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Wait for the Wagon/
Traditional Old-Time Song
ARTIST: Jimmy Dean
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
EARLIEST DATE: Circa 1850 attributed to Wiesenthal and the lyrics to "a lady";
Words George Knauf and music Bishop Buckley 1851; First country recording Wenatchee Mountaineers 1933
RECORDING INFO: Wait for the Wagon [Me II-Q 1] - Knauf, George P./Buckley, R. Bishop
Mf - Midnight on the Ocean; Farmer's Alliance; We'll Give 'Em Jessie
Pb - Union Wagon ; Free Silver Wagon ; California Ball ; We'll All Take a Ride
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p119b
Ford, Ira W. / Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1965/1940), p422
Bowman, A. S. (ed.) / J. W. Pepper Collection of 500 Reels, Jigs, ..., Pepper, fol (1908), p 85
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / American Ballads - Naughty, Ribald and, Premier Book, sof (1956/1952), p150
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / Treasury of American Ballads; Gay, Naug, McBride, Bk (1954), p141
Home Spun Songs, Treasure Chest, Fol (1935), p29
Old Time Song Hits, Treasure Chest, Fol (1935), p 7
Albert E Brumley's Songs of the Pioneers, Brumley, Fol (1970), 57
Jackson, Richard (ed.) / Popular Songs of Nineteenth Century America, Dover, Sof (1976), p222 [1851]
Frey, Hugo(ed.) / Bill Hardey's Songs of the Gay Nineties, Robbins, Fol (1942/1938), p87
Jimerson, Douglas. Abraham Lincoln Sings On, Amerimusic AM 1001, CD (1998), trk# 2
Leigh, Bonnie. Down in the Shady Grove, Maywind K56-03, CD (1998), trk# 7d
Old Grey Goose. Maine Country Dance Music and Song, Folkways FD 6530, LP (1980), trk# A.07
Parker, Linda. Lair, John (ed.) / 100 WLS Barn Dance Favorites, Cole, fol (1935), p37
Price, Truman; and Jane Keefer. Songs and Tunes of the Oregon Trail, True West TW C-21, Cas (1991), trk# 1
Rice, Phil. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1985/01,p26 [1860ca] (Jump into the Wagon)
Robison, Carson; & his Pioneers. Immortal Carson Robison, Glendale GL 6009, LP (1978), trk# 11
Townley, John. Songs of the Civil War, National Geographic Soc. 0789, LP (197?), trk# A.03
White, Lucy. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p375/#563 [1928/08/12]
OTHER NAMES: “On the Wagon,” “Waiting for the Wagon;” Midnight on the Ocean; Farmer's Alliance; We'll Give 'Em Jessie
SOURCES: Wiki; Folk Index; Kuntz; Meade
NOTES: Wait for the Wagon became a popular minstrel song in the 1850s. The song has also been adapted as a bluegrass/country song and was recorded by Jimmy Dean. It was a popular radio number for Pee Wee King, who said, "We opened with a fast fiddle tune, ... like "Wait for the wagon; wait for the wagon; and we'll all go home."
Fiddler Frankie McWhorter, claimed his grandfather I.J. Tucker wrote the song. It was song that John Lair used on his Renfro Valley radio show in the 1940s.
Wiki: "Wait for the Wagon" was first published as a parlor song in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an 1850 copyright, and music attributed to Wiesenthal and the lyrics to "a lady". All subsequent versions seem to derive from this song.
Several versions were published the next year. Along the Mississippi River, most were nearly identical to the 1850 publication. Peters, Webb and Co. in Louisville, Kentucky, published it as "Wait For The Wagon: A Song For The South West" with no attribution to music or lyrics.
On the east coast several versions were published as minstrel songs with slightly different lyrics and differently arranged music. One was published in May 1851 ("Wait For The Wagon: Ethiopian Song") in Baltimore, Maryland, and it was attributed to George P. Knauff. It is agreed upon that R. Bishop Buckley (1810 - 1867) probably first performed the song and Knauff arranged it as a composition. Knauff was a music teacher in Virginia, who compiled popular and folk fiddle tunes into a large compendium, Virginia Reels (1839). Buckley was born in England and came to America as a young man and, with his father and two brothers, formed the Buckley Serenaders. This minstrel show toured America and Europe.
J.E. Boswell also published a minstrel version ("Wait For The Wagon: A New Ethopian Song & Melody") in 1851, as arranged by W. Loftin Hargrave.
The song became a hit in the Eastern United States, and other minstrel troupes added it to their own performances. Through them, it spread to the South and West. It remained particularly popular in the Ozarks and Mississippi through the Civil War.
Notes from Kuntz: WAIT FOR THE WAGON. AKA – American, Song and Dance Tune; English, March. F Major ('A' part) & C Major ('B' part) (Ford): D Major (Callaghan). Standard tuning. AB (Ford): AABB (Callaghan). An American song tune composed by R. Buckley & George P. Knaupf in 1851. It was adopted (tongue-in-cheek) in Britain as a military march by the Royal Corps of Transport. The tune was played by old fiddler William “Jinky” Wells, fiddler for the Bampton Morris Dancers, although it was not a traditional morris tune and is almost never heard played for morris dancing today. It was recorded from the playing of East Anglia publican (of the Dennington Bell) and melodeon player Dolly Curtis in the 1980’s. Callaghan (Hardcore English), 2007; pg. 53. Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; pg. 119 (lyrics also printed by Ford). Beautiful Jo Records BEJOCD-28, The Mellstock Band – “The Dance at the Phoenix: Village Band Music from Hardy’s Wessex and Beyond.”. EFDSSCD13, Old Hat Concert Party – “Hardcore English” (2007. Various artists). Firebird FBR01, Phoenix – “After the Fire.” Old Hat Records OH-1, Old Hat Band - "The Old Hat Concert Party" (1986). Veteran VT130CD, Dolly Curtis (et al) - “Who Owns the Game: Traditional Songs and Melodeon Tunes from Central Suffolk”.
A Song For The South West (1851)
Benedict, Joseph (arranger). "Wait For The Wagon: A Song For The South West". Louisville, Kentucky: Peters, Webb and Co. (1851).
(First verse) Will you come my Phillis dearie to the wild mountain free,
Where the river runs so pretty, and ride along with me,
And you shall be so happy with your Jacob by your side,
So wait for the wagon, and we'll all take a ride.
(Chorus) So wait for the wagon, Oh! wait for the wagon,
Oh! wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.
Oh! wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride.
The South West version was popular enough that "Answer To Wait For The Wagon" was published in 1852, the first verse of which opens with:
I thank you, Mister Jacob, but I'm not inclin'd to go,
Your wagon is so clumsey, and your team so very slow.
Morris, George (words); W. Wallace (music). "Answer To Wait For The Wagon". Louisville, Kentucky: G.W. Brainard & Co. (1852).
WAIT FOR THE WAGON- Ethiopian Song
FOR THE PIANO FORTE BY GEO.P.KNAUFF
1. Will you come with me my Phillis, dear, to yon blue mountain free,
Where the blossoms smell the sweetest, come rove along with me.
It's ev'ry Sunday morning when I am by your side,
We'll jump into the Wagon, and all take a ride.
Wait for the Wagon,
Wait for the Wagon,
Wait for the Wagon and we'Il all take a ride.
CHORUS: Wait for the Wagon,
Wait for the Wagon,
Wait for the Wagon and we'Il all take a ride.
2. Where the river runs like silver, and the birds they sing so sweet,
I have a cabin, Phillis, and something good to eat.
Come listen to my story, it will relieve my heart,
So jump into the Wagon, and off we will start.
Wait for the Wagon &c.
3. Do you believe my Phillis, dear, old Mike, with all this wealth,
Can make you half so happy, as I with youth and health?
We'Il have a little farm, a horse, a pig and a cow;
And you will mind the dairy, while I will guide the plough.
Wait for the Wagon &c.
4. Your lips are red as poppies, your hair so slick and neat,
All braided up with dahlias, and hollyhocks so sweet.
It's ev'ry Sunday morning, when I am by your side,
We'Il jump into the Wagon, and all take a ride.
Wait for the Wagon &c.
5. Together, on life's journey, we'll travel till we stop,
And if we have no trouble, we'll reach the happy top.
Then come with me, sweet Phillis, my dear, my lovely bride,
We'Il jump into the Wagon, and all take a ride.
Wait for the Wagon &c.
Wait for the Wagon- Jimmy Dean
(Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride)
Will you come with me my Susie dear beyond blue mountains free
Where the blossoms smell the sweetest come rove along with me
Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride
Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride
Now it's every Sunday morning dear when I'm by your side
Hop into the wagon and all we will ride
Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride
[harmonica - fiddle]
Where the river runs like silver and the birds they sing so sweet
I got a pretty little a cabin hon and somethin' good to eat
Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride
Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride
Come listen to my story now it will relieve my heart
So jump into the wagon and off we will start
Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride
Wait for the wagon wait for the wagon
Wait for the wagon and we'll all take a ride
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