Down the Road
Traditional Old-Time Breakdown and Song- Southeast US
ARTIST: Sung by J. L. Goree, Houston, Tex. From Lomax 1939 Field Recording;
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes; DATE: Early 1900’s
RECORDING INFO: Flatt & Scruggs- Country Music/Mercury 6211, 1949; Tony Rice - The Bluegrass Album Volume 3; Family Apostalic. Family Apostalic, Vanguard VSD 79301/2, LP (1969), cut# 1; Greenbriar Boys. Greenbriar Boys, Vanguard VRS-9104, LP (196?), cut#A.07; Grey, Sara. Back in the Airly Days, Waterbug WBG 0044, CD (1998), cut#20; Jenkins, Oren. American Banjo, Folkways FA 2314, LP (1966), cut# 9; Park, Ray. Fiddletown, Sierra SR4214, LP (1982), cut# 8; Seeger, Mike. American Fogies. Vol. 2, Rounder 0389, CD (1996), cut#25; Marion, Carlie. Going Across the River to Hear my Banjo Ring, Marimac 9018, Cas (1988), cut# 10
RELATED TO: “Ida Red,” “Over the Road I’m Bound To Go,” "Letter from Down the Road," "On the Road Again," "Kassie Jones," (Furry Lewis's version); Over the Woods and Through the Snow;
OTHER NAMES: “Down the Road Just a Mile or Two,” “Ida Red,”
SOURCES: Cohen/Seeger/Wood, pp. 208-209, "Over the Road I'm Bound"
NOTES: Part of the “Ida Red/Over the Road I’m Bound To Go/Feather Bed” group of songs. For detailed notes see “Ida Red.”
LYRICS:
I went home to my supper last night,
I looked in de winder, didn' see no light.
I went to de do' an' de do' was shut,
I looked in de yard an' I looked in de lot.
Under de house an' all aroun',
But my gal Hannah jes' coudn' be foun'.
I axed de neighbors to see if dey knowed,
Dey said de las' time dey seed her she was down de road.
I got a purty gal down de road, down de road,
Purty gal down de road.
She sees to my washin' an' paid my boa'd,
I got a purty gal down de road,
Purty gal down de road, down de road
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