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Al Smith for President/Crawdad Song/Baby Mine
Not related to: "Governor Al Smith for President" Carolina Night Hawks Sung to the tune of "Whitehouse Blues"
Old-Time Song and breakdown
ARTIST: J.E. Mainer's "Al Smith For President" based on Uncle Dave Macon's 1928 version
Listen: J. E. Mainer "Al Smith For President"
Listen: Uncle Dave Macon "Governor Al Smith"
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
Listen To: Banjo Pickin Girl- Coon Creek Girls
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1938 First Published as “Baby Mine” Words Charles Mackay; Music Achibald Johnson in 1874.
RECORDING INFO: Governor Al Smith [Me I-C115b] - Macon, Uncle Dave/Traditional
Rm - Crawdad (Song)
Macon, Uncle Dave. Uncle Dave Macon. Early Recordings, County 521, LP (197?), trk# 2 [1928/07/26]
Macon, Uncle Dave. Anthology of American Folk Music, Vol 4, Revenant RVN 211, CD (2004), trk# 2.06 [1928/07/26]
Macon, Uncle Dave. Classic Sides 1924-1938, JSP 7729A-D, CD( (2004), trk# C.18 [1928/07/26]
New Lost City Ramblers. Moonshine and Prohibition, Folkways FH 5263, LP (1962), trk# B.06 (Al Smith for President)
MELODY OF: "Crawdad (Sugar Babe)"
OTHER NAMES: "Governor Al Smith."
RELATED TO: Baby Mine; "New River Train" “I’m Going Back to Jericho”Going round the World Baby Mine; Banjo Pickin’ Girl; Going Round This World; Living on the Mountain Baby Mine; Going Away From Home;
SOURCES: Folk Index;
NOTES: "Al Smith For President" is a cover song by J.E. Mainer of Uncle Dave Macon's 1928 song "Governor Al Smith." There are a couple new verses in Mainer's version. Both songs use the popular Crawdad Song/Going ‘Round the World Baby Mine/Banjo Pickin’ Girl melody which originated from a a popular song “Baby Mine” from the late 1800’s. The song form used in “Baby Mine” published in 1874 as “Baby Mine” with words by Charles Mackay and music by Achibald Johnson is similar to the Captain Kidd/Froggy Went A-Courtin’ family of songs. These songs have a repeated part: ("Oh my name is Captain Kidd, as I sailed, as I Sailed") (Froggy went a courtin’ and he did ride un-huh, un-huh); "Sam Hall" ("My name it is Sam Hall, it is Sam Hall"); the hymn "Wondrous Love" ("Oh, what wondrous love this is, O my soul, O my soul").
There are several bluegrass/folk songs that have evolved from Baby Mine with the “baby mine” tag: "Banjo-Pickin' Girl" and “Crawdad Song.” Sometimes there isn’t a tag “I wish I was a Mole (Tempy)” or the tag has been changed to “sugar babe:”
"I'm Going Back to Jericho" by Dock Walsh
I'm goin' back to Jericho, sugar babe,
I'm goin' back to Jericho, sugar babe,
I'm goin' back to Jericho,
And I'm getting married 'fore I go, Sugar babe.
This is one of two songs about Al Smith; "Governor Al Smith for President" by Carolina Night Hawks is a differnt song sung to the tune of "Whitehouse Blues." Here's some info about Uncle Dave Macon's song:
According to Charles Wolfe: This is another example of Uncle Dave's forays into social commentary. It was written during the 1928 presidential campaign when the Governor of New York, Al Smith, ran on the Democatic ticket against Herbert Hoover. Macon's support seems a little odd given that Smith was a Northerner and a catholic whose core constituency was immigrants groups in the larger cities. However, Smith was opposed to Prohibition and, by this stage, many country people were beginning to believe that Prohibition was doing more harm than good because of poor drink and general disregard for the law. Although he was a genuinely moral and religious man, Uncle Dave didn't mind a drop or two. As Charles Wolfe put it, there was a duality to Uncle Dave (and to many country singers), 'a curious combination of traditional morality (what man should be) and life-embracing gusto (what man is)'. [Quote from Charles Wolfe in 'Stars of Country Music' Ed Bill C. Malone and Judith McCulloh, Urbana, Uni of Illinois Press, 1975, p59].
GOVERNOR AL SMITH- Uncle Dave Macon
(Spoken) Getting' right now
Al Smith nominated for president, darlin'
Al Smith nominated for president, darlin'
Al Smith nominated for president
My vote to him I'm a-gonna present, darlin'
Al Smith is a mighty fine man, darlin'
Al Smith is a mighty fine man, darlin'
Al Smith is a mighty fine man
He wants to be president of our land, darlin'
(Spoken) Hot dog! In Chicago, just from Tennessee and here's what the people say:
Al Smith is a-getting on a boom, darlin'
Al Smith is a-getting on a boom, darlin'
Al Smith is a-getting on a boom
He don't favour the open saloon, darlin'
Smith wants everything to be just right, darlin'
Smith wants everything to be just right, darlin'
Smith wants everything to be just right
The law's gonna get you if you get tight, darlin'
I think I'll buy me a little camphor gum, my darlin'
I think I'll buy me a little camphor gum, my darlin'
I think I'll buy me a little camphor gum
For then I think I can buy a little rum, my darlin'
Moonshine's been here long enough, darlin'
Moonshine's been here long enough,, darlin'
Moonshine's been here long enough
Let's all vote right and get rid of such, darlin'
Many a good man's been poisoned to death, darlin'
Many a good man's been poisoned to death, darlin'
Many a good man's been poisoned to death
And with a real drink was never blessed, darlin'
Four dollar bills and a bottle of beer, darlin'
Four dollar bills and a bottle of beer, darlin'
Four dollar bills and a bottle of beer
I wish to the lord my honey was here, darlin'
Source: transcription of reissue on Uncle Dave Macon 'The Country Music Hall of Fame Series' MCA MCAD-10546. Original issue Brunswick 263, recorded in Chicago, Ill, 26 July 1928.
AL SMITH FOR PRESIDENT- J. E. Mainer
Listen: J. E. Mainer "Al Smith For President"
[Banjo]
Al Smith's runnin' for the president, oh my darlin'
Al Smith's runnin' for the president, oh my darlin'.
Al Smith's runnin' for the president,
To vote to him I'll sure be *present, darlin'
Al Smith is a mighty fine man, my darlin'
Al Smith is a mighty fine man, my darlin'.
Al Smith is a mighty fine man
He wants to be president of this land, oh my darlin'.
[Banjo]
They're gettin' everything all messed up, oh my darlin'
They're gettin' everything all messed up, oh my darlin'
They're gettin' everything all messed up,
The more you earn, you're not makin' enough, my darlin'.
[dobro]
A four dollar bill and a bottle of beer, oh my darlin'
A four dollar bill and a bottle of beer, my darlin'
A four dollar bills and a bottle of beer
I wish to the Lord my honey was here, oh mydarlin'
They're getting ready, and ready to go, oh my darlin'
They're getting ready, and ready to go, my darlin'
They're getting all ready, and ready to go
An what they'll stop for nobody knows, my darlin'
[banjo]
They're gettin' our taxes, and they're gettin too high, my darlin,
They're gettin' our taxes, and they're gettin too high, my darlin,
They're gettin' our taxes, and they're gettin too high,
How in the world are we gonna get by, oh my darlin'?
[banjo- ending]
*there
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