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Cold Rain and Snow
Traditional Old-Time Breakdown and Song- North Carolina, Virginia, US.
ARTIST: Version by the Grateful Dead- first performed 3-25-66 in Trouper’s Club LA, CA.
Listen: Obray Ramsey; Rain and Snow
Listen: Grateful Dead; Cold Rain and Snow; Winterland 1977
Listen: Buell Kazee; Sporting Bachelors
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes. DATE: Early 1900’s;
RECORDING INFO: Rain and Snow
Arkansas Sheiks. Whiskey Before Breakfast, Bay 204, LP (1975), cut# 6;
Mill Run Dulcimer Band. Sweet Songs from Yesterday, Mill Run MRDB 103, LP (1984), cut#B.05;
Fiddle Puppets (sung by Amy Sarli) "Lift Up Your Wings and Fly;"
Grateful Dead. "Cold Rain and Snow," "The Music Never Stopped: Roots of the Grateful Dead" (Shanachie 6014);
British group Pentangle from "A Maid That's Deep in Love;"
Tom Constanten : Nightfall Of Diamonds (1992)
RECORDING INFO: Sporting Bachelors [Me II-C 3]
Rt - Rain and Snow ; Never Be As Fast As I Have Been
Lomax, John & Alan / Best Loved American Folk Songs (Folk Song USA), Grosset & Dunlap, Bk (GroD), # 14
Kazee, Buell. Buell Kazee, June Appal JA 009, LP (1977), trk# 8 [1969]
Kazee, Buell. Mountain Frolic. Rare Old Timey Classics; 1924-37, JSP 77100A-D, CD (2007), trk# B.13 [1927/04/21]
OTHER NAMES: "Sporting Bachelors" “Rain and Snow;” "Never Be As Fast As I Have Been"
RELATES TO: "Nine Hundred Miles" songs: "Reuben's Train," such as the Grayson/Whitter "Train 45"; and “One Hundred Miles” by Flatt and Scruggs.
SAME OR SIMILAR LYRICS AS: “Red Apple Juice;” “Red Rocking Chair;” “Sugar Baby;” “Honey Babe Blues;” “Ain’t Got No Honey Baby Now;” “I Ain’t Got No Honey Baby Now;” “Pay Day;” “Storms Are on the Ocean, The”
SOURCES: The earliest version of “Rain and Snow” is found in Sharp and Karpeles' 'English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians', #116 (with a tune) as sung by Mrs. Tom Rice at Big Laurel, NC Aug. 18, 1916. In 1963 Obray Ramsay recording on PRESTIGE/INTERNATIONAL 13020, 'Folksongs from the Three Laurels' [Listen: Obray Ramsey]. Ramsay’s version has been reissued on Shanachie: Roots of the Grateful Dead Various Artists (Released 10/17/95). The Grateful Dead versions are based on Ramsay’s and perhaps was influenced by Peter Rowan, who sang “Rain and Snow” with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys in the mid 60’s. The Dead have recorded many live versions of “Cold Rain and Snow” plus one instrumental. [Listen: Grateful Dead]
Ballad Index: Rain and Snow
DESCRIPTION: Singer's wife gives him trouble, runs him "out in the cold rain and snow." She comes downstairs combing her hair, saying she'll no longer be mistreated; he kills her (, lays out the body, then trembles with cold fear)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: Early 1960s (recording, Obray Ramsay)
KEYWORDS: marriage violence crime murder corpse death wife
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
Roud #3634
RECORDINGS:
Dillard Chandler, "Rain and Snow" (on Chandler01)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Nine Hundred Miles" (tune)
cf. "Reuben's Train" (tune)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Cold Rain and Snow
Notes: The liner notes to Chandler's recording lump this with "Sporting Bachelors." I demur; that's a humorous cautionary tale, while this is a tragedy. - PJS
It seems to me I've heard this done with a somewhat humorous twist, but certainly it's a distinct song. - RBW
RAIN AND SNOW- Mrs. Tom Rice at Big Laurel, NC Aug. 18, 1916
Lord! I married me a wife,
She gave me trouble all of my life;
Made me work in the cold rain and snow.
Rain and snow, rain and snow
Made me work in the cold rain and snow.
NOTES: The Greatful Dead first performed this traditional song on 3-25-66 in Trouper’s Club LA, CA. It became part of their "live" shows and was also included several times on their studio albums. Their version is based on Obray Ramsey's which was recorded 3 years earlier.
Rain and Snow, is closely related to "Sporting Bachelors," which was recorded in 1927 by Buell Kazee [Listen: Buell Kazee]. Whitter and Grayson recorded a related version titled "Never Been as Fast as I have Been" in 1929. A more complete recording of the lyrics was made from the singing of Dillard Chandler in 1977 who titled his song, "Rain and Snow."
NEVER BE AS FAST AS I HAVE BEEN
(Grayson and Whitter)
Come all you young men and warning take by me
Never be as fast as I have been
For I married me a wife, she's been the ruin of my life
Makes me strive and do all that I can
Makes me strive and do all that I can
Six days of the week do I labor for my bread
She says three of them shall be hers
She yips and she squalls and she swears she'll have them all
She says she must be maintained, maintained
She says she must be maintained
She dresses me in rags, the very worst of rags
While she dresses like a lady so fine
She marches to town by day and by night
With a gentleman who drinks wine, drinks wine
With a gentleman who drinks wine
So now come, death, and take away her breath
And give me back my freedom once more
For I spend all my days in the hating of her ways
And I swear I'll never marry any more, any more
I swear I'll never marry any more
The relationship of “Cold Rain and Snow” with the “Red Apple Juice/Ain’t Got No Use/Sugar Baby/ Honey Babe Blues/Red Rocking Chair” group appears to be mainly through lyrics. This is another “white blues” from the same general region of the Appalachians that both Boggs and Poole lyrics sprang.
A close tie with “Cold Rain and Snow” are the "Nine Hundred Miles" songs: "Reuben's Train," such as the Grayson/Whitter "Train 45"; and “One Hundred Miles” by Flatt and Scruggs. Both the meter, chords and lyrics are similar.
COLD RAIN AND SNOW- Grateful Dead 1977
Listen: Grateful Dead; Cold Rain and Snow; Winterland 1977
Well I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life
Run me out in the cold rain and snow
Rain and snow, run me out in the cold rain and snow
Well she's coming down the stairs, combin' back her yellow hair
And I ain't goin be treated this ol' way.
This ol’ way, ain’t gonna be treated this ol’ way.
Well she went up to her room where she sang her fateful tune,
And I'm goin where those chilly winds don`t blow.
Winds don’t blow, I’m goin’ where those chilly winds don’t blow.
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