Old John Jones- Chenowith (WV) 1924 Combs- Woofter
[Unfortunately, the authenticity of Old John Jones is questionable. Certainly one reason is: it was collected by Carey Woofter whose contributions have come under scrutiny by several musicologists including Wilgus who had studied the entire Combs collection. Because this same exact ballad (only one word differs) was collected by Woofter and given to Cox but under a different informant (a Mrs. Sarah Clevenger) it seems possible that this was a rewrite/translation of Child B by Woofter, who assigned it to different existing or perhaps fictitious informants. Cox found out about this "ballad" just before publication and quickly added it near the end of "Folk-Songs of the South" which was published in 1925. It is attributed by Combs in his Folk-Songs of the Southern United States to David Chenowith and no mention was made of Clevenger's version (collected at the same time according to Wilgus who estimates the Chenowith date as 1924), a sign that something is fishy. The ballad is rare and the odds of two identical ballads turning up in the same area with no commentary (neither published version mentions the other) or examination of the two sources seems unlikely. Wilgus, who edited the 1967 edition of Comb's book, Folk-Songs of the Southern United States commented in brackets: contradictory documentation. This indicates the possibility that Woofter made-up the informants or attributed his version to known informants that did not know the ballad. If a simple mistake was made, why wasn't it pointed out and corrected-- instead of the shroud of silence from all parties involved.
I've included Child B below for comparison.
Woofter's collecting friend, Patrick Gainer, also has a WV version from another source, which appears to possibly be a re-write or adaptation of Woofter's. Gainer makes no mention of the identical Cox and Combs versions from two different informants as supplied by Woofter.
R. Matteson 2013]
From: Comb's Folk-Songs of the Southern United States, 1925
GET UP AND BAR THE DOOR
"Old John Jones"- David Chenowith; Gip, Calhoun Co., WV c. 1924.
1 The wind it blew from east to west,
And it blew all over the floor;
Said old John Jones to Jane, his wife,
"Get up and shut the door."
2 "My hands are in the sausage meat,
So I cannot get them free;
And if you do not shut the door yourself,
It never will be shut by me."
3 Then they agreed between the two
And gave their hands on it,
That whoever spoke a word the first
Was to rise and shut the door.
4 There were two travellers journeying late,
A-journeying across the hill,
And they came to old John Jones's
By the light from the open door.
5 "Does this house to a rich man belong?
Or does it belong to a poor?"
But never a word would the stubborn two say
On account of shutting the door.
6 The travellers said good-evening to them,
And then they said good morning;
But never a word would the stubborn two say
On account of shutting the door.
7 And so they drank of the liquor strong,
And so they drank of the ale:
"For since we have got a house of our own,
I'm sure we can take of our fill."
8 And then they ate of the sausage meat
And sopped their bread in the fat;
And at every bite old Jane she thought,
"May the devil slip down with that."
9 Then says the one to the other,
"Here, man, take out my knife,
And while you shave the old man's chin,
I will be kissing the wife."
10 "You have eat my meat and drinked my ale,
And would you make of my old wife a whore?"
"John Jones, you have spoken the first word,
Now get up and shut the door."
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'John Blunt'- Version B; Child 275 Get Up and Bar the Door
Macmath Manuscript p. 74. "From the singing of Miss Jane Webster, 15th October, 1886, and 26th August, 1887, who learned it at Airds of Kells, Kirkcudbrightshire, many years ago, from James McJannet."
1 There leeved a wee man at the fit o yon hill,
John Blunt it was his name, O
And he selld liquor and ale o the best,
And bears a wondrous fame. O
Tal lara ta lilt, tal lare a lilt,
Tal lara ta lilt, tal lara.
2 The wind it blew frae north to south,
It blew into the floor;
Says auld John Blunt to Janet the wife,
Ye maun rise up and bar the door.
3 'My hans are in my husseyskep,
I canna weel get them free,
And if ye dinna bar it yersel
It'll never be barred by me.'
4 They made it up atween them twa,
They made it unco sure,
That the ane that spoke the foremost word
Was to rise and bar the door.
5 There was twa travellers travelling late,
Was travelling cross the muir,
And they cam unto wee John Blunt's,
Just by the light o the door.
6 'O whether is this a rich man's house,
Or whether is it a puir?'
But never a word would the auld bodies speak,
For the barring o the door.
7 First they bad good een to them,
And syne they bad good morrow;
But never a word would the auld bodies speak,
For the barring o the door, O.
8 First they ate the white puddin,
And syne they ate the black,
And aye the auld wife said to hersel,
May the deil slip down wi that!
9 And next they drank o the liquor sea strong,
And syne they drank o the yill:
'And since we hae got a house o our ain
I'm sure we may tak our fill.'
10 It's says the ane unto the ither,
Here, man, tak ye my knife,
An ye'll scrape aff the auld man's beard,
While I kiss the gudewife.
11 'Ye hae eaten my meat, ye hae drucken my drink,
Ye'd make my auld wife a whore!'
'John Blunt, ye hae spoken the foremost word,
Ye maun rise up and bar the door.'