435
The Dummy Line
A Nesro hobo and railroad song about "a small train running
on a short track." Terrow JAFL xxvi 171 gives two variants, one
from Alabama, one from Mississippi, collected 1908-09. Both make
Atlanta the point of departure. See also Scarborough TNFS 244-5
(one text from North Carolina) and Satis N. Coleman and Adolph
Bregnan, Songs of American Folks (New York, 1942), pp. 76-7.
A
From Miss Eura Mangum, Diirliani ; dated 1922.
Some folks says a dummy won't rtin.
But listen, let me tell you what a dummy's done done —
Left New York at half-past one.
Rolled into 'p-risco at the settin' of the sun.
Chorus:
On the Dummy Line, on the Dummy Line.
Ridin' and a shinin' on the Dummy Line.
Ridin' and a shinin' and pay your fine.
Ridin' and a shinin' on the Dummy Dummy Line.
"As sung on Turkey Creek, in Buncombe Co., N. C." ; informant's name
not given— possibly Bascom Lamar Lunsford. An interesting version.
The chorus works' in the name of a river and a county in eastern North
Carolina. The second stanza is perhaps traceable ultimately to 'From
Whar Did You Come From?' (c. 1840). popularized by Joel W. Sweeny,
"father of the modern banjo." See S. F. Damon. Scries of Old A men-
can Songs (Providence, R. T, 1936).
1 Some folks say a dummy can't run. Sugar Bahe ;
Some folks say a dummy can't run. Sugar Rahe.
Git on the dummy, didn't have no money :
They hit me on the head with a two-hy-four.
Not'a-goin' to ride on the dummy no more, Sugar Bahe.
[Chonts?]
Way down yonder in Pasquotank. Sugar Bahe;
Way down yonder in Pasquotank. Sugar Bahe.
Way down yonder in Pasquotank.
The' hullfrogs jump from hank to hank. Sugar Bahe.
2 Some folks sav that niggers don't steal. Sugar Bahe ;
Some folks say that niggers don't steal. Sugar Bahe.
Some folks say that niggers don't steal.
But I caught seven in my cornfield, Sugar liahe.
-----------------
435
The Dummy Line
'The Dummy Line.' Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Turkey Creek,
Buncombe county. No date given. The singer told this writer he had known
the song given below since 1898. In 1925 he gave it to Professor Gordon.
For a similar beginning of the chorus cf. Ill 226, No. 189; also TNFS 244-5.
F-404
Some folks say that a dum-my can't run, Sug - ax Babe;
Some folks say — a dum - my can't run, Sug - ar Babe.
Git on the dum-my, did- n't have no mon-ey; They
hit me on the head with two by four
Not a - goin' to ride on the dum - my no more.
Sug- ar Babe. — Way down yon-der in Pas - quo - tank-
Sug- ar Babe; Way down yon - der in Pas - quo - tank,-
Sug- ar Babe. Way down yon - der in Pas - quo - tank,- The
bull frogs jump from bank to bank, Sug - ar Babe. —
Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: (abaiba^a^a^b)
(abaiba^a^b) (2,1,2,1,2,2,2,2,2,1,2,1,2,2,2), a rather complicated structure. aV
a2,a^, and a^ are considerable modifications of a, but as the second 'Stollen'
needs only to be similar to the first, the only feasible over-all form is a com-
pound : mm^n (3,3,8) plus m^m^o (3,3,6) = bar plus bar. The beginning
of the second 'epode,' which concludes the chorus, is the same as that of the
second 'Stollen' preceding it. Throughout, the same motive ("Sugar Babe")
constitutes the ending of both strophes and antistrophes as well as epodes.
In the over-all form, o is related to n.