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Clear the Kitchen/Clar de Kitchen/ Clare de Kitchen
American, Song tune and Reel.
ARTIST: Additional verses in Ford (1940, pg. 407). Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; pg. 105. Brown Collection; Scarborough
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes;
DATE: 1832;
RECORDING INFO: Clare De Kitchen
2nd South Carolina String Band
OTHER NAMES: Clare De Kitchen
SOURCES: Listed in Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc). Additional verses in Ford (1940, pg. 407). Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; pg. 105. Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p105a; Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p407.
NOTES: D Major. Standard. One part.(Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc). "Clar de Kitchen" was the title of a popular dance song of African-American minstrel comic T.D. Rice. In "Clar de Kitchen," a fragmentary bird and animal fable appears with triumph for the African-American submerged and disguised:
A jaybird sot on a hickory limb,
He winked at me and I winked at him,
I picked up a stone and I hit his shin,
Says he, you better not do that agin.
A bullfrog dressed in soger's close
Went in de field to shoot some crows,
De crows smell powder an' fly away,
De bullfrog mighty mad dat day.
Clearly the second verse is the source for the lyrics collected by Ford in and published in 1940.
LYRICS FROM FORD's COLLECTION:
A bull-frog dress'd in soldier's clothes,
Went out in the field to shoot some crows.
The crows smell powder and fly away,
That bull-frog mighty mad that day.
Wiki: "Clare de Kitchen" is an American song from the blackface minstrel tradition. It dates to 1832, when blackface performers such as George Nichols, Thomas D. Rice, and George Washington Dixon began to sing it. These performers and American writers such as T. Allston Brown traced the song's origins to black riverboatsmen.[1] "Clare de Kitchen" became very popular, and performers sometimes sang the lyrics of "Blue Tail Fly" to its tune.
Musicologist Dale Cockrell sees echoes of European mumming traditions in "Clare de Kitchen". In traditional mumming plays, the participants first entered a private household. One mummer, usually with a broom and sometimes with blackened face, would then clear an area and declare the space to now be public, for the use of the players.[2] "Clare de Kitchen", Cockrell argues, moves this public/private space to the theatre.[3] The first verse reflects this relationship to mumming:
In old Kentuck in de arternoon,
We sweep de floor wid a bran new broom,
And dis de song dat we do sing,
Oh! Clare de kitchen old folks young folks
Clare de kitchen old folks young folks
Old Virginny never tire.[4]
The line "I wish I was back in old Kentuck" is one of the earliest examples of "I wish I was in" from blackface minstrelsy. This line eventually became the famous "I Wish I Was in Dixie" in 1859.[5]
An alternate set of lyrics, sung by Thomas D. Rice in the mid-1830s, may reflect the input or influence of American blacks. This version features animal characters and trickster figures triumphing over larger animals in the same way that such figures do in African folktales:
A jay bird sot on a hickory limb,
He wink'd at me and I wink'd at him,
I pick'd up a stone and I hit his shin,
Says he you better not do dat agin.
A Bull frog dress'd sogers close,
Went in de field to shoot some crows;
De crows smell powder and fly away,
De Bull frog mighty mad dat day.[6]
ORIGINAL LYRICS: "Clare de Kitchen; or, De Kentucky Screamer" (1832)
Words and Music by Thomas Dartmouth (Daddy) Rice, 1808-1860
[Source: pages 152-153 from"Minstrel Songs, Old and New" (1883)]
1.
In old Kentuck in de arternoon,
We sweep de floor wid a bran new broom,
And arter dat we form a ring,
And dis de song dat we do sing:
CHORUS
Clare de kitchen old folks, young folks,
Clare de kitchen old folks, young folks,
Old Virginny never tire.
2.
I went to de creek, I couldn't git across,
I'd nobody wid me but an old blind horse;
But old Jim Crow came riding by,
Says he, "old feller, your horse will die."
It's
(CHORUS)
3.
My horse fell down upon de spot,
Says he, "don't you see his eyes is sot;"
So I took out my knife and off wid his skin,
And when he comes to life I'll ride him agin.
So
(CHORUS)
4.
A Jay bird sot on a hickery limb,
He wink'd at me and I wink'd at him;
I pick'd up a stone and hit his shin.
Says he, "you better not do that agin."
So
(CHORUS)
5.
A bull frog dress'd in soger's close,
Went in de field to shoot some crows;
De crows smell powder and fly away,
De bull frog mighty mad dat day.
So
(CHORUS)
6.
Den down I went wid Cato Moore,
To see de steamboat come ashore,
Every man for himself, so I picked up a trunk,
"Leff off, said de Captain, "or burn you wid a chunk."
And
(CHORUS)
7.
I hab a sweetheart in dis town,
She wears a yellow striped gown;
And when she walks de street around,
De hollow of her foot make a hole in de ground.
Now
(CHORUS)
8.
Dis love is a ticklish ting you know,
It makes a body feel all over so.
I put de question to coal black Rose,
She as black as ten of spades, and got a lubly flat nose.
So
(CHORUS)
9.
"Go away," says she, "wid your cowcumber shin,
If you come here agin I stick you wid a pin;"
So I turned on my heel and I bid her good bye,
And arter I was gone she began to cry.
So
(CHORUS)
10.
So now I'se up and off you see,
To take a julep sangeree;
I'll sit upon a tater hill,
And eat a little whippoorwill.
So
(CHORUS)
11.
I wish I was back in old Kentuck,
For since I left it I had no luck,
De gals so proud dey won't eat mush,
And when you go to court 'em dey say, O hush!
Its
(CHORUS)
LYRICS FROM BROWN COLLECTION:
413 Clare de Kitchen
S. Foster Damon reprints (Series of Old American Songs No. 16) T. D. Rice's form of this favorite of the minstrel stage of a hundred years ago, from the Harris collection at Brown University. Miss Scarborough also gives it (TNFS 110-11). Damon says that it "is frequently found in the songsters after 1836"; one form of it was printed in Baltimore as early as 1832.
It is essentially a medley of nonsense verses, and as such takes on various elements
in tradition (from which, prohably, it was originally taken up by the minstrel stage). The refrain has been reported from South Carolina (TNFS no), Florida (ibid.), and Illinois (JAFL xxxii 492). The stanza about the old horse is reported from Virginia (TNFS 163-4), Tennessee (JAFL xxvi 123), and Indiana (SSSA 237), and without definite location by Ford (Traditional Music of America 407-8); one about the terrapin and the toad (possum and toad in our text) from Virginia (TNFS 164, 106) and from Ten-
nessee (JAFL XXVI 123).
A. 'Old Jim Crow.' Contributed by Mrs. Emma W. Smith of Salisbury, Rowan county, in 1922. With the tune. The title given is not justified by the text; it is to be explained by the fact that her "Uncle John" is "old Jim Crow" in the Rice version.
1. I saw Uncle John come riding by.
Says I, 'Uncle John, your horse will die.'
'If he does. I'll tan his skin.
If he don't. I'll ride him agin.'
Chorus:Clear the kitchen, old folks, young folks.
Clear the kitchen, old Virginia never tire.
2 As I went up the new-cut road
I spied a possum and a toad.
Every time the toad did jump
The possum dodged behind the stump.
3 The gals are so proud they won't eat mush.
And when I go to court them they say 'Oh hush,'
I wish I was back in old Kentuck,
For since I hove* her here I had no luck.
*unclear what this means; should be: left
B. 'Clear the Kitchen.' Reported in 1914 by Miss Amy Henderson of Worry, Burke county, as "a fragment of an old song.'' Dr. White notes upon the manuscript that these stanzas "belong to the old minstrel repertory." Cf. "Clar de Kitchen.' The Popular Natioinal Songster. and Lucy Neal and Dan Tucker's Delight. . . . Philadelphia: Published by John B. Perry, 1845, pp. 153-4. One stanza of 'Clare de Kitchen' in The Virginia Warbler (Richmond, 1845), p. 92, is similar to stanza 2 in B text.
1. In old Kaintuck in the afternoon
We swep the floor with a brand new broom,
And after that we'd form a ring
And this is the song that we would sing:
Clear the kitchen, old folks, young folks.
Clear the kitchen;
Old Virginny never tire.
2 A bull frog dressed in soldier's clothes
Went to the field to shoot some crows.
The crows smelt the powder and all flew away;
The hull frog mighty mad that day.
Clear the kitchen, old folks, young folks,
Clear the kitchen;
Old Virginny never tire.
OL' VIRGINNY NEVER TIRE
Thereis an old song reported from various states, under several names with differing choruses, but a lively memory with many people. This version was given by Lucy Dickinson Urquhart, of Lynchburg, Virginia, contributed through the kindness of Lois Upshaw, of Dallas, Texas, who wrote down the music.
There is a gal in our town,
She wears a yallow striped gown,
And when she walks the streets aroun',
The hollow of her foot makes a hole in the ground.
Chorus: Old folks, young folks, cl'ar the kitchen, Old folks, young folks, cl'ar the kitchen. Ol' Virginny never tire.
As I was walkin' up the Three Chop Road
I met a terrapin and a toad.
Ev'ry time the toad would jump,
The terrapin dodged behind a stump.
Chorus
This was an old dance-song, which Mrs. Dickinson's grandmother sang, as she had learned it from the slaves. There were various other stanzas, she says. The Three Chop Road is in the outskirts of Richmond, a famous old road, which Mary Johnston mentions in one of her novels.
Edwin Swain, formerly of Florida, reported a different chorus as sung in his state in his boyhood.
Old folks, young folks, cl'ar de kitchen,
Old folks, young folks, cl'ar de kitchen,
Jinny, git yo' hoecake round.
Mr. Dowd and Miss Cohen, of Charleston, South Carolina, say that the Negroes in their state sang this chorus:
OP folks, young folks, cl'ar de kitchen,
For de ol' Virginny reel.
Garnett Eskew, of West Virginia, reports the song under a different title; Dar Was a Gal in our town
Dar was a gal in our town,
She had a yallow, striped gown,
An' ebery time she put her foot down
De hollow of her heel make a hole in de ground.
Chorus: Children, don't get weary,
Children, don't get weary,
Children, don't get weary,
Love come a-trinklin' down.
Jay bird sittin' on a swingin' limb,
He winked at me an' I winked at him.
Picked up a rock an' hit him on de chin.
"Look heah, *feller, don't you do dat agin!"
Chorus
An old version, attributed to T. Rice, goes as follows:
In old Kentuck in de arternoon,
We sweep de floor wid a bran new broom,
And arter dat we form a ring
And dis de song dat we do sing:
Chorus: Oh, clare de kitchen, old folks, young folks,
Clare de kitchen, old folks, young folks,
Old Virginny neber tire.
I went to de creek, I could n't get across,
I'd nobody wid me but an old blind horse;
But old Jim Crow come riding by,
Says he, "Old feller, your horse will die."
Chorus
My horse fell down upon de spot;
Says he, "Don't you see his eyes is sot?"
So I took out my knife and off wid his skin,
And when he comes to life I'll ride him agin.
Chorus
A jay bird sot on a hickory limb,
He winked at me and I winked at him.
I picked up a stone and I hit his shin,
Says he, "You better not do dat agin."
Chorus
A bull frog dressed in sojer's clo'se,
Went in de field to shoot some crows;
De crows smell powder and fly away;
De bull frog mighty mad dat day.
Chorus
Den I went down wid Cato Moore,
To see de steamboat come ashore.
Every man for himself, so I picked up a trunk;
"Left off," said de captain, "or burn you wid a chunk.
Chorus
I hab a sweetheart in dis town,
She wears a yellow striped gown,
And when she walks de streets around,
De hollow of her foot make a hole in de ground.
Chorus
Dis love it is a ticklish thing, you know,
It makes a body feel all over so;
I put de question to coal-black Rose,
She black as ten of spades and got a lubly flat nose.
Chorus
"Go away," said she, "wid your cowcumber shin,
If you come here agin I stick you wid a pin."
So I turn on my heel and I bid her good-bye,
And arter I was gone she began for to cry.
Chorus
So now I'se up and off, you see,
To take a julep sangaree,
I'll sit upon a 'tater hill
And eat a little whippoorwill.
Chorus
I wish I was back in old Kentuck, For since I left it I had no luck; De gals so proud dey won't eat mush, And when you go to court 'em dey say, O hush!
Chorus
Perhaps Rice — if he did compose this version — used an old folk-song as his basis; and certainly there are fragments of various authentic folk-songs in this salmagundi.
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