422. Shinbone Alley

422

Shinbone Alley

The oldest text of this sons? that S. Foster Damon could find
was published as sung- by Daddy Rice in 1833 (Scries of Old
American Songs No. 18, from a print in the Harris collection at

 

508 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

Brown University) ; but he says it was already current in more
than one form before that, being "rooted deep in the Negro past."
It had great popularity and prompted Morris's Long Time Ago
('Near the Lake where Drooped the Willow'). Our stanza is not
in the text printed by Damon. A variant of it is reported by Odum
and Johnson (NWS 176) as part of a Negro work song.

No title. Contributed by V. C. Royster of Wake county as from "an
old man who lived in Cumberland county before the [Civil?] War. Prob-
ably sung in Wake also."

Old IVliss Tuck and my aunt Sallie

Both lived down in shin bone alley.

No sign on the gate, no number on the door ;

Folks around here are gittin' mighty poor.
--------------------------

423
Some Folks Say That a Nigger Won't Steal

 

'Oh, Mourner.' Sung by Miss Jewell Robbins, Pekin, Montgomery county,
1921 or 1922. For the text given in III 510, No. 423 I, the six measures given
below must be repeated twice. For other versions cf. Negro Singer's Own
Book, 347, 'Whar Did You Cum From' ; Ford 373 ; RAS 43 ; and ANFS 370,
No. 39.

 

F-393

 


Some folks say that a nig - ger won't steal. Way down-
way

 


down, way down yon - der in the field.

 


For melodic relationship cf : *Ford 373 (last two measures only).

Scale: Trichordal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aba^ (2,2,2); no three-part
form, however. All three short phrases cadence on I. The tonal center is
the lowest tone.