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Wolves A-Howlin'
Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA
ARTIST: Lyrics collected by Andrew Kuntz from various sources
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
EARLIEST DATE: 1800s
RECORDING INFO: Wolves A'Howling [Me IV-A26]
Rt - Rattlesnake and the Texas Pony; Sheeps and Hogs Walking Through the Pasture
At - Poor Little Darling
Rm - Pretty Girl Going Down the River; Rats in the Meat Barrel; Silver Spear
Bradley, Hank. 15th Aniversary Cassette. The Northwest Folklife Festival, NW Folklife --, Cas (1986), trk# B.13
Brown, John Alexander. Great Big Yam Potatoes. Anglo-American Fiddle Music from Missi., Southern Culture AH002, LP (1985), trk# A.11 [1939/05/12]
Brown, John Alexander. Fiddler Magazine, Fiddler Mag., Ser, 10/1, p41(2003) [1939]
Claunch, W. E.. Great Big Yam Potatoes. Anglo-American Fiddle Music from Missi., Southern Culture AH002, LP (1985), trk# A.02 [1939/05/10]
Collins, Earl. That's Earl, Briar BR-4204, LP (1975), trk# 10
Collins, Earl. That's Earl, Briar BR-4204, LP (1975), trk# 20
Collins, W. S.. Thede, Marion (ed.) / The Fiddle Book, Oak, Bk (1967), p133 [1930s]
Gellert, Dan; and Shoofly. Forked Deer, Marimac 9000, Cas (1986), trk# A.02
Goforth, Gene. Emminence Breakdown, Rounder 0388, CD (1997), trk# 9
Goforth, Gene. Fiddler Magazine, Fiddler Mag., Ser, 4/4, p37(1997) [1986]
Holt, Bob. Got a Little Home to Go To, Rounder 0432, CD (1999), trk# 12
Holt, Bob. Traditional Fiddle Music of the Ozarks. Volume 1, Rounder 0435, CD (1999), trk# 32
Molsky, Bruce. Lost Boy, Rounder 0361, CD (1996), trk# 1
Paley, Tom. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1984/11,p13 (Wolves Howling)
Pierce, Otis. Every Bush and Tree, Bay 102, LP (1975), trk# A.01
Stecher, Jody; and Kate Brislin. Song That Will Linger, Rounder 0274-C, Cas (1989), trk# 6b (Wolves Howling)
Stripling Brothers. Lost Child, County 401C, Cas (1971), trk# B.01 [1929/08/19] (Wolves Howling)
Stripling, Charlie Melvin. Fiddler Magazine, Fiddler Mag., Ser, 10/1, p41b(2003) [1929]
Stripling, Lee. Hogs Picking Up Acorns, Voyager VRCD 349, CD (2000), trk# 32
Wolves Howling [Me IV-A26]
Us - Wolves A'Howling
SOURCES: Folk Index; Kuntz; W.S. Collins (Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma) [Thede]; John Hartford [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; pg. 260. Thede (The Fiddle Book), 1967; pg. 133. Briar 4204, Earl Collins – “That’s Earl”. County 401, "The Stripling Brothers." Marimac 9000, Dan Gellert & Shoofly ‑ "Forked Deer" (1986). Mississippi Department of Archives and History AH‑002, W.E. Claunch & John Brown ‑ "Great Big Yam Potatoes: Anglo‑American Fiddle Music From Mississippi" (1985. Two different renditions, originally recorded for the Library of Congress in 1939). Rounder 0361, Bruce Molsky – “Lost Boy” (1996. 1st part based on John Brown, 2nd on the Stripling Bros.). Rounder RO-0388, Gene Goforth –“Emminence Breakdown” (1997). Rounder 0442, John Hartford – “Hamilton Ironworks” (2001). Vocalion 5412/02770 (78 RPM), Stripling Brothers (Alabama) {1929}.
OTHER NAMES: Pretty Girl Going Down To The River; Poor Little Darlin';
NOTES: The classic version is the 1929 Version by The Stripling Brothers. Stripling laso recorded a version of "Wolves A-Howling" in his home for University of Alabama professor Ray Browne. He learned it from an older fiddler, Pleasant C. "Plez" Carroll (1850-1930). Carroll was a member of a large family of fiddlers who lived a mile from the Striplings when Charlie began to play. "Wolves A-Howling was a Carroll family tune. Listen: http://www.arts.state.al.us/actc/compilation/wolves.html
Stamper's version is titled Betty Baker: Key of A, Fiddle tuned aeae. Recorded 1-6-77. It is related to a tune known in other areas of the south as Wolves A'Howling. It is a fine example of Hiram's use of the typical southeastern Kentucky fiddle technique of jumping from the open bass string to the open e string to add a nice rhythmical bounce to the tune.
Notes by Kuntz: A Major, G Major (John Brown/Bruce Molsky, Phillips). AEae (most versions), GDgd (John Brown) tunings. AAB (Phillips): AABB. Tom Rankin (1985) identifies the tune as one specific to the "Old Southwest", or the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Southwestern Missouri Ozarks fiddler Bob Holt (1930) learned it from local sources. Another Missouri fiddler, the father of Gene Goforth played “Wolves a Howlin’” and another tune called “The Howlin’ Wolves,” that was nearly the same. “His Dad swore up and down (that it) was different,” writes John Hartford (2001), “but Gene never could separate the two.” “Wolves…” was specialty tune of Tuscallosa fiddler Monkey Brown (1897‑1972) who was active in Alabama contest fiddling in the 1920's and 30's. It was a common tune in western Alabama, especially the Tombigbee‑Warrior region (Cauthen). The tune was one of several old‑time fiddle pieces listed in a 1925 University of Alabama master's thesis by S.M. Taylor entitled "A Preliminary Survey of Folk‑Lore in Alabama." Robert Fleder (1971) remarks that "Wolves Howlin'" has been collected in Mississippi and Oklahoma as well as Alabama, "but there is no reason to suspect that it is not indigenous to the Alabama‑Mississippi region.” Mississippi fiddler John Brown, of Tishomingo County, was recorded in 1939 playing the tune in GDgd tuning. He was over age 80 at the time. Some see resemblances to “Cotton-Eyed Joe.” See also Kentucky fiddler Buddy Thomas’s “Sheep and Hogs Walking Through the Pasture.” Little Jimmy Dickens recorded the tune under the title “Poor Little Darlin’.” The tune was played by Tom Sauber in Walter Hill’s 1980 film The Long Riders.
The first line of the lyrics, according to Rankin, is common in tradition, but the second is often composed at the whim of the source.
Wolves outside howl and a‑hollar
They gonna getch‑you
Bet you a Dollar ! (Unknown)
***
O don't you hear them wolves a‑howlin,
All around my poor little darlin';
Four on the hillside, six in the holler,
They're gonna get 'er, betcha a dollar. (Thede)
***
Don't you hear them wolves a‑howling,
Setting in the corner talking to my darling. (Rankin)
***
‑‑‑‑' Wolves a‑howlin'
All around my poor little darlin'
Can't you see those blue clouds flyin'
Poor little darlin', home a‑cryin' (or ‘hollerin’ and cryin’)
***
Wolves are, howlin', howlin', howlin'
Oh the wolves are howlin'
Howlin' found my...{stop singing} (John Hatcher, Mississippi)
***
Can't you hear them wolves a'howlin'
All around you poor little darlin'
One on the hillside, two in the hollar
Bet them wolves have done and got her.
***
Sheep and Hogs and walkin' thru the pasture
Sheeps said, `Hogs can't you run a little faster?'
Go on there and hush your growlin'
Can't you hear them wolves a'howlin'?
(Goldie Goforth, sister of fiddler Gene Goforth)
***
Wolves a Howlin’
From Kenny Jackson
Can't you hear them wolves a-howlin
all around my poor little darlin
four on the hillside, six in the holler
they're gonna get her, bet you a dollar
Can't you hear them wolves a-howlin
all around my poor little darlin
can't you see them blue clouds flyin
poor little darlin, hollerin and cryin
From Paul Mitchell:
I think that John Brown or John Hatcher sings the following stanza:
Can't you hear them wolves a-howlin
Poor little Mary home a cryin
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