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Steamboat Bill
Old-Time and Bluegrass Breakdown; US.
ARTIST: Original lyrics Levy Collection: "Steamboat Bill" (Nov. 17, 1910) Words by Ren. Shields, 1868-1913; Music by Leighton Bros. [Bert Leighton, 1877-1964;]
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Carter Brothers and Son 1928 recording for Okeh.
RECORDING INFO: Steamboat Bill [Laws H39d/Me II-Q19] - Leighton Brothers/ Shields, Ron
Laws, G. Malcolm / Native American Balladry, Amer. Folklore Society, Bk (1964/1950), p274 (Steam Boat Bill)
Sandburg, Helga (ed.) / Sweet Music, Dial, Bk (1963), p 52
Fife, Austin E. & Alta S. / Cowboy and Western Songs, Bramhall House, Bk (1982/1969), p 42/# 16
Puckett, Riley. Riley Puckett Story, Roots RL-701, LP (1971), trk# 1 [1924/03/07]
RELATED TO: Steamboat Boogie; Casey Jones
OTHER NAMES: Scissor Bill (parody)
SOURCES: Kuntz; Levy; Mudcat
NOTES: Steamboat Bill was written by Shields Ren with music by the Leighton Brothers in 1910. Essentially it's a re-write of Casey Jones. It was recorded in 1911 by Edward Meeker on Edison-10513, then again in 1919 by Irving Kaufman on Columbia A2809.
The first country recordings were done in 1924, first by Riley Puckett then later that year by Fiddlin' John Carson.The song was recorded in 1930 as a fiddle solo by fiddler Clark Kessinger (1896-1875) as The Kessinger Brothers (Document. DOCD-8012. Kessinger Brothers; Vol 3). Also by Viola “Mom” Ruth – on Pioneer Western Folk Tunes in 1948.
STEAMBOAT BILL (Nov. 17, 1910) Words by Ren. Shields, 1868-1913; Music by Leighton Bros. [Bert Leighton, 1877-1964; other brother's info unknown]
1.
Down the Missippi steamed the Whipperwill,
commanded by that pilot, Mister Steamboat Bill.
The owners gave him orders on the strick Q. T.,
to try and beat the record of the "Robert E. Lee."
Just feed up you fires, let the old smoke roll,
Burn up all your cargo if you run out of coal.
If we don't beat that record, Billy told the mate,
"send mail in care of Peter to the Golden gate."
CHORUS
Steamboat Bill, steaming down the Mississippi,
Steamboat Bill, a mighty man was he.
Steamboat Bill, steaming down the Mississippi,
going to beat the record of the "Robert E. Lee."
2.
Up then stepped a gambling man from Louisville,
who tried to get a bet against the Whipperwill.
Billy flashed a roll that surely was a bear,
the boiler, it exploded, blew them up in the air.
The gambler said to Billy as they left the wreck,
"I don't know where we're going, but we're neck in neck."
Says Bill to the gambler, "I'll tell you what I'll do,
I will bet another thousand I'll go higher than you."
CHORUS
Steamboat Bill, he tore up the Mississippi,
Steamboat Bill, the tide it made him swear.
Steamboat Bill, he tore up the Mississippi,
the explosion of the boiler got him up in the air.
3.
River's all in mourning now for Steamboat Bill,
no more you'll hear the puffing of the Whipperwill,
There's crape on ev'ry steamboat that plows those streams,
from Memphis right to Natchez down to New Orleans.
The wife of Mister William was at home in bed,
When she got the telegram that Steamboat's dead.
Says she to the children, "Bless each honey lamb,
the next papa that you will have will be a railroad man."
Steamboat Bill, missing on the Mississippi,
Steamboat Bill, is with an angel band,
Steamboat Bill, missing on the Mississippi,
he's a pilot on the ferry in that Promised Land.
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