|
Saro
Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; West Virginia, Eastern Tennessee, Virginia.
ARTIST: Tom Carter & Blanton Owen from Calvin Pendleton
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1928 recording by Caplinger's Cumberland Mountain Entertainers
RECORDING INFO: Caplinger's Cumberland Mountain Entertainers. Old Time String Band Classics, County 531, LP (1975/reis), trk# 8 [1928/02/08]; Leftwich, Brad. Say Old Man, County 2714, CD (1996), trk# 8; Old Virginia Fiddlers. Old Time Fiddle, Patrick County, VA, County 201, LP (1977), trk# B.03 [1949/10/21] Pendleton, Calvin. Old Originals, Vol. 1, Rounder 0057, LP (1978), trk# 21; Slaughter, Matokie; and the Back Creek Buddies. Saro, Marimac 9028, Cas (1990), trk# 1; White Lightning. White Lightning, ABC ABCS-690, LP (1969), trk# 3; Blue Ridge Highballers. Cotton Mills and Fiddles, Flying Cloud FC-014, LP (1990), trk# 12 [1927/10ca](Julie Girl); Cockram, Grover. Old Five String, Vol 2, Heritage (Galax) 052, Cas (1991), trk# 13 (Old Saro) Broadway 8159, The Blue Ridge Highballers - "Julie Girl." County 201, The Old Virginia Fiddlers - "Rare Recordings 1948-49." County 405, The Hillbillies - "Soldier's Joy Medley." County 531, Caplinger's Cumberland Mountain Entertainers (Roane County, Tenn.) - "Old Time String Band Classics, 1927-1933" (1975). Rounder 0057, Calvin Pendleton (Patrick County, Va.) - "Old Originals, Vol. 1" (1978).
RELATED TO: Julie Girl; Cow in the Cabbage Patch
OTHER NAMES: Caro In The Cabbage Patch; Old Saro
SOURCES: Folk Index; Kuntz, A Fiddler’s Companion; Dudley Spangler [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; pg. 215.
NOTES: This song features floating verses that mention Saro. Recorded in 1928 by Sam Caplinger. The song is not the same song as the Dave Macon song, “Rock about My Saro Jane” sometimes called Saro Jane. It’s also not the same song as “Pretty Saro.” Many of the floating verses found in Saro come from the Cindy/Shady Grove family of songs. Here’s some info from Andrew Kuntz:
D Major. Standard. AABB. Recorded in 1928 for Brunswick/Vocalation by West Virginia string band duo the Cumberland Mountain Entertainers (Sam Caplinger & fiddler Andy Patterson {1893-1950}). Later the duo moved to Akron, Ohio, and formed the Dixie Harmonizers, who recorded for Gennett. Tom Carter and Barry Poss (1976) remark that the tune is common in the Patrick County, southwestern Virginia, area both as a dance or 'band' tune, and a song (with many verses).
Here are the lyrics to Saro by Carter and Owen:
SARO
Tom Carter & Blanton Owen
Saro, Saro,
Come lay your hand in mine,
Treat you like a lady
Just long as the sun does shine.
Ya hadn't been gonna marry me,
Ya ought't told me so,
I could have been a married man,
Forty years ago.
Went to see my gal one day,
What'd ya reckon she done,
Stole her arm around my neck,
Thought my time had come.
Went to see my gal one day,
Where'd ya reckon I found her,
Found her in a huckleberry patch,
Forty men around her.
Went to see my gal one day,
She met me at the door,
Shoes and Stockings in her hand,
Feet all over the floor.
Once I was a little boy,
All I want's a knife,
Now I am a great big boy,
All I want's a wife.
Used to be a little boy,
Tote my momma's switches,
Now I am a great big boy,
wear my daddy's britches.
High jack, low jack,
Tray can't be low
Before I play an unfair game,
Take my money and go.
|