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Whoa Back Buck/Whoa Haw Buck and Jerry Boy/
Bluegrass and old-time song and breakdown.
ARTIST: Song from Mississippi, in Dorothy Scarborough, 1925, Negro Folk-Songs, p. 187, "On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs," facsimile reprint by Folklore Associates, 1963.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Whoa Back Buck: 1920s; 1934 copyright
RECORDING INFO: Whoa Back, Buck [Me II-T21]
Rt - Tighten on the Backband
1. Lomax, John A. & Alan Lomax / Folk Song USA, Signet, Sof (1966/1947), # 67 (Whoa Buck)
2. Bartlett, Johnny. Thompson, Harold W. / Body, Boots & Britches, Dover, Bk (1939), p255 [1880s]
3. Canova Family. Goin' Up Town. Old Time String Bands, Vol. 2, Marimac 9111, Cas (198?), trk# A.02 [1930/12/05]
4. Cooney, Michael. Still Cooney After All These Years, Front Hall FHR 016, LP (1979), trk# A.02
5. Donegan, Lonnie. Lonnie Donegan, Dot DLP 3394, LP (1961), trk# A.03
6. Falderal String Band. Step Right Up... Free Show Tonight!, Hen House, Cas (1996), trk# B.04
7. Grossman, Bob. Bob Grossman, Elektra EKL-215, LP (1961), trk# A.03
8. Leadbelly. Lomax, John & Alan Lomax (eds.) / Leadbelly. A Collection of World Famou, Folkways, sof (1959), p68
9. Leadbelly. Lomax, Alan / Folksongs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p532/#282
10. Rooftop Singers. Good Time!, Vanguard VRS-9134, LP (1964), trk# A.02 (18, 19)
11. Tenenbaum, Molly. And the Hillsides Are All Covered with Cakes, Cat Hair, Cas (1994), trk# 7a
12. Volo Bogtrotters. Tribute to the Appalachian String Band Music Festival, Chubby Dragon CS 1001, Cas (1995), trk# B.02 [1994/11/07]
Whoa Buck
Us - Whoa Back, Buck
Tighten on the Backband
Rt - Whoa Back, Buck
13. Addiss and Crofut. Such Interesting People, Verve V6-8519, LP (1963), trk# 7 (Back Band)
14. Hinton, Sam. Sam Hinton Sings the Song of Men, Folkways FA 2400, LP (1961), trk# 1
Whoa! Ha! Buck and Jerry Boy
Sm - Turkey in the Straw
1. Lomax, Alan / Folksongs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p334/#172
2. Calicanto Singers. Days of Gold!, Calicanto, CD (1999), trk# A.11
3. McCurdy, Ed. Mormon Pioneers, Columbia Legacy LS 1024, LP (1965), trk# A.04
4. Sorrels, Rosalie. Songs of the Mormon Pioneers, Festival LB 2582, LP (196?), trk# B.01
5. Welsch, Roger. Sweet Nebraska Land, Folkways FH 5337, LP (1965), trk# 1
NOTES Whoa Back Buck: Whoa Back Buck was recorded in 1931 and is related to "Whoa Haw Buck and Jerry Boy." Leadbelly is sometimes credited for the song but it is traditional.
"Whoa Haw Buck and Jerry Boy," according several sources, is based on Turkey in the Straw. The song is probably closer to Whoa Back Buck. Here's some info from the ballad index on "Whoa Back Buck":
DESCRIPTION: The experiences of a poor farmer. He describes his fieldwork methods ("Sometimes I plow my old grey horse..."), the crops, his gal's big feet, the dances they went to together, etc. Possible chorus: "Whoa back, buck! And gee! by the lamb!"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1925 (Scarborough)
KEYWORDS: work horse farming poverty floatingverses
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Randolph 281, "Couldn't Raise No Sugar Corn" (1 text, 1 tune, which might be separate since it lacks the chorus)
Scarborough-NegroFS, p. 187, "Last Year Was a Fine Crap Year" (1 text)
Lomax-FSUSA 67, "Whoa Buck" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax- FSNA 282, "Whoa Back, Buck" (1 text, 1 tune)
Arnett, pp. 168-169, "Whoa, Back, Buck!" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greenway-AFP, p 72-73, "Oh, My God, Them 'Taters" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #10060
RECORDINGS:
Anne, Judy, & Zeke Canova, "Whoa Back Buck" (Romeo 5043, 1931; Regal MR 457 [as "Whoa Buck, Whoa" by Three Georgia Crackers], c. 1931 )
Lulu Belle & Scotty, "Whoa Back Buck" (Conqueror 9587, 1940)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Song of the Pinewoods" (floating lyrics)
cf. "I'm a Rowdy Soul" (floating lyrics)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Tighten on the Backband
Notes: The Lomaxes credit this to Lead Belly, with some new material of their own. (What else is new?) However, the fragment in Randolph strongly implies that Lead Belly did no more than reshape traditional materials -- and then the Lomaxes reshaped THAT.
It is on this basis that I include Greenway's song "Oh, My God, Them 'Taters" here. Greenway's song is just a fragment; it is possible that it is part of a longer song -- or that the Lomaxes borrowed its lyrics. - RBW
LAST YEAR WAS A FINE CRAP YEAR- From Scarborough
What a spontaneous expression of romance and realism is found in a song sent from Mississippi by Wirt A. Williams! The "mulie" referred to here is not a mule, as urban readers might ignorantly suppose, but an ox without horns.
In my opinion the title should be "Last Year Was A Fine Crop Year" and the word "crap" should be replaced by "crop" throughout.
1. Last year was a fine crap year
On corn and peas and 'taters;
My pa didn't raise no cotton and corn,
But, oh, good Lord, the 'taters!
Chorus: Haw, Buck, haw, Buck, haw!
Who made de back band? Say you don't know?
Soon as I git my crap laid by
I'se gwine home to Julie.
2. Last year I ploughed de horny ox,
Dis year I ploughs de mulie.*
Soon as I git my crap laid by
I'se gwine home to Julie.
*'mulie' is an ox without horns. Song from Mississippi, in Dorothy Scarborough, 1925, Negro Folk-Songs, p. 187, "On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs," facsimile reprint by Folklore Associates, 1963.
A fragment also found in Randolph, "Couldn't Raise No Sugar Corn," coll. 1916, no. 281, vol. 2, Ozark Folksongs.
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