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Bell Cow, The
Traditional Old-Time Reel; Pa.; Southeast
ARTIST: From Sing out, Volume 17
Listen: New Lost City Ramblers- Old Bell Cow
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes;
DATE: 1800s- Early 1900’s (1927 published- Ethel Park Richardson) (1929 recorded Dixie Crackers)
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.
Here is the version from Sing out, Volume 17:
OLD BELL COW
CHORUS: Some of these days when I learn how,
I'm gonna milk that old bell cow
The milk ain't whipped and the butter ain't fat,
The bell cow just ate my best hat.
Went down to the cornfield to pick a mess of beans
A long come the bell cow a-pecking at the greens.
The old bell cow, I milked her in a gourd,
I sold my milk and bought me a Ford.
Way down yonder in Arkansas
The bell cow whipped her mammy-in-law
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