Walking in my Sleep

Walking In My Sleep- Version 1
Tommy Jarrell 

 

Walking In My Sleep/ Walkin' in My Sleep

See also Shear Em

Old-Time song and fiddle tune;

ARTIST: Tommy Jarrell

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes

EARLIEST DATE: 1800s (Meade); Recorded by Dixie Reelers 1936

RECORDING INFO: Walking in My Sleep [Me II-AA31]

Rm - Boggy Road to Texas; Just an Old Rag in G; Trumpey's Hornpipe; When the Leaves Begin to Turn Brown

Brody, David (ed.) / Guitar Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1984), p147
Acuff, Roy; and his Smokey Mountain Boys. Fly, Birdie, Fly. 1939-40, Rounder SS024, LP (1988), trk# 1 [1939/06]
Baker, Kenny. Portrait of a Bluegrass Fiddler, County 719, LP (1968), trk# 2
Baker, Kenny. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p284
Burris, Otis; and Fortune. Otis Burris and Fortune, Heritage (Galax) 073C, Cas (1989), trk# 1
Clifton, Bill; and the Dixie Mountain Boys. Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Hollywood HT 105, Cas (1987), trk# 13 [1958?]
Cline, Curly Ray. Chicken Reel, Rebel SLP 1498, LP (197?), trk# 3
Curley, Clyde. Songer, Susan; & Clyde Curley (eds) / Portland Collection, Vol. 2, Portland Collection, Fol (2005), p221
Edmonds, Jimmie. 52nd Annual Old Fiddlers Convention Galax, Va 1987, Heritage (Galax) 704, LP (1988), trk# 5
Fraley, J. P. and Annadeene. Brandywine '83. The 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Brand..., Heritage (Galax) 054, LP (1984), trk# 1
Hazel And Alice. Who's That Knocking, Verve/Folkways FVS-900, LP (1966), trk# 1
Hooven, Greg. Tribute to Fred Cockerham, Heritage (Galax) 079C, Cas (1993), trk# A.05
Jarrell, Tommy. Pickin' on Tommy's Porch, County 778, LP (1984), trk# 7
Johnson, Vesta Wilson. Now That's a Good Tune. Masters of Missouri Traditional Fiddling, Grey Eagle 101, LP (1989), trk# 8 [1988/09/07]
Maddox Brothers and Rose. On the Air, Vol. 2, Arhoolie 5033, LP (198?), trk# 10
Mainer, Wade. From the Maple on the Hill, Old Homestead OHTRS 4000, LP (1976), trk# A.05
Old Virginia Fiddlers. Old Time Fiddle, Patrick County, VA, County 201, LP (1977), trk# A.06 [1948]
Pine Ridge Boys and Patsy. Stringband Music from Mt. Airy, Heritage (Galax) 029 (XXIX), LP (1981), trk# A.04
Robertson, Lonnie; and the Caney Mountain Boys. Square Dance Fiddlin', Caney Mountain CEP 213, SP (196?), trk# 1c (Brown Leaf Rag)
Robertson, Lonnie. Lonnie's Breakdown. Classic Fiddle Music From Missouri, Rounder 0375, CD (1996), trk# 34c (Brown Leaf Rag)
Robic, A; and the Exertions. Old Time Music Dance Party, Flying Fish FF 415, LP (1987), trk# 1a
Silberberg, Gene. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p207
Smathers, Luke; String Band. In Full Swing, June Appal JA 032, LP (1981), trk# 14
Smith, Glen; & the Mountain State Pickers. Glen Smith and the Mountain State Pickers, Kanawha 322, LP (197?), trk# A.01
Stinnett, Cyril. Mahoney's Reel, MSOTFA 105, Cas (1992), trk# 3
Sutphin, Kirk. Old Roots and New Branches, County CD 2711, CD (1994), trk# 11
Uncle Earl. She Waits for Night, Rounder 0565-2, CD (2005), trk# 1
Virginia Playboys. Galax Virginia; Old Fiddler's Convention, Folkways FA 2435, LP (1964), trk# B.11 [1961-63]

OTHER NAMES: Walkin' in my Sleep; Brown Leaf Rag

RELATED TO: Boggy Road to Texas; Just an Old Rag in G; Trumpey's Hornpipe; When the Leaves Begin to Turn Brown


SOURCES: Folk Index; Kuntz

NOTES: Walking in My Sleep was copyrighted by Fiddlin' Arthur Smith in 1937. Since it was recorded by the Dixie Reelers in 1936, Smith's claims to the song lack merit. The tune is an adaptation of Shear Em (See Shear Em) as is the Bob Wills' tune "Take Me Back To Tulsa."

Also recorded by the Prairie Ramblers in 1938 (based on Casey Bill Weldon's 1937 recording- See: Version 3) and Al Dexter in 1940. Below are the 1981 lyrics from Tommy Jarrell taken from Kuntz with corrections by me.

The tune was in the repertoire of the early 1940s Walkertown Washboard Band according to Bob Carlin in his String Bands in the North Carolina Piedmont: ‎  
 
Mostly, the youngsters played fiddle tunes like "Chinese Breakdown," "Flop-
Eared Mule," "Walkin' in My Sleep," "Bully of the Town" and "Peekaboo Waltz."

The band featured members of the Sutphin family that were related to Piedmont fiddler Kirk Sutphin.

Notes from Kuntz: WALKING IN MY SLEEP [1]. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; western North Carolina, southwest Virginia, east Kentucky. G Major. Standard tuning. AB (Silberberg): AABB (Phillips). The tune has been called a Blue Ridge area standard, though Tom Carter and Barry Poss (1977) believe it was a relatively late addition to the traditional fiddler's repertoire of Patrick County, Va., "though one which most of the older fiddlers learned." It is known as a Surry County, North Carolina, regional tune, and was, for example, in the repertoire of Otis Burris; a rather "powerful and pretty" version was collected from Esker Hutchins of Dobson, North Carolina.

Source for notated version: Dudley Spangler (Va.) [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; pg. 160. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; pg. 165. Chubby Dragon CD1008, Brad Leftwich, Bruce Molsky et al – “Mountairy.usa” (2001). County 201, The Old Virginia Fiddlers‑ "Rare Recordings 1948‑49." County 778, Tommy Jarrell ‑ "Pickin' on Tommy's Porch" (1984. Learned from Pate Martin in the late 1920's or early 30's). County CO-CD-2711, Kirk Sutphin - "Old Roots and New Branches" (1994). Heritage 054, J.P. Fraley ‑ "Brandywine '83: Music of French America" (1984). Mountain 301, Kyle Creed‑ "Blue Ridge Style Square Dance Time." Rebel 1498, Curly Ray Cline‑ "Chicken Reel."

WALKING IN MY SLEEP [2]. Old‑Time, Bluegrass; Breakdown. G Major. Standard tuning. AABB (Phillips): AA'BB (Brody). Source for notated version: Kenny Baker [Brody, Phillips]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 284. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; pg. 160. County 719, Kenny Baker‑ "Portrait of a Bluegrass Fiddler." 
 
Walking in My Sleep (Tommy Jarrell, 1981)

Pain in my fingers, pain in my toes;
Pain in my ankle bone, I ain't a-gonna work no more.

CHORUS: Walkin' in my sleep, baby, walkin' in my sleep;
Just down the Dixie line, just walkin'in my sleep.

When you see that gal of mine, just tell her if you can,
When she goes to make that bread, to wash those dirty hands.

When you see that gal of mine, just tell her if you please,
Its whener'd you go to make up dough, roll those dirty sleeves.