES: Kuntz; Brown; Mudcat; Sarah McQuaid;
PRINT SOURCES: Belden, pp. 426-428, "Texan Boys" (1 text plus a fragment probably not part of this song)
Randolph 342, "The Arkansas Boys" (3 texts, 2 tunes); also (perhaps with some mixture) 466, "The Old Leather Bonnet" (1 text, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 277-278, "The Arkansas Boys" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 342A)
BrownIII 328, "The Carolina Crew" (1 fragment, thought by the editors to be this song); 336, "If You Want to Go A-Courtin'" (1 text, clearly mixed; the first three stanzas are this song, the next four something completely unrelated about a fight and a very bad meal)
Sandburg, pp. 128-129, "Hello, Girls"; "Kansas Boys" (2 texts, 1 tune)
MHenry-Appalachians, p. 95, "The Hunter's Song" (1 fragment)
Lomax-FSUSA 11, "When You Go A-Courtin'"; 12, "The Texian Boys" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Fife-Cowboy/West 9, "Johnny Cake" (4 texts, 1 tune, though the "B" text is clearly "Little Fight in Mexico" and the "C" text is also quite distinct)
LPound-ABS, 81, pp. 175-176, "Cheyenne Boys" (1 text)
JHCox 58, "The Tucky Ho Crew" (1 text -- a very mixed version which is only partly this song, but the rest doesn't look like anything I know. It may be a conflation with an otherwise lost ballad)
SharpAp 75, "If You Want to Go A-courting" (4 texts, 4 tunes)
Silber-FSWB, p. 173, "Kansas Boys" (1 text)
DT, WHNCORT1* WHNCORT2* WHNCORT3* WHNCORT4* WHNCORT5*
ADDITIONAL: Fred W. Allsopp, Folklore of Romantic Arkansas, Volume II (1931), p. 207, "The Old Leather Bonnet" (1 text, fairly full but missing the opening verse)
NOTES West Virginia Gals: West Virginia Gals is part of a large related group of a songs in which the girls are warned about courting with a certain group of boys (i.e. Kansas Boys). The songs are of minstrel origin dating back to the 1841 song, "De Free *Man." The original sheet music, available at American Memory, gives the first verse as:
Come all you Virginia gals and listen to my noise
Neber do you wed wid de Carolina boys,
For if dat you do your portion it will be
Corn cake and *hominy and Jango lango tea. [*originally "harmony"]
It has been passed down in various forms and a myriad of titles including West Virginia Gals/West Virginia Boys/If You Want to Go A-Courtin'/When You Go A-Courtin'/Come Girls, Come/Hello Girls/ Kansas Boys/Askansas Sheik/Don't Marry the Mormon Boys/
Missouri Boys/Poor Tuckahoe.
Mead separates the songs into two groups "When You go A-Courting" and "Come Along, Girls."
In their book Songs of the Great American West (1995), Irwin Silber and Earl Robinson describe how the song made the rounds of the country:
In the Ozarks, they told the Tennessee girls not to marry the Arkansas boys, while the Arkansas girls were similarly warned against the Missouri boys, and Louisiana girls were advised to guard against the Texas clan.... The song traveled to Wyoming, where young ladies were urged to scorn the Cheyenne boys, and out near the Great Salt Lake, the disciples of Brigham Young fashioned their own wry parody on themselves:
Come, girls, come, and listen to my noise,
Don’t you marry the Mormon boys,
For if you do, your fortune it will be,
Johnnycakes and babies are all you’ll see.
West Virginia Gals was first recorded by this title in 1928 by Al Hopkins and his Buckle Busters.
Fiddler Henry Reed recorded the tune which Alan Jabbour titled West Virginia Gals, because Reed couldn't remember the name. Jabbour gives alternative titles as "West Virginia Girls" and "If You Want to Go A-Courting." Reed's version- Key: A; Meter: 4/4; Strains: 2 (high-low, 4-4); Rendition: 2-1r-2; Phrase Structure: AAAB QRQ'B' (abab abcd qrst qr'c'd'); Compass: 15
Here are Jabbour's notes: The tune appears to be an instrumental version of a song known in older Appalachian tradition (see Sharp, "English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians", vol. 2, 6, #75-A, "If You Want to Go A-Courting") and recorded on early hillbilly records. Though Henry Reed gave the tune no title, the Hollow Rock String Band recorded it as "West Virginia Gals" (Rounder 0024), the title which is adopted here. The song typically repeats the final phrase, making a five-phrase tune. The high strain of the fiddle tune corresponds to the song, though it eliminates the repeated fourth phrase, and the low strain is a kind of arpeggiated filler.
Notes about Al Hopkins: Given Hopkins relatively middle class background, it is likely that the extremely primitive style of "West Virginia Gals," a song that pokes fun at the poor rural folk of that state, is satirical.
Born in Watauga County, North Carolina in 1889, Albert Green Hopkins was one of the first true country musicians and one of the originators of "hillbilly" music. Hopkins was born to John Benjamin Hopkins, a state legislator, and Celia Isabel Green Hopkins. Both parents were musical. Hopkins' father repaired organs as a hobby and played fiddle, piano and organ. His mother sang ballads and church music. Hopkins primarily played piano.
The Hopkins family relocated to Washington D.C. in 1904 when Hopkins was fifteen. In 1910, he and his brothers Joe, Elmer, and John formed the Old Mohawk Quartet, a group that played around D.C., frequently appearing at the Majestic Theater. In the early 1920s, Hopkins moved to Galax, Virgina where he worked for his older brother, Jacob, was a doctor with an established practice. He also entertained his brother's patients. In 1924, Hopkins and his brother Joe formed a band with fiddler Alonzo Elvis "Tony" Alderman and banjo player John Rector. After an aborted recording session in 1924, the group recorded six selections for Ralph Peer in New York City on January 15, 1925. At that session, Peer asked the still-unnamed band what they were called. Hopkins modestly replied that they were "just a bunch of hillbillies." Peer named their group "The Hill Billies," much to the musicians' consternation (none of the members of the group conformed to the "hillbilly" stereotype). Alderman would later say that to them the word "hillbilly" was a "fighting word." Nevertheless, Hopkins and his group were associated with the word hillbilly and they tried for a time to control the word's use, at least as far as it was applied to music. Eventually, they were forced to accept that hillbilly had become a genre of music.
Recording alternately as the Hill Billies and as the Buckle Busters, Hopkins and his band (which went through varying line-ups) were the first country band to perform in New York City, the first to perform for an American President (Calvin Coolidge), and the first to appear in a film. Hopkins recorded the song "West Virginia Gals" in New York City during a 1928 session. While the group was credited as the Buckle Busters, none of Hopkins regular musicians appear on the recording, nor does Hopkins play piano.
Hopkins was killed in a car accident in Winchester, Virginia on October 21, 1932. His group disbanded upon his death.
"West Virginia Gals" is a variation of a minstrel song published under the title "Free Nigger" in 1841. "Free Nigger" was published without a composer credit. The tune is similar to that of "A Lazy Farmer Boy" and is likely related to that song.
West Virginia Gals- Al Hopkins and his Buckle Busters. Recorded in New York on December 20, 1928.
Come all you West Virginia gals and listen to my noise.
Don't you court these West Virginia boys.
If you do, your fortune will be
Corn bread and bacon you will see.
Corn bread and bacon you will see.
When you go a courtin' they will set you a chair.
The first thing they say is, "My daddy killed a deer!"
The next thing they say when you set down,
"Mammy, ain't you bakin' your Johnny Cakes brown!
Mammy, ain't you bakin' your Johnny Cakes brown!"
When they go to meetin' I'll tell you what to wear:
Scissor tail coat all ready to tear,
Old leather boots with the top turned down,
Pair of cotton socks that they wear year round.
Pair of cotton socks that they wear year round.
When they go to store, they take a turn of corn,
Pat of salty butter right fresh from the churn.
Store keeper says, "You haven't got enough
For a plug of tobaccer and a bail of snuff.
For a plug of tobaccer and a bail of snuff."
When they bottle 'lasses I'll tell you what to do.
Build a rock furnace without any flue.
Grind their cane around and around.
Stop the 'lasses boiler and they set it on the ground.
Stop the 'lasses boiler and they set in on the ground.
They build their houses with log walls.
Don't have winders, none at all.
Clapboard roof and old slab door.
Sandstone chimbley and a puncheon floor.
Sandstone chimbley and a puncheon floor.
Take you away to the blackjack hills.
There to live and make your will.
There you stay and starve in space.
That is the way of the West Virginia race.
That is the way of the West Virginia race.
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