American Songs for American Children
B.A. Botkin
UNITED STATES FOLK-SONG SERIES-NO. 3
THIS group of "American Songs for American Children" further illustrates the mutations of folk song. The Florida game-song version of "Jinny Crack Corn" derives from the minstrel song, "Jim Crack Corn" (also known as "The Blue-Tail Fly"), published (among other places) in The Negro Melodist, by Uriah Pierson James (Cincinnati and Philadelphia, 1857).
Likewise from stage tradition is Thomas F. Casey's "Drill Ye Tarriers," which was featured in Charles H. Hoyt's comedy,
The Brass Monkey, produced in New York City in 1888.
The reverse process is seen in the hillbillyish "New River Train," which has been widely sung on records and the radio. A dog named Rattler also figures in a Negro chain-gang song. All of these songs have one element in common-the use of the refrain, perhaps most appealing in the rollicking "Jinny Crack Corn."
-B. A. BOTKIN
Jinny Crack Corn
Jinny crack corn and I don't care, Jin - ny crack corn and
I don't care, Jinny crack corn and
I don't care, Mas - ter's gone a - way.
EXTRA STANZAS
Jinny Crack Corn
Right hand up and I don't care,
Right hand up and I don't care,
Right hand up and I don't care,
Master's gone away.
Left hand up and I don't care, etc.
Both hands up and I don't care, etc.
New River Train
Fast
I'm rid- ing on that New Riv - er train,
Irn rid-ing on that New Riv er train,
The same old train that _ brought me -
here Gon - na take me - home a - gain.
New River Train
Oh, darling, remember what you said,
Oh, darling, remember what you said,
Remember what you said, you would rather see me dead
Than riding on that New River Train.
Oh, darling, you can't love two,
Oh, darling, you can't love two,
You can't love two and your little heart be true,
Oh, darling, you can't love two.
Oh, darling, you can't love three,
Oh, darling, you can't love three,
You can't love three and still love me,
Oh, darling, you can't love three.
Here, Rattler, Here
Fast
Old Rat - tier was a fine old dog, Fine as he could
be Ev-'ry night at sup-per time, I paid that dog a fee.
REFRAIN
Here, Rat - tier, herel Here, Rat - tier, here!
lJ Ja4t J J Ij J IJ-h I
Call Rat - tier from the barn, Here, Rat- tler, here!
Here, Rattler, Here
Once I had a settin' hen,
Set her as you know,
Set her on six dozen eggs
And hatched out one old crow.
Rattler had a muley cow,
Muley when she was born,
Took two jaybirds forty years
To fly from horn to horn.
Rattler's dead and gone,
Gone where the good dogs go,
Better watch out and don't play dog,
Or you'll be a goner too.
Drill Ye Tarriers
Our new foreman is Dan McCann,
I'll tell you sure he's a blame mean man;
Last week a premature blast went off,
An' a mile in the air went Big Jim Goff.
Now, the next time pay day comes around,
Jim Goff was short one buck he found;
"What for?" says he; then this reply,
"You're docked for the time you were up in the sky."
NOTE: The MENC Committee on Folk Songs of the United States wishes
to make acknowledgment to the Archive of American Folk Song in the Music
Division of the Library of Congress and to all who are cooperating in the
presentation of this series.
Drill Ye Tarriers
Moderate
Ev-'ry morn-ing at sev- en o'-clock There's twen-ty tar- ri - ers a -
work - ing at the rock; And the boss comes a - long and he
says "Keep still, And come down heav -y on the cast iron drill!"
REFRAIN
So drill, ye tar - ri -ers, drill. And drill, ye tar- ri - ers,
drill. Oh, it's work all day for sug. ar in your tay,
Do Jw_e. . y t- . ri - 1 ill y ha i , 11II
Down be.-yond the rail-way, And drill, ye tar-ri - ers, drill.
April, Nineteen Forty-four
and I don't care,