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Ain’t No Bugs On Me
Old-time; bluegrass breakdown, very widely known
ARTIST: Lyrics from Mudcat DT
Listen: J. E. Mainer
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1928 (recording, Fiddlin' John Carson)
RECORDING INFO: 1. Carson, Fiddlin' John. Folk Music in America, Vol.11, Songs of Humor & Hilarity, Library of Congress LBC-11, LP (1978), trk# B.09 [1934/02/28] 2. New Lost City Ramblers. Cohen, John, Mike Seeger & Hally Wood / Old Time String Band Songbook, Oak, Sof (1976/1964), p226
RECORDING INFO “Aint Gonna Rain No Mo”: 3. Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p175 [1938] (It Ain't Gonna/Gonner Rain No More) 4. Sandburg, Carl / American Songbag, Harcourt Brace Jovan..., Sof (1955/1928), p141 5. Scott, John Anthony (ed.) / Ballad of America, Grosset & Dunlap, Bk (1967), p212 (T'ain't Gonna Rain (No More)) 6. Visconti, Carl (ed.) / Paint Creek Folklore Society Song Tune Book, Paint Creek, Sof (1986), p 1 (It Ain't Gonna/Gonner Rain No More) 7. Fields, Arthur; & Fred Hall (eds.) / 50 Favorite "Get Together" Songs, Piedmont Music, sof (1933), #29 (It Ain't Gonna/Gonner Rain No More) 8. Home Spun Songs, Treasure Chest, Sof (1935), p43 9. Brand, Oscar. Absolute Nonsense, Riverside RLP 12-825, LP (195?), trk# B.09 10. Brehm, Louise. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., University of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p370/#557 [1935/07/07] 11. Cannon, Gus. Walk Right In, Stax SCD-8603-2, CD (1999), trk# 8 [1963/06/10] 12. Gaster, Marvin. Uncle Henry's Favorites, Rounder 0382, CD (1996), trk# 9 (It Ain't Gonna/Gonner Rain No More) 13. Golden Gate Quartet. Folk Music Radio, Radiola MR 1133, LP (1982), trk# B.02 14. Hall, Wendall. Minstrels and Tunesmiths, JEMF 109, LP (1981), trk# B.09 [1923/10/12] (It Ain't Goin' to Rain No More) 15. Howard, Clint; and Fred Price. Ballad of Finley Preston, Rounder 0009, LP (1972), trk# 4 16. Lipscomb, Mance. Garwood, Donald / Masters of Instrumental Blues Guitar, Oak, Fol (1967), p54 17. Lipscomb, Mance. Texas Sharecropper and Songster, Arhoolie F 1001, LP (1961), trk# A.06 [1960] 18. Parish, Roscoe. Old-Time Tunes from Coal Creek, Heritage (Galax) 005, LP (1975/field), trk# 4 [1970s?] 19. Snipes, John. Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia, Smithsonian SF 40079, CD (1998), trk# 15 20. Thompson, Joe. Family Tradition, Rounder 2161, CD (1999), trk# 2 (It Ain't Gonna/Gonner Rain No More) 21. Unidentified Group of Eight Girls. Alabama. From Lullabies to the Blues, Rounder 1829-2, CD (2001), trk# 21 [1934/10ca]
RELATED TO: Song of (the) States; Song of Song Titles
OTHER NAMES: There Ain’t No Bugs on Me; Ain't Gonna Rain No More;"Ain't Got to Cry No More"
SOURCES: Cohen/Seeger/Wood, p. 226, "Ain't No Bugs on Me" (1 text, 1 tune) Silber-FSWB, p. 244, "There Ain't No Bugs On Me" (1 text) Randolph 557, "Ain't Going to Rain No More" (1 short text, 1 tune); also perhaps 275, "The Crow Song" (the "D" fragment might be this piece); Randolph/Cohen, pp. 409-410, "Ain't Going to Rain No More" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 557); BrownIII 430, "Ain't Gonna Rain No More" (5 short texts); Scarborough-NegroFS, p. 107, "'Tain't Gwine Rain No Mo'" (1 text, 1 tune); also p. 108 (no title) (1 text; the chorus at least goes here though the verses may be from a rabbit-hunting song); Sandburg, p. 141, "Ain't Gonna Rain" (1 short text, 1 tune); Scott-BoA, pp. 212-213, "T'ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'" (1 text, 1 tune) Fuld-WFM, p. 307, "It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'"
NOTES: Fiddlin' John Carson reworked “Ain’t Gonna Rain No More” changing the title and lyrics. The resulting song, "Ain't No Bugs on Me" was recorded on OKeh 45259 by Carson in 1928. He later recorded it with Moonshine Kate on Bluebird 5652 in 1934
“A popular version of this piece was published in 1923 as by Wendell W. Hall. Even the cover, however, admits that it was an "old southern melody" -- and since we have traditional versions at least from 1925, there is little doubt that the song is traditional-RBW”
Many of the verses sung to “Ain’t No Bugs On Me” are from Wendell W. Hall’s “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’.” It was his biggest hit eventually selling over two million copies.
“In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan attained great influence in the Southeast and Midwest; it took a certain courage to make fun of them in public. Also in the 1920s, the Scopes trial turned Darwinian biology into a courtroom circus; Carson vents anti-evolution sentiments in the "monkey" verse (see Version 2). And Billy Sunday was a popular evangelist of the time.” Traditional Ballad Index.
Here are the lyrics to “Ain’t No Bugs On Me”
AIN'T NO BUGS ON ME from Mudcat DT
Well the night was dark and drizzly
And the air was full of sleet
The old man joined the Ku Klux Clan
And ma, she lost her sheet
Oh, there ain't no bugs on me
There ain't no bugs on me
There may be bugs on some of you mugs
But there ain't no bugs on me
Well, the juney bug comes in the month of June
The lightning bug in May
Bed bugs come just any old time
But they're not going to stay
Billy Sunday was a preacher
His church is always full
The neighbors gather from miles around
Just to hear him shoot the bull
Well, the monkey swings by the end of his tail
And jumps from tree to tree
There may be monkeys in some of you guys
But there ain't no monkey in me
The night was dark and dreary
And the air was full of sleet
The old man stood out in the storm
And his shoes were full of feet
(Alternate chorus)
Well there ain't no flies on me
There ain't no flies on me
There may be flies on some of you guys
But there ain't no flies on me
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