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Great Big Taters in the Sandy Land
Traditional Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi..
ARTIST: From Ford.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes. DATE: Early 1900’s (1934 Lomax version)
OTHER NAMES: "Great Big Taters;" "Sandyland;" "Raise Big Taters in Sandy Land;" "Steve's Tune;" "Big Taters in Sandy Land;"
RELATED MELODY: “Sail Away Ladies;” “Sally Ann;" "Taters in Sandy Land;" “Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around,” "Better Quit Kickin My Dog Around," "Sail Away Ladies."
RECORDING INFO: Cahan, Andy; Laura Fishleder and Lisa Ornstein. Ship in the Clouds, Folkways FTS 31062, LP, cut# 9. Claunch, W. E.. Great Big Yam Potatoes. Anglo-American Fiddle Music from Missi., Southern Culture AH002, LP (1985), cut# 4. Cline, Curly Ray. My Little Home in West Virginia, Rebel SLP 1515, LP (1972), cut# 3 (Big Taters in Sandy Land). Collins, Earl. That's Earl, Briar BR-4204, LP (1975), cut# 13. Davenport, Clyde. Puncheon Camps, Appalachian Center Ser. AC002, Cas (1992), cut# 28 (Sandy Land). Jackson, Stan. Washington Traditional Fiddlers Project. Vol. 2. "Generations", Northwest Folklife, Cas (1996), cut#B.02 (Big Taters in Sandy Land). Jackson, Stan. Traditional Fiddle Music of the Ozarks. Volume 1, Rounder 0435, CD (1999), cut# 1 (Big Taters in Sandy Land) . Leftwich, Brad. Old Time Herald, Old Time Herald OTH, Ser (1987-), 2/4, p22 . Robertson, Eck. Texas Farewell, County 517, LP, cut# 7. Robertson, Eck. Master Fiddler, Sonyatone STR 201, LP (1976), cut# 11. Robic, A; and the Exertions. Old Time Music Dance Party, Flying Fish FF-415, LP (1987), cut# 6a. Stoneking, Lee R.. Missouri Old Time Fiddling, Stoneking, LP (197?), cut#B.01 (Sandy Land). Wills, Bob. Bob Wills Keepsake Album #1, Longhorn LP-001, LP (1964), cut# 1 (Big Taters in Sandy Land)
SOURCES: Kuntz: A Fiddler’s Companion (on-line); Lomax-ABFS, pp. 236-237, "Sandy Land”. American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p.236 (Sandy Land) . Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p 39b Anderson, Jubal. Fiddle Book, Oak, Bk (1967), p 80.
NOTES: "A Major: G Major (W.E. Claunch, Kuntz, Sweet). AEAE or Standard. ABB (Rankin): ABB' (Phillips/Wills): AABB' (Sweet): AABBCC (Phillips/Eck Robertson). The melody is directly related to "Sail Away Ladies" (and thus to "Sally Ann") and some indicate it is merely a variant of that tune, though the title "Great Big Taters" and its variations is considerably disseminated in the South and Old Southwest. Arizona fiddler Kenner C. Kartchner knew a tune by this title in the very odd key of C Major (for this kind of tune), which he learned from Frank Pruitt, about 1900. The title was one of those in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954, and it was mentioned in an article entitled "Fiddler's Jubilee" in the Fayette Banner (Fayette County, Alabama) of January 2, 1908 (Cauthen, 1990)." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).
Another of Ira Ford's (1940) improbable tales goes: "From a fiddler who played 'Great Big Taters in Sandy Land' as his favorite tume, comes the following tradition obtained by the writer thirty years ago. The fiddler was then a man more than seventy years old, who had 'larned' the 'chune' when a young fellow of twenty, from the 'feller' who composed it (c. 1860?). It appears that Steve, the composer homesteaded 160 acres of land in the rough sandstone hills in a remote section of the country, it being the only land left open for homesteading. Steve was engaged to be married to a beautiful young girl of the community and the wedding was to take place as soon as he developed his farm and got his place built. He broke the new ground, which was all in patches on the tops of the hills, the remainder of the farm consisting of steep rocky hillsides and gullies. As his first crop he planted oats and corn. The oats only came up a few inches and the corn did not even make 'nubbins'. So the wedding had to be postponed. The boys teased Steve considerably about trying to make a living on the sandy land, but he took it all good-naturedly, as did the girl. That same year there was a shortage in the potato crop, and, as the land around there was not suitable for potato growing, the farmers had to pay exorbitant prices for the potatoes they had to ship in. Betty, Steve's girl, suggested that he plant potatoes for his next crop. The following spring he planted all his ground accordingly, to the great amusement of his friends. But their amusement was changed to astonishment when that fall Steve harvested 300 bushels to the acre of high grade potatoes and sold them to the farmers as a good price. The wedding was elaborately celebrated with a big supper, followed by a dance that lasted until morning. This tune, composed by Steve and afterwards played at all the dances, was commonly known as 'Steve's Tune', but it was Betty who originated the verses. To get even with those who had 'poked fun' at Steve and his sand farm, she invented the verses, singing them at the dance that night much to the amusement of the guests."(Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).
The “Great Big Tater” tune is the old fiddler's favorite, "Sandy Land" or "Sally Ann" and is also used in the Hound Dog Song (“Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around"). "Sail Away Ladies" is a variant of the song. The song was first recorded as "Great Big Taters in Sandy Land" by Eck Robertson in 1929. It is categorized by Meade under the "Sally Ann" title. Alan Lomax says this is the same tune as "Sally Anne," and close to "Sally Goodin." Paul Stamler, who knows all three as fiddle tunes, concedes a relationship to "Sally Anne" but not "Sally Goodin." The final verse of the American Ballads text is "Sal's Got a Meatskin."
LYRICS:
Great big taters in sandy land,
We-all dig 'em out as fast as we can.
The folds all buy 'em from a foolish man,
Raisin' great big taters in sandy land.
Sow them oats, but you can't get a stand,
Corn won't grow in that sandy land.
Folks won't think you're much of a man,
If you can't make a livin' on sandy land.
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