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Get Up John
Public Domain, Old-Time Gospel;
ARTIST: Bluegrass Messengers
YOUTUBE: Cascade Mountain Boys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTA5l6Zt4n8
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
DATE: Early 1900's; 1909 as Casey Jones (copyright) early 1960s as Sleepy Eyed John;
RECORDING INFO: Get Up John- Instrumental version attributed to Bill Monroe
Rt - Sleepy Eyed John
Crary, Dan. Guitar, Sugar Hill SH 3730, LP (1983), trk# B.03a
Dr. Corn's Bluegrass Remedy. It'll Tickle Your Innards, Grassroots GR 004, LP (1977), trk# A.08
Monroe, Bill; and Doc Watson. Bill and Doc, Sonyatone FEN-210, LP (197?), trk# 1
Sawyer, Crystle
Sidesaddle. Daylight Train, Turquoise TR 5080, Cas (1991), trk# 7
Wakefield, Frank. Frank Wakefield with Country Cooking, Rounder 0007, LP (1972), trk# A.01
OTHER NAMES: "John The Baptist"
RELATED TO: Casey Jones; Sleepy Eyed John
SOURCES: Folk Index; Mudcat Discussion Forum
NOTES: The instrumental version of "Get Up John" is attributed to Bill Monroe who played the tune as a mandolin solo. The tune and melody are directly related to the traditional Sleepy Eyed John which was in the repertoire of Ray Alden and also Greenbriar Boys (1960's). [Greenbriar Boys. Newport Folk Festival 1964. Evening Concerts, Vol. 2, Vanguard VSD 79185, LP (1965), trk# B.07]
The chorus of both Sleepy Eyed John and Get Up John are based on the Casey Jones (Copyright 1909 Words, T. Lawrence Seibert. Music, Eddie Newton):
CASEY JONES
CHORUS: Casey Jones! mounted to the cabin.
Casey Jones! with his orders in his hand.
Casey Jones! mounted to the cabin
And he took his farewell trip to that Promised Land.
Compare to Sleepy Eyed John:
SLEEPY EYED JOHN (Chorus)
Sleepy eyed John, better get your britches on
Sleepy eyed John, better tie your shoes
Sleepy eyed John, better get your britches on
Try to get to heaven 'fore the devil gets you.
Compare to Get Up John:
GET UP JOHN (Chorus)
CHORUS: (John) you've been chosen
(John) go unafraid
(John) I'll go with you
John The Baptist, this is the day
At some point lyrics were added and appeared on an Emmy Lou Harris recording and other recordings (Cyrstel Sawyer's). See Cascade Mountain Boys youtube version (link above). The source of the lyrics is unknown.
The melody (insrumental) of Get Up John is in the mixolydian mode (flat 7th) with frequent use of the flat 3rd (F natural) and is usually played in the key of D (Monroe). Some banjo version use a capo at the 7th fret (Skaggs-Kentucky Thunder) and use G patterns.
GET UP JOHN- Bluegrass Messengers version
[Instrumental] chords: D/D/D/AD//
[D]Get up John, go down to Jordan
Get up John, pre [A]pare the [D]way
Man from Galilee is waitin'
You must meet him [A]there to [D]day.
Get up John, go tell my people
This will be a [A]Holy [D]day
Tell them of the Jew that's waiting
That the Saviour's [A]on the [D]way.
CHORUS: (John) you've been chosen
(John) go [A]una-[D]fraid
(John) I'll go with you
John The Bap[D7]tist......., this [A]is the [D]day
[Instrumental]
Get up John and tell Jersualem
The Savior's waiting by the shore
Baptize Him in the River Jordan
I'll send the dove to Heaven's door
Well get up John your work is finished
Daylight breaks the soldiers come
You will die for me tomorrow
Welcome home your race is run
CHORUS: (John) you've been chosen
(John) go unafraid
(John) I'll go with you
John The Baptist, this is the day
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