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Walking In My Sleep/ Walkin' in My Sleep
See also: Shear Em
Old-Time song and fiddle tune;
ARTIST: Source: transcription of The Prairie Ramblers ' Walking in my sleep' Vo 04010, recorded 25 February 1938 in Chicago. Reissued on The Prairie Ramblers 'Swingin' Down the Old Orchard Lane' Bronco Buster CD9038.
This is a cover of Casey Bill Weldon's 1937 version
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: Shear 'Em tunes; 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."
Meade traced the song back to the 1800s and Shear Em has been traced back to the Civil War Period 1864 (Brown Collection) [See also: Shear Em]. There's also an affinity of this tune with country blues guitarist Casey Bill Weldon's 1937 recording "Walkin' In My Sleep."
"Walking in My Sleep" has also been recorded by the Prairie Ramblers in 1938 and Al Dexter in 1940. The Prairie Ramblers version includes lyrics from Casey Bill Weldon's version. Below are the 1965 lyrics from Alice and Hazel with a hot band featuring Chubby Wise (fiddle), Lamar Grier (banjo) and Dave Grisman (mandolin). Uncle Earl's 2005 version is taken from from Alice and Hazel.
Alternate lyrics for chorus:
Walking in my sleep, babe
Walking in my sleep
Every time I go to bed
I wake up on my feet
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- Prairie Ramblers 1938 (Casey Bill Weldon 1937)
Source: transcription of The Prairie Ramblers ' Walking in my sleep' Vo 04010, recorded 25 February 1938 in Chicago. Reissued on The Prairie Ramblers 'Swingin' Down the Old Orchard Lane' Bronco Buster CD9038.
Chorus: Walkin' in my sleep
Walkin' in my sleep
Wasn't makin' no 'fore day creep
While walkin' in my sleep
The gal I love lives across the hall
With no clothes on
I seen another mule kickin' in my stall
With no clothes on
Oh walkin' in my sleep,
The door wasn't locked
And I walked in
With no clothes on
Chorus
The gal did scream and by heck
With no clothes on
When I got on the street, I had the wind around my neck
With no clothes on
I had to run, I just couldn't stand
With no clothes on
There's a cop behind me, had a gun in his hand
With no clothes on
Chorus
They took me to the county jail
With no clothes on
I had nobody to go my bail
With no clothes on
The judge said, "Oughter give you life"
With no clothes on
What you doin' in the room with this man's wife?
With no clothes on
Chorus (x2)
WALKIN' IN MY SLEEP Casey Bill Weldon 1937
CHORUS: Walkin' in my sleep,
Walkin' in my sleep,
Wasn't makin' no 'fore-day creep;
I's walkin' in my sleep.
The gal I love lives across the hall (with no clothes on).
I dreamed another mule was kickin' in my stall (with no clothes on).
Oh, walkin' in my sleep begins (with no clothes on).
The door wasn't locked and I walked in (with no clothes on). CHORUS
That gal did scream and by heck (with no clothes on),
When I got on the street, I had the window round my neck (with no clothes on).
I had to run, 'cause I just couldn't stand (with no clothes on).
It's a cop behind me, with a gun in his hand (with no clothes on). CHORUS
They took me to the county jail (with no clothes on).
I had nobody to go my bail (with no clothes on).
The judge said, "I oughta give you life (with no clothes on).
What you doin' in the room with this man's wife (with no clothes on)?" CHORUS TWICE
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