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C-H-I-C-K-E-N; Dat's The Way to Spell Chicken/Ragtime Chicken Joe/Chicken
Old-time Song; Written by Sidney L. Perrin and Bob Slater, 1902
Note: This is a different song than "Chicken Don't Roost Too High for Me" although a few versions of Chicken (C-H-I-C-K-E-N) include a verse from "Chicken Don't Roost Too High" songs (Mississippi John Hurt).
ARTIST: From Indiana University Sheet Music Collections: DAT'S DE WAY TO SPELL CHICKEN (Sidney L. Perrin and Bob Slater, 1902.) "Sung with great success by Larkins and Patterson, the Smiling Coon and the Octoroon, in 'A Trip to the Jungles.' "
Listen: Len Spencer C-H-I-C-K-EN 1903; Dat’s the way to Spell Chicken
Listen: McGee Brothers C-H-I-C-K-EN
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1902 Bob Cole and J. Rosamund Johnson in 1899; (recording 1924, Henry Whitter) "There is No Chicken That Can Roost Too High For Me" by W.J. Simons, published in 1899. Fred. Lyons “Dem Chickens Roost Too High” C 1887; Dat’s the way to Spell Chicken by Sidney L. Perrin and Bob Slater, 1902;
RECORDING INFO: Uncle Tom Collins, "Chicken, You Can't Roost Too High for Me" (OKeh 45140, 1927) Dixie String Band, "Chicken Don't Roost Too High for Me" (Puritan 9160, n.d. but prob. c. 1926) Georgia Potlickers, "Chicken, Don't Roost Too High" (Brunswick 595, 1932; rec. 1930) Earl Johnson & his Clodhoppers, "They Don't Roost Too High for Me" (OKeh 45223, 1928; on Cornshuckers2) Riley Puckett, "Chicken Don't Roost Too High for Me" (Columbia 150-D, 1924) Uncle Tom Collins, "Chicken Can't Roost Too High for Me" (OKeh 45140, 1927) Henry Whitter, "Chicken Don't Roost Too High for Me" (OKeh 40077, 1924) Jones, Grandpa. 24 Great Country Songs, King 967, LP (1975), trk# A.04 [1950] McClung Brothers. West Virginia Hills. Early Recordings from West Virginia, Old Homestead OHCS 141, LP (1982), 9 [1927/03/07] (Chicken, [Oh Chicken]) Webb, Bob; and Craig Edwards. Cluck Old Hen, Richmond Webb RWA 4303, CD (2004), trk# 13 (Mister Chicken) "Ragtime Chicken Joe" by "Fiddling Doc Roberts Trio" Conqueror 8566, McGee Brothers (1927), Kirk McGee (1927), Asa Martin (1933 under the title 'Ragtime Chicken Joe' and Tobacco Tags (1939 under the title 'De Way to Spell Chicken'.
RELATED TO: C-H-I-C-K-E-N; Dem Chickens Roost Too High
OTHER NAMES: Rooster Don't Roost to High for Me; Dem Chickens Roost Too High; There Is No Chicken That Can Roost Too High for Me; Ragtime Chicken Joe;
SOURCES: BrownIII 434, "Chicken" (1 short text) Roud #11777; E.C Perrow;
NOTES: “Dat’s the way to Spell Chicken” by Sidney L. Perrin and Bob Slater, 1902 is the source of Ragtime Chicken Joe/C-H-I-C-K-E-N versions. Many versions, like "Ragtime Chicken Joe" by "Fiddling Doc Roberts Trio" Conqueror 8566, add the “Chicken don’t roost too high” verse, combining the two songs. The McGee version was called "C-H-I-C-K-E-N Spells Chicken", and it appears on collection "Sam McGee Complete Works 1926-1934" CD Document 8036, 1999. It was also recorded by Mississippi John Hurt (as "C-H-I-C-K-E-N Blues" also with a verse from “Chicken don’t roost too high”), the Red Clay Ramblers, Tom Paxton, and Van Dyke Parks. One version by John Hurt includes the chorus only. The other recording that includes a verse ("Chicken, don't you roost too high for me") is played in the key of C.
Fred. Lyons wrote “Dem Chickens Roost Too High” c 1887, which is a different song that introduces the “Chicken roost too high” lyrics.
“Chicken Don’t Roost Too High for Me,” is listed by Meade as written by Bob Cole and J. Rosamund Johnson in 1899. According to Saints and Songsters by Paul Oliver "There is No Chicken That Can Roost Too High For Me" by W.J. Simons, was published in 1899. To what extent the 1887 “Dem Chickens Roost Too High” version had an influence on these subsequent versions is unknown.
Here are the lyrics to "Dat's The Way to Spell Chicken":
DAT'S DE WAY TO SPELL CHICKEN (Sidney L. Perrin and Bob Slater, 1902.)
"Sung with great success by Larkins and Patterson, the Smiling Coon and the Octoroon, in 'A Trip to the Jungles.' "
Listen: Len Spencer C-H-I-C-K-EN 1903; Dat’s the way to Spell Chicken
1. In the little country schoolhouse, where de little darkies go,
There is a little picanninny by de name of Ragtime Joe.
Now, when it comes to spelling, his ragtime brain works fast.
He's de only well learned scholar dat holds down his own class.
One day de teacher call his class to spell one sort of bird.
Dat kind of bird was chickens, and they could not spell de word;
So de teacher called on Ragtime Joe to spell dat word to them.
He didn't hesitate a bit. This is how he began:
CHORUS: C, dat's de way to begin.
H, dat's de next letter in.
I, dat am de third.
C, dat's to season de word.
K, dat's a-filling in.
E, I'm near de end.
C-H-I-C-K-E-N,
Dat's de way to spell chicken.
2. Parson Johnson gave a concert in de old church-house one night.
He hired himself a lots of talent dat could sing and could recite;
And when they pulled de curtain, ev'rything went wrong, you know,
Till one darkey loudly yelled, "Let's hear from Ragtime Joe."
He sang a ragtime new coon song, but it did not take so well.
He said, "I've went afrost on dat. I guess I'll have to spell."
Then he told the audience dat he had composed a chicken song,
And when he spelled these words to them, he took de house by storm.
CHORUS
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