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Bell Cow, The/Old Bell Cow
Traditional Old-Time Reel; Pa.
ARTIST: Southwestern Pa. fiddler James Taylor
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1880s- Early 1900’s (1927 published- Ethel Park Richardson) (1929 recorded Dixie Crackers)
Listen: New Lost City Ramblers- Old Bell Cow
RECORDING INFO: Bell Cow
At - Fare Thee Well Sweet Killaroe
Uf - Russian (Roosian) Rabbit
Hartford, John. Wild Hog in the Red Brush, Rounder 0392, CD (1996), trk# 1 (Squirrel Hunters)
Indian Creek Delta Boys. Indian Creek Delta Boys, Davis Unlimited DU 33029, LP (1976), trk# 12
RECORDING INFO: The Old Bell Cow [Me II-AA34]
Richardson, Ethel Park / American Mountain Songs, Greenberg, Bk (1927/1955), p 98 (Bell Cow)
Dixie Crackers. Paramount Old Time Recordings, JSP 7774A-D, CD( (2006), trk# A.11 [1929/01]
Dornfield, Bernstein, and Murphy. Ways of the World, Foxglove FG 9801, CD (1998), trk# 3a
New Lost City Ramblers. Cohen, John, Mike Seeger & Hally Wood / Old Time String Band Songbook, Oak, Sof (1976/1964), p110
Rutherford, Enoch; and the Gold Hill Band. Old Cap'n Rabbit, Heritage (Galax) 080, Cas (1989), trk# 19
Schwarz, Tracy and Eloise. Down Home, Folkways FTS 31052, LP (1978), trk# B.07
Wheeler, Carol Ann. Joy of Fiddling, American Heritage 401-532, LP (198?), trk# 10b
OTHER NAMES: "The Squirrel Hunters," "Squirrel Hunting," "Fare Thee Well Sweet Killaroe," "Roosian Rabbit."
SOURCES: Bayard- Dance to the Fiddle; Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc.
NOTES: Known alternately as "Bell Cow" or usually "Old Bell Cow", Andrew Kuntz has two listings for this tune. The tune is related to "Roosian Rabbit" and "The Squirrel Hunters" or "Squirrel Hunting."
Traditional Ballad Index: Old Bell Cow
DESCRIPTION: Humorous description of a cow that's difficult to milk: "Went down to the cornfield to pick a mess of beans, Along come the bell cow a-pecking at the greens." "Some of these days when I learn how, I'm gonna milk that old bell cow."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1929 (recording, Dixie Crackers)
KEYWORDS: farming work humorous animal
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Cohen/Seeger/Wood, pp. 110-111, "Old Bell Cow" (1 text, 1 tune)
RECORDINGS:
Dixie Crackers, "The Old Bell Cow" (Paramount 3151, 1929; on CrowTold01)
New Lost City Ramblers, "The Old Bell Cow" (on NLCR10) (NLCR16)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Bell Cow
NOTES: It has long been a custom to tie a bell around a cow's neck so she can be found easily. - PJS
Notes Kuntz- Bell Cow II: Bayard (1981) collected this tune from southwestern Pa. fiddler James Taylor who stated this was the name for this tune around the town of Rogersville, Greene County, Pa.
Taylor supplied this rhyme, sung with the tune:
I had a little dog, and Spotty was his name,
And he used to run the bell cow up and down the lane.
I fed her in the mush pot and milked her in the pail,
And away went the bell cow, stickin' up her tail.
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