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Naomi Wise (Laws F31)/Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane, The
Old-Time, Song Tune. Words & Music by William Shakespeare Hays, 1837-1907 Dedicated To George J. Cowan, Louisville, KY.
ARTIST: From North Carolina Folklore, Brown; Collected from Miss Autie Hell Lambert, sings to Little Old Log Cabin.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes; DATE: 1871
RECORDING INFO: Carson, Fiddlin' John. Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's Gonna Crow, Rounder 1003, LP (1987), cut# 1. Clark, Carroll C.. Minstrels and Tunesmiths, JEMF 109, LP (1981), cut#B.07. George, Franklin/Frank. Swope's Knobs, Anachronistic 001, LP (1977), cut#3.07a. Kincaid, Bradley. Mountain Ballads and Old Time Solos. Album Number Six, Bluebonnet BL 123, LP (1963), cut#A.01. Mainer, Wade. Old Time Banjo Tunes, Old Homestead OHS-90168, LP (1984), cut#A.01 (Little Log Cabin in/by the Lane). Pegram, George. Union Grove, The Hub of the Universe, Union Grove SS-4, LP (1970), cut# 3. Pegram, George. George Pegram, Rounder 0001, LP (1970), cut# 3. Pegram, George. O Love Is Teasin', Elektra BLP-12051, LP (1985), cut#1.14 . Possum Hunters. Death on Lee Highway, Takoma A-1010, LP (196?), cut# 2 (Little Log Cabin in/by the Lane). Seeger, Peggy. Our Singing Heritage. Vol I, Elektra EKL-151, LP (195?), cut# 3. Tennessee River Boys. Good Old Mountain Music, Cumberland MGC 29505, LP (196?), cut# 1 (Log Cabin in the Lane)
OTHER NAMES: “Little Old Log Cabin Down the Lane;” “Hungry Hash House (Blues);” “Fiddle and Bow;” “Little Joe, the Wrangler,” “Lily of the Valley;” “Little Old Sod Shanty (on the Claim);” “Little Red Caboose Behind the Train,” “Another Fall of Rain” “Little Joe the Wrangler,” “Beans, Gravy and Bacon.”
SOURCES: Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p281. Levy site; A Fiddler’s Companion; Digital Tradition;
NOTES: The song was written and published in 1871 by a Kentucky riverman turned vaudeville songwriter, Will Hayes.
William Shakespeare Hays was born in Louisville, KY on July 19, 1837 and died there at the age of 70 on July 23, 1907. His parents were Hugh and Martha (Richardson) Hays. He married Belle McCullough in July of 1865. His known children are Mattie Belle Hays (dedicated to, in the song O, Let Me Kiss the Baby, 1867), Susie Hobbs Hays (dedicated to, in the song Kiss Me, Good Night, Mama, 1870) and Samuel Brown Hays (dedicated to, in the song How Much Does the Baby Weigh, 1880).
His most popular songs were Evangeline (1862), The Drummer Boy of Shiloh (1863), We Parted by the River (1866), The Little Old Cabin in the Lane (1871), Molly Darling (1871) [with 3 million copies published], Susan Jane (1871), Oh! Sam (1872), Angels Meet Me at the Cross Roads (1875). Early in de Mornin' (1877), Roll Out! Heave Dat Cotton (1877). He composed approximately 350 songs. Two significant collections, detailed as items 286 (manuscripts) and 813 (prints and photographs), are at The Filson Club Historical Society of Kentucky.
The “Little Old Log Cabin Down the Lane” melody has been adapted and used in a number of different settings and has spawned a number of parodies: “Hungry Hash House (Blues);” “Fiddle and Bow;” “Little Joe, the Wrangler,” “Lily of the Valley;” “Little Old Sod Shanty (on the Claim);” “Little Red Caboose Behind the Train,” “Another Fall of Rain” “Little Joe the Wrangler,” “Beans, Gravy and Bacon.”
Bob Bolton from DT: I just realised that the tune I know to this is virtually the same as Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane (known here as several songs, including a shearing song Another Fall of Rain or Waiting for the Rain - the lament of a bunch of worn out shearers, hoping for rain to bring a break in activity so their sore wrists and back can recuperate.
The southern gospel hymn, “Lily of the Valley,” with words by Charles W. Fry (1881) was adapted from Hays' “Little Old Log Cabin.” The earliest recording was by (Frank) Welling & (John) McGhee in Ashland Kentucky 1928 (Vo 5251). Charles W. Fry lyrics first appeared in the Salvation Army's The War Cry, December 29, 1881. Fry wrote the lyrics in Lincoln, England, while working with the Salvation Army there.
The “Little Old Log Cabin Down the Lane” was recorded in October, 1925 for Edison by Fiddlin' Cowan Powers and Family, who had waxed an earlier version for Victor, in August, 1924 (though for that particular side the Victor company brought in Carson Robison to perform the vocal). The piece was first released in 1923, however, when Fiddlin' John Carson's (north Georgia) version became the second best-selling country music record for that year. Yet another performance, Ernest Stoneman's, made the charts that decade, in 1926 when his version became the fifth best-selling country music record.
Here are the lyrics to Naomi Wise sung to “Little Old Log Cabin:”
Now come all you young people, And listen while I tell
About a maid they called Naomia Wise.
Her face was fair and beauteous; She was loved by everyone.
In Randolph county now her body lies.
Naomia had a lover, Young Lewis was his name;
Each evening he would hover by her side.
She learned to love and trust him, And she believed his word.
He told her she was soon to be his bride.
One summer night he met her, And took her for a ride.
She thought that she was going to be wed.
The came to old deep river, And so the story goes.
"You've met your fatal doom," the villain said.
She begged him just to spare (her), The villain only laughed.
They say he was heartless cold.
And in the stream he threw her, Below the old mill dam.
And sweet Naomi's smile was seen no more.
Next day they found her body, Go floating down the stream,
And all the people around for miles did cry,
Young Lewis left the country, They brought him back again
But could not prove that he caused her to die.
They say that on his death bed, Young Lewis did confess.
He said that he had killed Naomi Wise.
And now they know her spirit, Still lingers round the place
To save young ones from some villain's lies.
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