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BEANS, BACON AND GRAVY (Melody of “Jesse James/Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane”)
Old-Time, Song Tune. Words Traditional; Music by William Shakespeare Hays, 1837-1907
ARTIST: Pete Seeger;
Listen: Pete Seeger- Beans Bacon and Gravy 1956
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: (Little Old Log Cabin-1871)
RECORDING INFO: Beans, Bacon and Gravy
Sm - Jesse James
Fowke, Edith & Joe Glazer (eds.) / Songs of Work and Protest, Dover, Sof (1973/1960), p132
Seeger, Pete; and Bob Reiser (eds.) / Carry It On!, Simon & Schuster, Sof (1985), p132 Silverman, Jerry / Folk Guitar - Folk Song, Scarborough Book, Sof (1983/1977), p162
Greenway, John / American Folksongs of Protest, Perpetua, Sof (1960/1953), p 64
Houston, Cisco. Cisco Houston Sings Songs of the Open Road, Folkways FA 2480, LP (1960), trk# B.04
Jones, Clark. Early American Folk Music & Songs, Folkways FTS 31091, LP (1982), trk# 10
Seeger, Pete. American Industrial Ballads, Folkways FH 5251, LP (1956), trk# B.05
Yarrow, Peter. Hard Times, Warner BS 2860, LP (1975), trk# A.03
RECORDING INFO Little Old Log Cabin: Carson, Fiddlin' John. Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's Gonna Crow, Rounder 1003, LP (1987), cut# 1. Clark, Carroll C.. Minstrels and Tunesmiths, JEMF 109, LP (1981), cut#B.07. George, Franklin/Frank. Swope's Knobs, Anachronistic 001, LP (1977), cut#3.07a. Kincaid, Bradley. Mountain Ballads and Old Time Solos. Album Number Six, Bluebonnet BL 123, LP (1963), cut#A.01. Mainer, Wade. Old Time Banjo Tunes, Old Homestead OHS-90168, LP (1984), cut#A.01 (Little Log Cabin in/by the Lane). Pegram, George. Union Grove, The Hub of the Universe, Union Grove SS-4, LP (1970), cut# 3. Pegram, George. George Pegram, Rounder 0001, LP (1970), cut# 3. Pegram, George. O Love Is Teasin', Elektra BLP-12051, LP (1985), cut#1.14 . Possum Hunters. Death on Lee Highway, Takoma A-1010, LP (196?), cut# 2 (Little Log Cabin in/by the Lane). Seeger, Peggy. Our Singing Heritage. Vol I, Elektra EKL-151, LP (195?), cut# 3. Tennessee River Boys. Good Old Mountain Music, Cumberland MGC 29505, LP (196?), cut# 1 (Log Cabin in the Lane); Houston, Cisco. Cisco Houston Sings Songs of the Open Road, Folkways FA 2480 (Beans Bacon and Gravy), LP (1960), cut#B.04 Jones, Clark. Early American Folk Music Music & Songs, Folkways FTS 31091, LP (1982), cut# 10;Seeger, Pete. American Industrial Ballads, Folkways FH 5251, LP (1956), cut#B.05
OTHER NAMES:
RELATED MELODY: "The Little Old Cabin In the Lane" "Jesse James" "Hungry Hash House (Blues);" "Fiddle and Bow;" "Little Joe, the Wrangler"
SOURCES: Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p281
NOTES: "Beans, Bacon and Gravy" is a parody of the song "Jesse James." The song comes from the depression era, mentioning Hoover in the 3rd verse [Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st President of the United States (1929–1933)]. No one knows the author of the lyrics.
The meolody closely resembles the song "Jesse James" which is based on an earlier similar melody: "The Little Old Cabin In the Lane." Written and published in 1871 by a Kentucky riverman turned vaudeville songwriter, Will Hayes, "Little Old Cabin" is a popular melody which has spawned a number of parodies and has been used for the songs: Hungry Hash House (Blues); Fiddle and Bow; Little Joe, the Wrangler.
Here's some info about "Little Old Cabin In the Lane":
The song was recorded in October, 1925 for Edison by Fiddlin' Cowan Powers and Family, who had waxed an earlier version for Victor, in August, 1924 (though for that particular side the Victor company brought in Carson Robison to perform the vocal). The piece was first released in 1923, however, when Fiddlin' John Carson's (north Georgia) version became the second best-selling country music record for that year. Yet another performance, Ernest Stoneman's, made the charts that decade, in 1926 when his version became the fifth best-selling country music record.
BEANS, BACON AND GRAVY- Pete Seeger
Listen: Pete Seeger- Beans Bacon and Gravy 1956
I was born long ago,
In eighteen ninety-four.
I've seen many a panic, I will own,
I've been hungry, I've been cold,
And now I'm growing old.
But the worst I've seen is nineteen thirty-one.
CHORUS: Oh, those beans, bacon and gravy,
They almost drive me crazy,
I eat them, till I see them in my dreams (in my dreams).
When I wake up each morning
And another day is dawning,
I know I'll have another mess of beans.
We congregate each morning
At the county barn at dawning,
And everyone is happy, so it seems.
But when our work is done
We file in one by one,
And thank the Lord for one more mess of beans.
CHORUS:
We've Hooverized on butter,
For milk we've only water,
And I haven't seen a steak in many a day.
For cakes and pies and jellies
We substitute sow bellies,
For which we work the county road each day.
CHORUS:
If there ever comes a time
When I have more than a dime,
They will have to put me under lock and key.
For they've been broke so long
I can only sing this song
Of the workers and their misery.
CHORUS:
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