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Sugar in the Gourd
Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Virginia, West Virginia, North Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri.
ARTIST: Peg Leg Howell
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Charles Wolfe says the lyrics have been printed in the 1830's. The first recording was done in 1924 by Fiddlin' John Carson.
RECORDING INFO: Briar 0798, Earl Collins- "That's Earl." Carryon Records 002, "Ace Weems and the Fat Meat Boys." County 745, John Ashby- "Down on Ashby's Farm." County 507, Kahle Brewer and Stoneman's Dixie Mountaineers - "Old-Time Fiddle Classics." Front Hall 021, John McCutcheon- "Barefoot Boy With Boots On" (1981. Learned from Uncle Charlie Osborne, Russell County, Va.). Gennett 6483 (78 RPM), 1928, Tweedy Brothers (three W.Va. brothers, Henry, Charles, and George, who played twin fiddles and piano). Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers' Association, Pete McMahon - "Kansas City Rag." OKeh 7003 (78 RPM), Fiddlin John Carson {1924}. Rounder 1003, Fiddlin' John Carson- "The Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's Going to Crow." Rounder 1005, Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers- "Hear These New Southern Fiddle and Guitar Records." Rounder CD 7014, Sidney Baglole- "Fiddlers of Western Prince Edward Island" (1997. Baglole claimed to have leaned it from fiddlers in his community before the days of broadcasting).Sugar Hill 3750, Byron Berline & John Hickman - "Double Trouble." Victor 19449 {1924} and Edison {1925} (78 RPM's), Fiddlin' Cowan Powers 1877-1952? (Russell County, S.W. Va.). Voyager VRCD 344, Howard Marshall & John Williams - "Fiddling Missouri" (1999. An 'A' major version). Isaac, Burton / Folk Fiddle by Burton Isaac, Mel Bay, fol (1964), p25 (Indiana Hoedown/Hoe-Down) Brody, David (ed.) / Guitar Pickers Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1984), p139 Ashby, John. Down on Ashby's Farm, County 745, LP (1974), trk# 5 Baglole, Sidney. Fiddlers of Western Prince Edwards Island, Rounder 7014, CD (1997), trk# 13 Barbee, Eldie. Eldie Barbie Tapes, Pine Breeze PBK 903, LP (1976), trk# A.05 Bartlett, Sam; and Jamie Gans. Blue Earth, Yodel-Ay-Hee 013, Cas (1994), trk# 4 Block, Allan; and Ralph Lee Smith. Allan Block & Ralph Lee Smith, Meadowlands MS 1, LP (1971), trk# A.02 Brewer, Kahle. Old Time Fiddle Classics, County 507, LP (196?), trk# B.03 [1926/09/24] Brody, David. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p269 Carlin, Bob. Brody, David (ed.) / Banjo Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Fol (1985), p162a Carson, Fiddlin' John. Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's Gonna Crow, Rounder 1003, LP (1978), trk# B.07 [1924/03] Carson, Fiddlin' John. Fiddler Magazine, Fiddler Mag., Ser, 1/2, p10(1994) [1924/03] Collins, Earl. That's Earl, Briar BR-4204, LP (1975), trk# 1 Davenport, Clyde. Titon, Jeff Todd / Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes, Kentucky, Bk/ (2001), p182/#157 [1990/03/31] Davis, Carl. West Virginia Hills, Augusta Heritage AHR 011, Cas (1992), trk# 1.04 [1989/04/08] Dr. Corn's Bluegrass Remedy. It'll Tickle Your Innards, Grassroots GR 004, LP (1977), trk# A.06 Dutch Cove Old Time String Band. Sycamore Tea, June Appal JA 0023, LP (1978), trk# 9 Fuzzy Mountain String Band. Devil's Riding Horse. 44th Annual Old Time Fiddler's Convention, Union Grove SS-2, LP (1978), trk# A.05 Garland, Jim. Land of Yahoe, Rounder 8041, CD (1996), trk# 23 Gellert, Dan. Roustabout, Log Cabin 8005, LP (1977), trk# B.04 George, Franklin/Frank. Swope's Knobs, Anachronistic 001, LP (1977), trk# 4.03 George, Franklin/Frank. Reflections of the Past, Roane RR 104, Cas (1995), trk# 2.05 Griffin, Mrs. G. A.. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p227/#137 [1934-39] (Bacon in the Smokehouse) Hammons, Edden. Edden Hammons Collection. Vol Two, West Virginia Univ SA-2, CD (2000), trk# 1.12 [1947/07] Harold and Abe. Cornbred, Molasses and Sassafras Tea, Heritage (Galax) 023, LP (1978), trk# 6 Herald Angels. You've Been a Friend to Me, Herald Angels HA1001, Cas (1994), trk# 14 (Little Black Dog) Johnson, Vesta Wilson. Blue Flame, Marimac 9057, Cas (1994/1991), trk# B.02 Last Straw String Band. Last Straw String Band, Jack Rabbit 001, LP (197?), trk# A.01 Leming, Carl. Hootenanny Hoedown, Dye, LP (1963), trk# B.01a (Sugar in the Corn) Lindsey, James. Old Time Fiddling at Union Grove. The 38th Annual Old-Time Fi..., Prestige 14039, LP (1964), trk# B.05 (Breakdown) Mainer, Wade & Julia. In the Land of Melody, June Appal JA 0065C, Cas (1991), trk# 10 Martin, Marcus. American Fiddle Tunes, Library of Congress AFS L62, LP (1971), trk# 27 McCutcheon, John. Barefoot Boy with Boots On, Front Hall FHR-021, LP (1981), trk# 4c Moore, Gary Lee. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not.., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p190 Mountain Ramblers. Mountain Ramblers, County 720, LP (1969), trk# 3 Muller, Eric. Muller, Eric & Barbara Koehler / Frailing the 5-String Banjo, Mel Bay, Sof (1973), p71 Mullen, Vic. Old Time Fiddle Hits, Vol. 2, Banff CM4-735 Tape 2, Cas (198?), trk# 11 Northern Valley Boys. Old-time Country and Fiddle Tunes, Quagmire 1, LP (198?), trk# B.09 Osborne, Uncle Charlie (Charlie N.). Relics and Treasures, June Appal JA 0049, LP (1985), trk# 16 Oster, Harry. Louisiana Folksong Jambalaya, LFS A-2, LP (1959), trk# A.06 (Sugar in de Gourd) Perlman, Ken. Perlman, Ken / Fingerpicking Fiddle Tunes for Finger Style Guitar, Chappell, Sof (1978), p32 Russell Family. Old Time Dulcimer Sounds from the Mountains, County 734, LP (1972), trk# 5 Simmons, Woody (West Va.). All Smiles Tonight, Elderberry ER 002, LP (1979), trk# 9 Sisco, Carthy. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not.., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p190 Skillet Lickers. Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers, Rounder 1005, LP (1973), trk# 16 [1930/04/14] Tall Timber (String Band). Tenino Old Time Music Festival. 1975 - 1976 - 1977, Voyager VRLP 321-S, LP (1978), trk# B.04 Tate, Tater; and the Bluegrass Cutups. Fiddling Favorites of the USA and Canada, Rural Rhythm RR 193, LP (197?), trk# 19 Taylor, Tut (Robert Arthur Taylor). Friar Tut, Rounder 0011, LP (1971), trk# 7 Unknown Fiddler. Devil's Box, Devil's Box, Ser, 18/4, p15(1984) [1960s] Weems, Ace; and his Fat Meat Boys. It's All Gone Now, Carryon 002, LP (199?), trk# B.03 Wheeler, Carol Ann. Joy of Fiddling, American Heritage 401-532, LP (198?), trk# 7b Williams, Vivian; and Barbara Lamb. Twin Sisters, Voyager VRLP 316-S, LP (1975), trk# B.07 Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p 98a Politte, Joe. 39th National Folk Festival, NCTA NCTA 77, LP (1977), trk# A.10 Wilson, Nile. Tie Hacker Hoe-down, MSOTFA 202-CS, Cas (1995), trk# 1.04a Garvin, Bert. Kentucky Old-Time Banjo, Rounder 0394, CD (1999), trk# 20 [1997/05/05]
RELATED TO: Turkey in the Straw
OTHER NAMES: Sugar in de Gourd; Walking in the Parlor
SOURCES: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 269. Frets Magazine, "Byron Berline: The Fiddle," October 1987; pg. 64. Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; pg. 301-302. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 64. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; pg. 41. Reiner & Anick (Old Time Fiddling Across America), 1989; pg. 108.
NOTES: Typical lyrics include: Sugar in the Gourd and you can't get it out, When you wanna get to sugar got to break it all about.
According to Charles Wolfe, Sugar in the Gourd lyrics were printed in the 1830’s. The melody is similar to Old Zip Coon/Turkey in the Straw (Meade calls it a distant cousin to Turkey in the Straw) and lyrics can be imported from these songs and used for lyrics to Sugar in the Gourd. One reference (meaning: prosperity) of Sugar in the Gourd is found in the lyrics to Turkey in the Straw:
Oh I jumped in the seat and I gave a little yell
The horses ran away, broke the wagon all to hell
Sugar in the gourd and honey in the horn
I never been so happy since the day I was born.
“There are a few explanations of the meaning of the title. Formerly it has been thought that 'sugar in the gourd' might refer to a practice of hanging sugar-filled vegetable gourds around a dance floor-to ease the friction for dancers sugar would periodically be thrown on those sections of the floor where the traffic was the heaviest. Another explanation, not mutually exclusive, is that 'sugar in the gourd' is a euphemism for completed coitis-in other words, depositing sperm into a womb is putting 'sugar in the gourd'.” Kuntz
"Sugar in the Gourd" is one of the tunes fiddlers would play to vie with each other in some older fiddle contests; the best version of "Sugar" and a few other 'universally' known tunes won the fiddler the prize, as, for example, was documented in 1899 in an account of a Gallatin, Tenn., contest (Charles Wolfe, The Devils Box, Vol. 14, No. 4, 12/1/80). The melody was played by Rock Ridge, Alabama, fiddlers around 1920 (Bailey). The Clarke County (Alabama) Democrat of May 9, 1929, described it as one of the "popular old-time tunes" that would assuredly be "rendered in the most approved fashion" at a fiddlers' contest in Grove Hill, while the Northwest Alabamian of August 29, 1929, listed it as one of the tunes likely to be played at an upcoming convention in its area (Cauthen, 1990). Kuntz
The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954. Ken Perlman (1996) writes that this American southern tune was in circulation on Canada's Prince Edward island in the pre-radio 1920's, although how it got there is a mystery. His PEI collected version is similar to one printed by Reiner & Anick, from the playing of Georgia fiddler John Carson who recorded the melody in 1924, and it seems possible that this recording was obtained by an unknown PEI fiddler who learned the tune from it. Kuntz
Here are the lyrics to Sugar In The Gourd from Peg Leg Howell:
Turkey Buzzard Blues (SUGAR IN THE GOURD)- Peg Leg Howell
Peg Leg Howell with Eddie Anthony on fiddle
Have you ever went fishing on a bright summer’s day,
Standin’ on the bank, see the little fishes play?
Hands in your pockets, your pockets in your pants,
See the little bittie fishes do the Hoochy-Koochy dance.
I had an old hen, she had a peg leg,
Fattest ol’ hen that ever laid an egg.
Laid more eggs than any hen around the barn,
Says, “Another lil drink won’t do me no harm.”
Sugar in the Gourd and I can't get it out,
Sugar in the Gourd and I can't get it out,
Sugar in the Gourd and I can't get it out,
Way get sugar- roll it all about.
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