Jeanette Edwards Interview with Mary Westmoreland, Sonny Cash, and Joann Cash (part four)

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This is the fourth part of a four-part recording. This part begins with Sonny Cash playing banjo and singing. 24:50: At this point, Cash discusses his grandmother raising him because his father was in the army. He then talks about the log cabin he lives in with his wife and son. Edwards asks for help finding someone who knows tales and stories. 28:38: The rest of the recording consists of Cash playing banjo and singing Green Valley, Blue Ridge Mountain Blues, Lamp Lightin' Time in the Holler, The Bad Bulldog from East Tennessee, and The Cabin in the Mountains. Sonny Cash (1936-2020) and Joann Cash (1946-2014) had one son, Stephen (1966). Additional biographical information about the Cashes and about Mary Westmoreland has not been determined. On October 14, 1967, with tape recorder, tapes, a little money, and a lot of anxiety, I set out to collect some folklore. I had decided to drive to Cleveland, Georgia, which is in White County, referred to in its Chamber of Commerce brochure as "Gateway to the Mountains." Indeed it is the gateway to the mountains. The leaves were in full color on my first two trips. White County is interesting historically as well as aesthetically. The county area was inhabited by the Cherokee Indians before its settlement by the white man. Though the Cherokees were an intelligent people, they were unsophisticated in the ways of the white man, and had no knowledge of the value of their land. This cheap land served to attract white settler~ White County was first settled in the Town Creek portion of the county. The Indians called this area Tesnatee, which means "Wild Turkey." It is located in the northwestern part of the county. In the early 1800's, sixty-one families came from Burke,County, North Carolina to settle in the Nacoochee Valley which is Just east of the middle of the county. The White County area officially became White County in the mid-1800's after having been a part of Habersham County since its settlement. In 1820 while White County was still a part of Habersham, gold was found near Duke's Creek - the first gold found in the State. Gold was mined here for a century and was responsible for drawing many people, not only from other states, but directly from the Old World as well. Though many minerals have been found in the county, only gold and asbestos have been mined in large quantity. Iron was mined during the years of the Civil War for the purpose of making Joe Brown ,bayone ts. I had been advised to attend the Fall Festival held yearly in Cleveland to find souroes for collecting. When I found the fairground, I first looked at the goods on display. There were dried flowers, canned goods, handwork, apples, pumpkins, ceramios, jewelry, antiques and a pottery-making eXhibit, just to name a few. The most interesting part of the festival was the potter's instructions on making pottery, but his way was not the "old" method. He looked extremely professional and his prices were absurd. The longer I stayed, the more courageous I became. Finally, I asked for songs or tales at the Eastern Star Exhibit. Unfortunately, I ran into a real "ham," who took up too much of my time. She sang unmercifully for about twenty minutes (not on tape). Her repertoire consisted of old movie tunes and children's songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider, Up the Spider Spout." No subtle attempt such as raising my hand or saying, "Uh, uh, uh," stopped her. She resorted to closing her eyes to me as she sang to avoid being disturbed. After enduring this, I determined to show more aggression. The county ordinary, Mr. Roy Sadderfield, and one of the women at the eXhibit, Mrs. Davis Abernathy, proved very helpful. Mrs. Abernathy sent me to Miss Mary Westmoreland in Robertstown for some tales. Miss Westmoreland's name is pronounced "Wes-muh-lan " which is similar to the English pronunciation of the English area "Wes-muh-lun" spelled exactly the same way. Miss Westmoreland's house is not an example of folk architecture. It is simply a poorly constructed box-like dwelling with a double garage attached to it. The steps to the door are stone and the way up them is uneasy. The house is located outside the town of Robertstown along the side of the river which seems to be a tributary of the Chattahoochee. On the same lot is another larger house in better condition. Both dwellings are very close to the road leading to them and to each other. A highway runs along the opposite side of the river. Trucks can be heard on the tape as they pass the hou~. The inside of the house is blue. I do not know that I have ever seen a dirtier dwelling. In the living room, there are two couches, one straight-backed chair, one rocking chair, and two tables all of which are in relatively poor condition. The table on which I placed the recorder during the first visit was extremely dirty, and cobwebs were draped across the legs of the table from top to bottom. The couches had throw pillows on them. The covers of the pillows had been crudely made using bright-colored cloth and white thread for the loose stitches. During the second visit, Miss West moreland'was lying on one couch with hand-made quilts on it. A portion of the one big room is separated by anthickcurtain from the "living room". The separate portion of the room serves as the bedroom. The house has a very strange odor. It smells vaguely like bacon in that it has a rather salty smell to it. My mother has described the sme 11 as "poor folks." On the first trip the house was so warm that breathing was difficult. The house is heated by a wood stove. The second visit was much more comfortable. On my return trip to Miss Westmoreland's house, I found her ill. She said too t she had been sick since I was there before which was about three or four weeks earlier. She seemed to want to help me even though I offered sincerely to leave and not ~rouble her. I felt very good about the whole session. She coughed and spit phlegm into a tin can beside the couch, but we both enjoyed the afternoon. She, unlike my other informant, is not demanding of any more than the enjoyment of the reminiscing and the company. Miss Westmoreland is an extremely thin (perhaps only ninety pound) white-haired woman of eighty-one to eighty three. She complained on my second visit that she was unable to eat. Though she was obviously ill and weak, she seemed still spry for her eighty plus years. On both occasions her cotton dresses and sweaters were slightly soiled. She wears glasses and her remaining teeth look healthy. On my first visit to Miss Westmoreland's house, I told her that I had been sent by Mrs. Abernathy, and that I had been told that she might tell some tales or sing some songs for me. She denied that she was able to help me. She said that she had once known some tales and songs, but that she had forgotten them all. She persisted with her denial through my attempts to refresh her memory by naming some songs and tales. After we relaxed and talked a while, she began to remember and offered to tell some of her stories to me. She also remembered two songs. The songs, I feel, are very well done for a woman of over eighty. Though I'm not certain that I know what "modal" key means, I think that perhaps these are done in a modal key. Her syyle and the key produce a mournfill feeling which I associate with mountain people and their sad ness. Miss Westmoreland impressed me as a very sad woman. She never married and all her friends and family have died. She says she's neVer lived, she has just breathed. Her manner is short, and I got the impression that she probably is a very independent and efficient woman. Though she was not as "friendly" or perhaps as warm as my other informant, I was very much aware that she liked me. My visits with her seemed to be mutually enjoyable and I have a great deal of respect for her. When I came'.! back into the house after getting my recorder, a man who had been sleeping on the bed in view of the living room, had awakened and was standing in the middle of the room sans teeth. I greeted him asking him how he was. When he replied that he was better, I inquired as to his health. Miss Westmoreland said that he was just tired since he had made 150 gallons of mash the day before. I SUddenly felt that I must have won the confidence of my informant. On my second visit, a woman, the man I saw on my first visit, and another man came into the house. The woman and the new man stared at me and particularly at my cigarette. The woman stayed and the men went on an errand. None of these people were involved in the tape except the woman. Her name was Cary, and she lived next door. I understand that she looks after Miss Westmoreland when she is ill. On my first visit to Miss Westmoreland on October 14th, she recorded for only a short while and then appeared to want to stop. She began to tell me about people who once told tales and sang songs and told me most of them were dead. She sent me to find another woman whose son told me that she was almost deaf and that she would not be of much help to me. Frankly, I was just as happy not to get involved with trying to record from her. Her son, Garland Vandiver, was very helpful though. He referred me to Sonny Cash who, he said, knew llall 'em old uns. 1I I drove to Sonny's house which is located in Sautee, Georgia one road on the Cleveland side from Duke's Creek. His converted log cabin house is across a large field and some wooded area from Mt. Yonah on Which Nacoochee and Sautee supposedly met their deaths. When I arrived, Sonny was working on an old car. He invited me in cautiously and introduced me to his wife Joanne and his one-year-old son Stephen. We talked for a short While and he agreed to play his gUitar for me. Long into the interview he mentioned some of his records. This worried me some, but I do not believe that his whole reper toire came from recordings though I am certain that his "Wildwood FloweI'" came from a Carter Family recording. He has his own group which plays for dances. He told me that his grandmother who raised him played the gUitar. He also mentioned that an uncle of his taught him many songs. His uncle is still alive and he has promised to introduce me to him. I felt that I had extremely good rapport with Sonny from the beginning. I noticed on the tapes that I picked up the "twang" quite easily, and the remnants of traditional interests from my grandparents served to impress Sonny that I knew a little about the style of his life. Sonny, more than Miss Westmoreland, reminded me a great deal of my relatives both in speech and in manner. Sonny's house has electricity and gas, but no water or phone service. The house itself was once a log cabin, but it has been modified and enlarged. In the liVing room where we sat to record, there was a couch, a chair, an end table, a teleVision set, a phonograph, and a playpen. There was also a gas heater which sat in fron~of the old fireplace, the bricks of which had been painted red. On the mantle was a picture of Joanne. There were souvenirs scattered about the room, most of them from the Smoky Mountains. On the walls, they had a picture, or print, of'uthe Last Supper, an antique mirror in a gold frame, Sonny's framed honorable discharge from the Army, and their framed marriage certificate. Both times I was there, once alone and once with Tom Lang, Sonny made certain that we were comfortable and offered us soft drinks and food. He also inVited me on both occasions to come and spend the weekend with them. He prefaced his invitation with a caution to me to be careful in putting all this work in my head. He said I needed some rest, and that staying with them for the weekend would be like cutting off the switch. There are gaps in the tape. Some of these were cleared up the last time I saw Sonny, but he was no altogether able to fill them in. Apparently he just sings as he remembers the verses, and does not remember the same ones each time he sings it. Sonny gave us some information about himself on the tapes. (See transcription) In comparing the two informants, I found collecting from Miss Westmoreland to be easier on the whole. I had Sonny's strong will to deal with. He seemed to be unwilling to consider my need to get all the material on tape. For example, when my tape ran out, he would stop as I had requested, but he would start his song again before I could get the tape rethreaded. Miss Westmoreland was not overly fond of the recorder, but she did realize my purpose for recording. Perhaps Sonny was more interested in his present than in his potential audience. I found that Miss Westmoreland was better able to speak freely and well when I left the recorder on throughout the session. By not having to watch me fret over the recorder, she was able to forget its presence and perform, or speak, more freely. Sonny needed to be reminded that he was being taped. Hedid not project his voice as well when he forgot the recorder. Hence, the second tape on Miss Westmoreland,and the first tape on Sonny are the best ones mechanically. Sonny's wife and child presented problems. The baby gurgled, screamed for joy, cried, and jumped in his play penj and his wife occasionally sang along, noreof which enhanced the quality of the recording. By the time I made the second trip to Sonny's, I had listened to the previous tape and had become aware that something had to be done about baby Stephen. I think his crying, etc. added to the atmosphere; but I felt that the value of the atmosphere and the value of getting the material on tape undistorted both had to be considered. On my second visit I played with Stephen by offering him carkeys, bracelets, etc., by swinging him up and down on my crossed leg, by making faces, and so forth. The result was that I was only half aware of Sonny's perfor mance, and Stephen still screamed - this time with delight. The attempt was very stressful for me and did not help with the collection - a lesson learned! Sonny is a much better performer than Miss Westmoreland in general. He smiles when his audience appears to especial~ appreciate a song. He sang directly to me during the first visit. The second trip was in general a bad day. Neither Tom nor I felt excited about the collecting, and commented that the trips that we had made separately and previously were more enjoyable and productive. Tom did not Veel that Sonny could be called "folk" and I was very concerned since time was so important. Tom and Sonny did not have extremely good rapport. Somehow I feel that Tom presented more of a threat as a city man than I did as a city woman. On this second trip Sonny was not as enthusiastic about performing. He was also perturbed with me for not coming alone and spending the weekend with them as they had asked me to do on the first trip. When I began the search for some folklore, I felt rather guilty about "robbing" traditions. I have no logical reasons for backing my feeling, but I do feel that there are some possessions that should not be tampered with and that printing oral traditions is somehow an affront to the people who possess them. By the time I had finished collecting, I had seen that the people did not seem to mind; and I enjoyed meeting them and being with them so much that I felt rather proud of the fact that I had been responsible for collecting their oral traditions. Following is a transcription of the material I collected. Please play Tape A, Side I first. Thenplay Tape B, Sides I and II and go,~ back to Side II of Tape A. I regret that I did not reserve one tape for each. I learned a lot about planning from this project TRANSCRIPTION OF THE TAPES Throughout this report, the following notations will be used to indicate the speaker: W - Miss Mary Westmoreland, Robertstown, Georgia S- Sonny Cash, Sautee, Georgia J - Jeanette Edwards, collector T - Tom Lang, collector C - Cary, neighbor of Miss Westmoreland, Robertstown, Georgia The tapes were recorded at 7~ ips in all cases. In the case of Sonny Cash, it was impossible to leave space between the songs since he performed continuously without a pause. Preceeding each section of the transcription is the name and address of the informant and the date of performance. Miss Mary Westmoreland Robertstown, Georgia October 14, 1967 W: Wulluh, once they ~uz uh (when you git ready I'll s ) 'twas a house that was ha'anted, anothern, and they wouldn' anybody stay in that house and they, it ud jar at a certain hour ever evenin' at sebm o'clock, an' ever mornin' at sebm o'clock the house would jar. ~d the people didn' know why, " what wuz uh cause, an' some people, there was a young man said he'd stay an' see, an' see if he could find out what it was. An' so he went one nite an' he got in'fore sebm o'clock and he was in uh west wing, an' it jarred at sebm o'clock. An' he slept an' spen the nite and was up before sebm the next mornin', it jarred uh same time, an' 'en it, the next mornin , Well, he stayed another dayan' nite an' it did the same thaing. An' he thought he'd solved the problem. An' he called this man, or went an' told this man 'at owned the house, to braing six men an' some shovels an' picks an' mallets and they'd find the cause. An' uh, they went to diggin' rite at the cawner 0' the house, at the west waing where the jar, biggest jar was. An' they dug on out, they's a rock, the way it was, the railroad run over a ledge 0' rock, way on out frum the place an' as it, as uh train went over that place it ud jar the house. An' they dug 'til they,-- it wuz deep, it wuz deep whur they first started diggin' an' jus' got almos' to the top 0' the groun' when, gin 'e got on the railroad it wuz almost t' the top, well that solved that problem an' it uz somethin' like that, uh well anyway that uz uh what they was 0' that one. An' then I've told know a lot of 01' just 01' tales that just 01' people's told about thaings. I wouldn' know exactl~ ~t Well, I can tell ya one about a pinertcollector's note: panther)- that's real. (collector's note: Here I stopped the tape to keep from wasting it and then decided to get the sto~ anyway) that nite an' he didn' leave the mill 'til after dark, an' he had his turn' meal on 'is shoulder an' he wuz goin' up here 'bout a mile above here up the road an' he noticed uh leaves wuz a shakin' on the groun', the sha the shadow from the trees wuz a-makin' a movement on the ground 'at he didn' like an' he looked up an' ther's a panth~ a-settin' up in the tree right over 'im an' it jumped down on 'im an' the sack 0' meal saved 'is life. It wuz a-clawin' at 'im an' he had a long knilife in '1s belt an' he just stobbed the pinter to death on, with the knife an' is meal an' all of it fell off together. So he left the pinter a-layin' thar an' went someplace an' got somebody to come an' they carried the panther off. But that wuz real - that happened right above here about a mile. An' that's all I know about that one. St op. Oh, Dermit you look health an' well, Your dress is neat an' clean, I never see you drunk about Oh tell me where you've been. Your wife an' fam'ly too are well You used to use them strange But you are kinder to them now, How came this happy change. It was a dream 0' long remorse That heaven sent to me To snatch me from a drunkard's curse, Grief, woe, an' misery. I dreamed I once was staggerin' ho Oh, what an awful dream, I missed my wife, where could she be An' strangers in the room. I heard them say, poor thaing, she's dead She's lived an awful life. Grief woe, an' miseries broke 'er heart To be a drunkard's wife. She is not dead I faintly said An' rushed to where she lay I madly kissed her warm small lip Forever cold an' clay. Oh Mary, Mary, speak to me I know I gave you pain, I'll never trouble your lovin' heart. I'll never git drunk again. Oh Mary speak, 'tis Dermit's call, Why so I do she cried An' when I woke my merry dear Was standin' by my side. I pressed her to my troubled breast, While tears of joy did stream, An6 ever since dear Heaven's blessed For sendin' me this dream. I thank, I , that's all 0 1 that one. - J: Oh, I like that very much. W: Y' ready? J: O.K. Yes ma'am. W: Miss Adair, since I left that city, I find I've changed my mind Oh please don't pay me a fickle, Or deal me the least unkin' I find you heard it" J: I don't believe I have, no maIm. W: I find we're both mistaken I know you'll never suit me I freed my heart for another Miss Adair I hope you agree. Please send me the I give you Please send me the ring I gave you My photo too is fair And be so kind as to free me From a little flirt, Nell Adair. Ups. I forgot I received your letter Dear Charlie, The last one you'll ever write me, I've read it over an' over, And, of course, with you I agree. I rather know you wuz happy With that you flirt Miss Gray I've heard all about it dear Charlie And knew it would end this way. Yhere is your ring dear Charlie, Don't give it to her I pray Unless you tell her it was once mine I've had it a year today. A year ago', today, love, Twas a brite happy day for us both, You swore you would never farsake me But I find you untrue to your oath. Here is your letters, deal Charlie I burnt mine all as 'ey came An' I hope without readin' yours over,You'll commit them at once to the flame. You don't need them, dear Charlie, to remind you Of words you've spoken untrue But as you request them of me I'll return them at once to you So now, good-bye dear Charlie Un - My letter's almost to an end But remember I'm always an' always Farever an' farever yore friend. That's all. J: Ah W. I guess them two's 'bout all I know fer it (collector's note: I can't get even the syllables here) that. Wait 'til I thaink about it. J: Uh" ha. W: Cut if off just a secon' J: Ha, ha, O.K. W: I wanna than' (cut it off) Well, once they wuz a house that was ha'anted an' the one that owned the house couldn' get anyone to live in it an' he said he'd offered a thousan' dollars to anybody that ud a solve the mystry. An' a man, he an' his son come by one evenin' an' wawnd a place to stay an' he told 'em uh . they'd stay, stay in that house he'd give anyone a thousan' dollars that ud solve the mystry. If they'd stay in that house they could. An' ley said well anythaing t' git out a' the rain. An' the gathered up some pine knots an' build 'em a fire, cooked thur supper on a fire ani laid down in uh cawner t' sleep. They wuz a big light in uh fire place an' they wuz a starway an' after while they heard chains a-ringin' n' rattlin' upstairs. Ani the boy wanted t' run an' the man said no theyld stay see what it is. Aniley kept comin' nearer In' nearer an' dreckly they started down uh starway. An when 'eh got inside it was a big all 'coon. An' 'e went o~ anI out at the door acrossed uh road an' over to the other house an' 'e had a house over thar an' he went into 11 when the next mornin' (Phone rings) they man come to see 'em (phone rings) an' 'e told 'em what it was an' it was a 'coon anI she had a nest 0' little young coons up in uh attic. (See who that is on uh phone. You coulda answered 'at.J Mr. Sonny Cash Route 1 Sautee, Georgia October 14, 1967 S: Oh, come all you young people An' listen while I tell Stop. Oh, come all you young people An' listen while I tell The fate of Floyd Collins The lad we all knew well lIs face was fair an' hansum. His heart was true an' brave But now-uh he lies sleepin' In a lowly san'stone cave. An' on that fadal mornin' .. No. Sautee, Sautee, Sautee, she cried, Over the cliff she went On the cruel jagged rocks below These 10vers J life was spent. On the lonely mound at the riverts edge In uh shadder 0' the spuce pine trees, Sautee by the side of his beautiful bride Shall rest to eternity. One evenin l gettin ' late We uz a-waitin' at the gate I ask her if she'd marr 1 me in the fall. But she only turned away An~qothint did she say, An' that mean aggervatin' Lula Walls. Shels a darlin 1 , she's a queen She's a purtiess t thaing I've seen, She I s a darlin, she's an ange I from above If she'd only be my Wife, We'd be happy all our life Ani that mean aggervatin' Lula Walls. She's a darlin' she's a queen, She's a puritess' thaing I seen She's a darlin', she's an angel from above. If she'd only by my wife W'd live happy all our life An' that mean aggervatin l Lula walls~ Well, bury me beneath the willow Under the weepin ' willow tree That is when you say you're leavin l That your love will always be. " So bury me beneath the willow Under the weepin' willow tree Bury me beneath the willow Under the weepin l willow tree. I never will marry I'll be no man's wife I plan to stay saingle The rest of my life. The fish in deep waters Will be my death too The fish in deep waters Swim over my head. One mornin' I'd rammel Down by the seashore The wind it did whistle An' the waters did roar. I heard a fair dempsel Make a pitiful sound It sounded so lonesome O're the waters around. I never will marry I'll be no man's wife I plan to stay s~gle The rest of my life. I never will marry I~ll be no manls wife I plan to stay saingle The rest of my life. -; I am an 01 1 time bachelor My age is forty-four I donlt believe 1 1 11 ever live With women anymore. My cher cost ten cents My table cost fifteen I eat my stuff outa 01 1 tin cans An' keep my place so clean. Oh little Paul Shanty, it is to me Oh little Paul Shanty it is to me I am an 01' time bachelor My age is forty-three. An' when I go to sleep at nite I don't do any harm I don't have to-o walk the floor With a baby in my arms. An' if I git to heaven I won't have to stop ani wait Anl ask all St. Peter, If my wife could make it late. Oh little Paul Shanty, it is to me Little Paul Shanty, it is to me. I am an 01' time bachelor My age is forty-three. Now John Henry he was a brave 01' boy A settin' on his mammy's knee Said if I live and do not git killed Hammer's gonna be tlhe death 0' me Hammer's gonna be the death 0' me. John Henry got sick an' had to go to bed An' (This line is not understandable and Sonny could not remember it) They sent his wife they called Polly Ann Well, she drove a hammer like a man, Law, Law She drove steel like a man' Will you wait for me little Annie? When the birds have gone to rest When the birds an' the bees are a hummin' Wait fOr me, springtime won't be very long The summer comes on the mountain An' the robin red bres' saings uh sweetes' song. An the birds an' the bees are hummin' Wai t for me, springtime won't be very long 2- Oh she taught me to love her an~ called me her flair. An' she cherish me over through life's weary land. I awoke from my d~am my idol to see All portions 0' love had all gone away. Tape A - Side I.continued. Miss Westmoreland is the speaker W: Anybody has to work to git a college education, most ~, 'em do. J: Right. W: But, I guess it's worth it . . J: Lemme see 'f I can. W: . . . in a long run. J: Yes, ma'am, I sure would like to thimk so. W: Huh? J: I sure would like to think so. W: Ehuh.J: Uh, I'm talking to Miss Mary Westmoreland, ah, Miss Westmoreland, I wonder iffyou would tell me, first of all, start off with tellin' me the date you were born and where an' then tell me a little bit abdt your uh experience. W: Well, it's suh mUCh, I've had so much experience it'd take me two weeks to tell it all. J: Laughter W: Uh, well I was borned October the twenty-eightt, eighteen and eighty-five, I reckon, the way it says on uh tombstone of my mothers. I, my mother died the day I was born. J: Uh-huh W: An' when I went to git uh, you know, when I drawed the o~ age benefit, well I had a 10 a hard time a-gittin' it an' they wouldn' take this uh on uh tombstone an' they's a lady down here, one 0' my cousins in Helen an' uh she knew that, age, y'know. Well, it uz a been eighteen an' eighty-seven, way:ishe had it. But anyway, between eighty-five an' eighty seven. Nineteen eighty-five an' eighty-seven. An' my parents wuh, my gran'mother took me an' raise me. I was raised by my gran-parents an' an 01' maid aunt. ,jJ: Uh, huh W: An' I stayed on with them til they died. Gran 'parents died 'en the 01' maid she . I stayed on with her 'til she died. Cough. I took care 0' her an' uh she raise some more childern of her sister's an' we all stayed kinly togeth~ an' I Just had a hard life all uh way through, had it hard. J: Where was 'is. I, I believe you tol' me you were born in uh aroun ' Spoilcane Creek. W: Yeah, on Spoilcane Creek. 'Bout three miles above here. J: An' you've lived in this area all your life? W: Yeah,';ve lived here ever since. They brought me"to this place, not this place but they was another 01' place down here on the river. They brought me here the day I's well I day or two after I was born. J; Uh-huh. W: An' been here ever since. An' my daddy he married another woman an' raised a bunch of childern up here on uh creek an' 'en he moved over out in Oklahoma. An' I never went with him. I feJ:t like my duty J: Yeah.W: wuz to these people 'at raised me. He'd never done anythaing far me. J: Yeah. W: An' I stayed with my 01' aunt 'til she died. An' 'en I jus' stayed on an' uh these boys 'at she raised, an' I'm still here. They're all dead an' gone an' I'm still here. J: Did you go to school around here? W: Ehuh, I went to school here at Robertstown at uh just a grammar school, I nevi went to high school. Cou~h. My sisters went to high school at Demres' (Demorest), an' to college. They finished college at Demres' down here. J: Umhm. W: But uh, they finished, no, they hadn' finished when my daddy went to Oklahoma, but when they finished, they went on out to his, to whur he lived in Oklahoma, but I didn't go. I didn't uh have, well, I had time uh, uh, I didn't wanna leave 'at 01' woman 'at raised me. She'd had a hard time if I'd a lefit3her. An' he come back after he uz gonna go to Oklahoma, wan'd me to go with 'im. I ask him would uh, did he thaihk I oughta leave her an' go with him or stay. An' he says no, I wouldn' leave fer. Says she raised you from a day-ol' bab~ J: UMhm. W: An' I'd stay with fer. Says I couldn' ask you to go. Course, he help me a lot after 'e got to Oklahoma. Sent me lots 0' money back, but I never had, he'd never done nuthin' far me up 'til then. He had a bunch of his own, an' I jus' stayed on with her an' I'm still here. Yeah, I've had a J: Yeah. W: Yeah, I've had a hard road to weed but I. I told her (says this to the neighbor warming at the fire) I've hoed corn from the head 0' Spoilcane Creek tUh down here in the valley, I " '~; mean down here at Helen an' allover Helen thar whur this little town is an' out Duke's Creek to the Duke' Creek Bridge out thar. J: Whew. W: An' allover, an' allover here where the lake is, allover in 'ar. I've hoed corn in every field, I guess, 'at's in 'is country, 'at's round about in this settlement. J: Did you, do you mean that you did that to make money, or. W: Hoed corn for people. Yeah, twenny-five cents a day.J: Twenny-five cents a day? W: Twenny-five cents a day. Yes, I did. J: O-oh Miss Westmoreland. Could you buy a lot then for twenty-five cents a day? W: I really did do it Could you buy a No, you couldn' lot? buy.a lot", but it helped. J: Uh W: Huh? (neighbor says something inaudible even at the time of the recording, or at least not heard by the inter viewer). I hoed corn for people from Helen allover eh an' I've plowed an' I've oh, I've built fences, an ' I've done ever'thaing, I guess 'at anybody could do that peopae does. J: How old were you when your grandparents died? W: Uh, well I wuz uh just in my teens when they died. J: How 'bout when your aunt died? W: 'Ell I was long I don't remember just exactly how old I was when she died. She's been dead, I guess I's around forty years old when she died. J: Yeah. W: Cough, uh, she had uh. She was sick for several years) she had high blood an' she'd have strokes, you know, an' I wouldn' let her out a my sight a minute. I thought when she got fifty years old she uz too 01' to do anythaing. Ididn' thaink she ough~a do anythaing, an' I jus' run around after ler.cW: An' uh but on uh, after long when she uz 'bout sixty I guess, or sixty-five she begin havin' paralytic strokes an' I wouldn' leave 'er a minute. W: I wudn outa from up here at this place for eight years. Frum the time she had her first un til the time she died, I I wuzn' out frDII this house. I stayed . I didn' go to the store. Ibelieve I did go to the store twice. They uz some 01' lady come an' stayed with her til I go to the store. An' that's all time I wuz out. J: Boy, you really stuck with 'er then. W: An' I stayed right with 'ere Yeah. W: Any of 'em wuz sick, I hung with 'em til they died. J: WelL W: Yes, I've had a hard life. Still have it hard, but it's for my, for me, for it to be that way I reckin.J: Yes ma'am. W: Cough. My parents died, my daddy died several years ago in Oklahoma. He lived to be niney-eight. W: An' when he died . an' he was somewhur in his early forties when he married, an' he ux ni~ll-eight when he died. An' he's been dead several yeans, an';my stepmother, she lived to be niney-five, an' I went out thar 'en six or sebm years ago (clears throat) they wuz two 0' the childern jis' little, when they left here. They couldn' remember ever li~fn' here. Thur baby one.uh, it wuz jus' amusin' to them to hear about So they both been down to see me since then y' W: They can't imagine how people lives hyere. W: I tell 'em well they breathe, that's about all. t fall an' 'is wife. lived, y'know. He y' see. a brea . My baby brother come las' We went up on uh creek whur my daddy said, my daddy come from Californy here, W: An' he said he couldn' imagine why he come over thousan' an' thousan's 0' acres an' miles 0' level land, an' stuck up here on a creek in a log in a rock cliff. I said, I can't either. I can't imagine why people settled in this place. But I uz settled here an' I couldn' git out. I had to work an' do, help, do the best I could. But, he just fuswd about it. I says well 'e lived. He said, no he didn't. 'E just breathed. 'E said they didn', they don' live around here. Said nothin' to live onl. W: Coughing. Well, out there y'know they 'an just git any kind 0' work they want to an' it's nice an' level an' it's not like these 01' hills. J: Miss Westmoreland, where did you learn the songs that you sang for me? W: Whur'd I learn 'em? Well, I don't remember whur I learnm 'em, I jus' picked 'em up here an' yonder. They used to be (cough) a bunch of folks lived up here on the river, Martins they called 'em. They'd learn songs y'know, an' I'd learn 'em from them an' that's a way I learned 'em. An' this uh I don't remember. I thaink I learned about all I know from them. An' they, I don' knowfrmuther they'd make 'em er whuther they uh anyway, they'd I, they'd saing 'til I learned. J: Laughs. W: An' I've got a book an' it's not, i's 'bout a quarter of a mile frum here, but I cain't git it an' it's full of songs. It's uh the Saingin' Fam'ly, they called it an' they'd make up songs y'know an' just make 'em as they went an' they uz wonderful. 'N' uh, one 0' my neighbors up here, she's dead now, she barred it an' she tol' me the last time I saw 'er before she died, it uz up her in uh house, but I cain't git it. W: But 'ere's a lot 0' songs in that before that y'know that I've forgot. braing 'em back to mem'ry. . book that I'd know~ If I could see 'em it'd W: '" but I just kinda forgot. Cough. But these songs I don't remember whur I learned 'em. Jus' from this un that un an' uh other one an' it seems though that that Charlie Brooks song come out in a book or a sumthin'. But I know I, the tune was to it. Oh, I don't remember then uh, I use ro stay with a lady, Miss Burnette an' I thaink she learned me this uh Drunkard's Dream, I b'lieve it wuz her. She'd pick a guitar y'know an' sing. J: Yeah, that first one's called the Drunkard's Dream? W: Drunkard's DreamJ: And the second one's called Charlie Brooks song. W: Yeah, Charlie Brooks. Yeah, 'at's all I know it don't know whuther it had a title but I jus' learned a way. by. I it that J: Have you always lived i~ place that had electricity like you have now, an' gas. J: Have you always lived someplace where ther's been electr~ city an'L,gl;lsi;ah' i'). W: Oh no, just been late years since 'e 'ad 'lectricity. J: How long have you had it? W: Uh, 'ow long been, 'bout twenty-five years (to neighbor) W: Yeah, we just had little oil lamps y'know. Didn't know nothin' about lights. J: I know I y'know I thaink they're oil lamps are pretty, but I bet you don't, W: Oh no, I couldn' see to git across the house with 'em. I've got 'em. I've got one a-hangin' up thar an' one over yonder on the table an' the lites goes out y'know, they lites goes off an' I lite my lamps. W: But, uh, no I couldn' see, I 'on know how on earth we seen. The nite they put the lites in I remember. They uz a church a-goin' on an' they all went to church but me, an' I said I'm gonna clean this kitchen. An' that wuz the dirtiest kitclm I ever saw when the lights come on y'know. W: They uz dirt in 'ar never have been seen. W: I's workin' at 'lebm o'clock when they come back scratchh' (laughs) shelves out whur they uz dirt 'n' dust had set. Ye~ It's not been too long since we had lights an' gas. Gas's b~n 'round not too long ago. We don't have it. I had a gas hea~ in here one winter. I couldn' keep warm with it, I had it took out. But, cough, we just had a little oil an' I tell you. Way back when I'uz a child we didn' even have lamps. We had a little 01' lamp about that big (measures off about six inches on her hand) an' we had pine knots in uh fire, we 'ad a fireplace. W: An' we'd throw pine knots in uh fire y'know an' we'd weave an' card an' spin, knit, by them lights y'know. Had a loom out, had a petition between the houses, big 01' loom. We'd weave blankets 'n' coverlets 'n' everthaing on 'em, cloth to make clothes out of y'know J: Does anybody around here still do that? J: Loom.W: NO-o, they don't do it n'more. They've all got too I don' know. They jus' dont'. I don't know of they's a loom 'er two around I believe (cough) but I don't know who's got one. I know one 0' my cousins 'at I's tellin' yah 'bout that 01' lady, she's got a spinnin' wheel that y' spun on, she's got it, but she don' have a loom. Her sister had a loom, but I don't knowwho's got it an' my stepmother give me a loom when she left hyere but another womern got it an' I never did git it. : Yeah, we'd put a pine knot in uh fire, we'd go up on uh mountain of a evenin' an' git pine y'know. W: An' throw uh knots in uh fire an' make big lites all over the house an' some ud card, an' some ud spin, an' some ud weave an' knit an' 'ist all a-doin' all uh time. W: Ehuh, cooked an a fire .::LiI'tL'.member 'e cooked on a fireplace. I 'member the firs' cook stove w'ever had. An' we got one 0' my uncles moved off an' 'e had a stove an' 'e give it to us, an' I waw, they put uh pipe out thu the top 0' the house an' I'd git out an' watch the smoke come out thu that little stove pipe, yeah. W: You don' know nuthin. (Coughs, laughs4 Yeah. An' I couldn' wait fer urn t' cook on 'at littll stove. Yeah, had skillets an lids, an' pots an' cook on uh fire. En we'd uh we'd set by the fire, work. (Pause.) All our work wuz don' mos' ly at nite. We'd work in uh field in uh daytime. We'd work 'en at nite in uh house. J: You worked all day in the fields? W: Yes, ever day. J: What were the hours, How early would you start an' how W: Well, anytime after we'd git the thaings done at uh house y'know. Milk the cows, feed the chickens, the pigs an' an' everthaing, somethin' like eight o'clock go to the fields an' come in 'bout twelve an' cook dinner. Go back t' fields come in at nite, an' 'en the cows ad run loose in uh mountains, we'd go out an' hunt the cows, braing them in, cough, milk 'em. Oh, we had a time. J: Wht did you do to play. My mamma use' to tell me about takin' the chickens in the chicken coops an' tuckin' their heads under their wings an' doin' 'em around and around an' W: Yeah, twist 'em roun', got to sleep. J: around an' they'd git dizzy. Laugh. W: Yeah, they'll do that, they'll just lay there til uh you take their heads out. Sometimes they'll take their heads out. Yes, we've done that a lot. We use' to have a lot 0' geese. "Ey's uh deep hole down 'ar in uh river an' you'd thow corn in uh river an' 'emmgeese ud dive down in the bottom an' git it. An' that wuz the young folks's passtime m Sunday evenin's. W: A lot of 'em'd come home with me from church y'know an' (cough) after dinner, we'd take corn down 'ere an' throw it n at river. Jus' set on the river bank an' watch 'em geese duck down in 'ar. They'd go way t' the bottom, git that grain-- y'know the river'd be clear. Now, these days never clear'"blt it wuz then. W: An' they'd git that corn an' come up an' that wuz our passtime on Sunday evenin'. An; then 'is job come up here, the train, they run a little train up here. Oh, lots 0' trains. Used a train come rite up by here. An' lotta trains did) several of 'em 'en a little passger train come's fer as Robertstown down here fum Gainesville. "N' 'en on Sunday evenin' we'd catch that train go down to Gainesville, y'know an' back. 'At's all, we'd have that fer passtime. An' they's camps, they's thousands 0' people livin' here up on these rivers 'round here. 'Es camps as thick as 'ey could be with men in 'em workin' (cough) Gittin out timber. Yeah, the railroad went rite through this field, an' I rode a many a time on 'e 01' log train. We, I use' to cook way on uh head 0' the river fer a bunch 0' men, my cousin~. We come out on Saturday evenin' an' git the log, git on the log train an' come out on. I jus' done everthaing I guess anybody ever has done. J: Have you were tellin' me the las' time I was here about dumb dinners or something. W: Oh, yeah, dumb suppers.J: Tell me 'bout that again, yeah. W: Cough. Yeah, they'd go out, cough, girls would ylknow a couple 0' girls ud git out to thurself, like to the kitchen, er somewhur, they'd cook, they cooked on fires, I told you. W: An' they had to go backards and do everthaing they done. An' they'd go backards an' make up a little corn dough Y'kno~ An' pat it down on a shovel 'at you had fer the fireplace. An' theY'd go backards an' put that shovel in uh fire an' let that little cake bake. 'En they'd go backards, take it ro the table, b an' they wouldn' speak, uh, not a tall, not a word. Put it on uh table. An' 'en they'd si' down, one at each end 0' the table, an' the ones at they's gonna git married to would come in at the doors y'know. They'd opm the doors. Theyls be usually two doors to the kitchen, coug~ an' the boys ud come in at uh doors. An' I had a cousin anI her girlfriend, they cooked a supper one nite an' her brother anI his brother. Both the girls ' brothers knowed they's gonna cook it, but they didn' know that they did. So they stayed hid out ylknow Itil they got it ready. They come in at uh doors with thur coats over thur heads. Laughs, like to scared 'em to death. One of 'em fainted. yeah, an' 'en theyld do another thaing. They'd got to a old house 'at wadn't nobody lived in (clears throat) 'long Ibout dusky dark anI take aShes __ The girls would) an' 'ey'd go 'roun l that a-sayin l , I forgot what they said. Hemp I strow, Hemp I mow, let my true love, no, Hem I strow, let my true love come behind an' mow. An' the boys ud, theyld look aroun~,.theyld be some boys a-comin' in behind 'em y'know. An' up on aft~creek whur my daddy raised his kids why, they's a bunch up one nite 'at tried lat. An' some boys, they found that out. They thought they had it all secret, but these goys follered 'em, jumped rite outa the woods behind lem ylknow anI scared 'em near t' death, so they didn' try that nlmore. Yeah, they played all kinls 0' thaings. Now, they's one woman, said that, they lived way over in yonder somewhur and uh they was an' old house, 'ey said was hal~ted an' they wouldn l let anybody go to it after dark, an' they wuz a bunch 0' young folks at this girls' house anI they said 'ough they uz gonna give a big prize, anybody'd that ud go to it in the nite, y'know, that they knowed woula. Cough. AnI this woman said that she's aw she wadn't afraid 0' nuthin', said she told 'em she'd go to it an' they said she, they bet she WOuldn't. She bet lem she would. Well, in the evenin' before it wuz nite they's about a mile t l that house an' a little trail, ylknow went through the woods to it. An' they went, I'on know how come 'em t' do that, but they laid a red pepper pod, did y'ever see pepper a-growin'? J: Sure did. W: Well, they'd lay a pod a' pepper ever s' fer along on 'at trail y'know, an' they laid three pods on the porch a' that house. Well, they said whoever went would pick up that pepper an' braing it all back, an' wull then they'd know they went. Well, this woman went. She said as she went along, ~hy she had a little lite, a little pine torch an' she'd pick up the pepper in uh road, what she'd see an' she went on t' the porch an' picked up that pepper an' 'ad her apern an' she prought it all back. Well, they knowed then. They asked her if she heared an'thing. Said, no she didn't wait to hear nuthin. Said she jus' picked that pepper up an' (cough). W: Well, she wadn't scared. 'Ey said 'ey'd always been somethin' heard at that house. Well, rite over here on Duke's Creek, they said they's uh, they use t' be people 'at said they's a baby, they could hear a baby a-cryin' up. They's an 01' ditch dug aroun' 'ar. An' said some 01' woman 'ad had a baby an' thowd in 'at ditch. That's what they'd tell when I's a kid. An' they'd a-hear it a-cryin' up night. An' one a' my uncles lived over on Duke's Creek an' 'e had some girls an' I went home with 'em one day from church an' we's a comin' back that nite in uh wagon. An' we's a-lisnin' t' he~ that baby. We knowed it'd scare us t' death if we did. But anyway, an 01' screech owl begin to sQPe~eh y'know rite above us. S,/,,'''' 1 W: One a' the girls begin t' mawk it an' it come an' lit ri~ that way (chuckles) with us. An' so we didn't hear the baby but the owl scared us nearly t' death. Yeah, she'd mawk the owl 'n' it'd jus' come rite on to 'er. Yeah, said uh people'd pass 'ar ud hear that baby cryin'. J: Who An' this wuz up near Duke's Creek? W: Over. yonder on Duke's Creek, yeah it uz out towards Duke's Creek, frum here not too fer, two, three miles. W: frum here. gain' on. I've seen wuz in the wind-up. Oh, they's been all kin's a' thaings boogers, but I'd find out what they J: How 'bout uh, we were talkin' about uh, well I know my gran'mother use' to greaze my chest when I had a cold, with coal, turpentine, an' grease. I wonder if you have any more remedies that you, you use. We were talkin' 'bout W: Yeah, yeah, we put uh Kerosene oil. W: Lamp oil W: On, an' uh Vick's saive an' thaings like that I put some on my chest when I got so bad with this. Eh, yeah we just had all kinds 0' 01' remedies an' they'd make tea outa ever 01' thaing y'know, uh they'd ginsaing (?) they'd dig that an' make tea fer uh stomach trouble an' lady-slipper, they called it. J: What's 'at for stomach trouble? W: Yes, it wuz stomach, ginsaing, y'know it, you an git a way up yonder, twenty-five er thirty dollars a pound fer that nuf now. J: Ginsaing? W: Ginsaing. It's grows in uh mountains y'know. W: An' uh theY'd uh use 'at fer some kind 0' stomach trouble an' 'en they's lady-slipper called it nerve root fer the nerves an' anybody'd git nervous they'd make uh cup 0' lady slipper tea an' an ye jis' go t' sleep an' uh also Penny Royal. J: Penny Royal? W: Penny Royal an' uh they'd make didn' call it nerves then y'know. wuz 'en I's growin' up. 'at fer the nerves, they They didn' know what nerves W: They uh, anybody's nervous 'ey cal said it uz hysterics an' had hippo an' thaings like that. : Yeah, yeah, they'd have the hippo an' uh hysterics an' everthaing else. Didn' know what a nerve was til 'ese late years. I didn' know what nerves was 'til I had 'em myself I had 'em one time til I's almost crazy, many years ago. But, uh, the people, 01' people just doctor fer everthaing, jus' fer 'ith any kind 0' 01' weeds. Git out an' git 'em. Cough. An~dy got sick ~ever called uh doctor. W: Just go on an' doc an' lot 0' times, my gran'mother was ha'f Indian. Her mother was a In Cherokee Indian, my gran'mother's mother an' she knowed all 'em 01' remedies, y'know. Everthaing 'at the Indians knowed, she did. A~' they called her, Aunt Peggy, an 'ey called 'er an' she uz uh doctor then. Anybody got sick, 'ey'd run after her an' she'd gather up 'er, 'er herbs an' roots an' away she'd go, an doctor. Yeah, she wuz a real Indian doctor. J: Do you remember any more of the remedies she used? W: Well, I don't know, they's lady slipper, an' penny royal, an' amber fer the blood, like chuldern,uh red alder bark an' uh wil' cherry tree bark. They'd git that y'know an' boil it an' make us draink that. Red Alder, j~s' bur, tre bark off of it an' she, wil' cherry tree bark. An' thaings like that an' 'en they'd give us sulfur an' surp, I guess your mother 'er gran'mother's told you 'bout that, I thaink that, I've heard 't on telvision lot 0' times 'bout a man 'at eat molasses an' sulfur y'know. W: An' uh they'd give us sulfur an' surp in uh spraing an' 'ey'd give us sassafras tea. That was to thin the blood t' keep frum havin' high blood. J: Yes ma'am, I'm very familiar with sassfras tea. I got a lot of it poured down me. Laughs. W: They give us that, we take a lot 0' that an' an' red alder bark an' thaings like that 'n' in the spraing, tonic they'd call it y'know W: An' we'd take differnt thaings. I've took 01' stuff til I'd be so sick,(cough,) of it. All the boughtmed'cine I ever tuck uz tincture of iron, y'know. W: Fer the blood. They'd give us that. So many drops 0' that. An' I never did, never uz well. I uz almost died when l's a baby, they said they set up with me, oh I don't know, till's almost a year older maybe more. Thought I would die. I never did have no health. I jus' drug along all m' life, cough, more or less an' for the las')well about when lIS about thirty years old, I broke down, jus' plum down an' I've never had no health since. Stagglin' 'long without been to doctors an' doctors an' doctors an' took everthaing could be thought about. But I worked on. I had pellagra, y'know pellagry W: You've heard of it I guess. J: Yes ma'am, 'Scuse me just a minute. Lemme uh, we're runnin' outa tape, lemme give it a change. Tape B: Sides I - Summary Miss Mary Westmoreland Robertstown, Georgia November 24, 19~7 On this tape, Miss Westmoreland gave me some superstitions, all of which she believes in. Following are the superstitions. 1. Black cat bringirg bad luck. 2. Walking under a ladder brings bad luck 3. Seven years bad luck will follow if you break a looking glass. 4. If you start anywhere and must turn back, you have to make a crossmark and spit in the crossmark to prevent " having bad luck 5. If you clean your yard on Monday, some of your family will die. 6. If a rooster crows at night, someone will die. If the rooster is killed, the luck changes. 7. A crowing hen is a sign of a death. Killing the hen changes the luck8. If you sweep under the bed when someone is in it, the person in the bed will die.is ill, they will die. 9. If you remove ashes from the fireplace when someone 10. If you remove ashes from the fireplace and place them outside the house between Christmas Day and New Year's day, a family member will die before the year is over. 11. Red clouds at night mean fair weather; red clouds in the morning mean foul weather. Miss Westmoreland then told me about the fact that there were witches at one time. She then said she didn't understam how people could stop blood. She said that a man was at her house one time when she cut herself, and he stopped the blood by running his hand over the wound. She also said that there were people around who could stop poison ivy. She then told about someone's having cured a bad burn for her. She calls this witchcraft. Miss Westmore land then said that "fever weed", a plant with a yellow bloom which grows in the fields, would cure a fever. Boneset (?) was mentioned as a cure for fever. It grows in the mountains on a bush. Along the "cures" line, she mentioned Godfrey's Cordial and Batesman's Drops, apparently "bought" medicine, for dyssentery, etc. Batesman's Drops were good for fever. Miss Westmoreland then told about a doctor who was in practice in the area a few years ago who used crotan oil to blister the skin off the patient to cure him of pneumonia. He never lost a case. Miss Westmoreland san~ "Kentucky Girl" on Tape B, Side II. ~ark unto me sinners (While I relate ( What happened in Kentuoky State A dear young lady lately died She fell b'low her wealth an' pride She once professed, her Lord to know, But on an' on in sin did grow She went on hopes, when 'er hopes did fail 'Til death a'mortal did prevail AnI then upon her dying bed, She called 'er friends an I this she said My parents all have prayed for me' That my poor soul might happy be But now they need not pray no more, My soul's in hell farever more But now they need not pray no more, My soul's in hell farever more. She called 'er brother anI sister too Now I must bid you all adieu. But remember, oh, remember well Yore darlin l sister's gone to hell. Harken to me sinners, this warnin' take And all yore sins you must forsake An' all yore evils do despair Believe the Lord, an' be baptized. Sexton tales were then told. Old Sexton was a woodsman. These are tall tales and the only tales I collected from Miss Westmoreland which I feel are real "tales." There are four of these Sexton tales on this tape. Mr. Cash sang the following songs: The Bully 0' the Town - Banjo esse James - Banjo ,),' A Banjo tune picked. Tom and I noted that it was a Scottish bagpipe tune, seemingly. Comin' Through the Cumberlands - Banjo tune [Arkansas Traveler)- Banjo tune Baby-o - Banjo tune with few lyrics Whistlin' Rufus - Banjo tune Barefooted Boy with Boots On - Banjo' AV 1' 1; " Little Maudey - Banjo !JAA "1 Banjo tune to which he sang only "Love peach pie, 'n' love tatah puddin'; Give it all away t' kiss Sally Gooden. ll. I'm Free Little Bird - Banjo, repetitive insignifica~ lyrics I;., ,r Sonny then told us about being raised by his grandmother who taught him his songs. He also mentioned an uncle who was responsible for teaching him many songs. His grandmother played the gUitar. When I asked him where he learned to play he said that he couldn't remember ever not playing the guita~ He bagan to sing again:' Hobo's Paradise - a funny song - Banjo H),/\(.\ 13. Grandfather's clock - Banjo (J\MV' '0 14. Ditty - Boil 'em cabbage down, boys - Banjo 15. Ditty - Uncle Lee's got a 'coon an' 'e's gone on - Banjo ' 16. When Springtime Comes Again At this point, Sonny's wife Joanne told a mildly tall tale. 17. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues - guitar 18. The Bad Bull-dmg from East Tennessee - guitar //Ii/"'(I 19. Story accompanied by guitary Story of the absurd. 20. Burvme JBeneath the Weepin' Willow - guitar 21. The Cabin in the Mountains Sonny sang the following accompanying himself on the guitar: Road to Prison" from a Sacred Harp hymnal. A hffin about Baby Moses~ A song about a wandering boy In that Little 01' Cradle Of Mine.Will You Wait for me Little Annie(first line) - Hymn - Goin' Home to Glory (Iii;";,';,,,) Oh What Does That Deep Sea Say Down In the Valley (Some "real good pickin''')- Goin' to the Lord. I'm Jest Here t' Git My B~by Outa Jail - does not sound like folk music. """ Lv.," " I/[',)! lWreck 0' the 01' Ninety-Seven) Do Lord - on request Away in a Manger - not the familiar tune, and lyrics Hymn - about the crucifixion of Christ. Sixteen Tons - for fun, not the cOllection White Lightnin' Hey, Good Lookin' - Hank Williams, on request. ??? Knoxville Girl Little Mary Fagan - only a portion Hank Williams song on request - portion only. So Lonesome I Could Cry Johnny Cash song - he does a good imitation. Bobby Bear song - only a portion Cotton Fields Turnin' Home Lamp Lightin' Time in the Holler Moonshine, Moonshine Makin' on the Sly A song about men dying in war. During this recording session, the microphone was on a trash can on the floor. I thought I had found an ingenious way of keeping the microphone stationary without holding it. The microphone was stationary, but the trash cau, which was metal, picked up all the vibrations. Sonny's foot can be heard plainly tappingon the floor. Until we put the baby in the play pen, he rolled around in his walker on the floor making the first song almost inaudible. Portions of the tape are not understandable. Sonny was able to fill in some spaces for me, but was unable to remember the lyrics in some instances. I have left blanks since the syllables were covered by the sound of the banjo or the guitar. As mentioned earlier, Sonny forgot about the tape recorder and was unable to be heard as plainly as on the first recording. The transcription follows: S: Dh, there goes the bUlly of the town, town, town, Drivin' a wagon an' a~leadint a 01' coon Boun' Said to his friends I'll never let you down, Ah, thar goes the bully of the town. Dh thar goes the bully of the town, town, town, Thar he's a-leadin' a-a aI' coon houn' Said to his friends I'll never let you down, Ah, thar goes the bully of the town. Repeat once again as the last verse. J: I tell ya what Stevie. Let's move over here, o.k.? S: If you'll set him rite over thar in 'at. Lemme git you situated so Daddy 'an do sumpn. You're workin' an' workin' - you never git uuthin' done. Now you can set rite over here just a minute an' it won't hurt a thaingo Un just set here an' suck yer bottle. Here it is here. Just set down 'an Jus' suck ah bottle J: What was the name 0' that one? S: The Bully 0' the Town. That was a old 'un. What about Jesse James? J: Jesse James? S: Ever heard 'at? s: ,Jesse James was a man He travelled through the land He robbed from the Glendale Train For he an' 'is brother Frank 'Ey robbed uh Chicargo bank But they laid pore 01' Jesse in uh grave. They tal' Jesse's wife She mourned for his life The chuldern they were brave But the dirty little kiard (coward) that shot Mr. Hiard (Howard). Well, he laid pore Jesse in tis grave Well, Jesse had a wife 'At mourned for 'is life 'Is chuldern they were brave, But the dirty little kiard that shot Mr. Hiard Well, f e laid pore Jesse in 'is grav6 0 One Sayrdie nite when Jesse was at home Wasn' expectin' a thaing But Robert Ford, the dirty little kiard He laid pore aI' Jesse in 'is grav6G Well, Jesse 'ad a wife Who mourned for 'is life His chuldern they were brave But the dirty little kiard 'at shot Mr. Hiard An I 'e laid pore Jesse in 'is grave 0 T. & J.: Wow, Sharp. I like that T: Pickin' it out just fine. S: It soun's 'til '.ey come fiddle tunes. good lough lith 'at 'ough. Shoot that, Jenny Lynn an' all gittar an' thuy, they 'at stuff. fiddle. I wushed you'd stay play. Now we play all 'em 01' J: Can you play 'em on the banjo? S: Yeah, uh .J: I mean can you just, like S: I play. Oh, by myself? s: Don't sound as good lough 'til y' git 'em. S: (He picked out a banjo tune and gave no name) J: Groovy. S: (Picks out another song) J: What was 'at one you just played? S: Here's one 'at's called uh Comin' Through the Cumberland. Now 'at's a old tune. (Picks it out) T: ?,??, Scottish wartime bagpipes? J: Yeah, I noticed that T: Same tune, same thing. See? S: (Picks more) That's really the 01' time way thar. It's with the Arkansas Traveler. You ever heard 'at? J: An' that's called Arkansas Traveler? S: Yeah, Stephen. Black-eyed Suzie. 'At's old. Love my wife an' love my baby Love iny biscuits sopped in gravy. J: What was that one? T: Black-Eyed Suzie Whasat now? (Beginning with this statement, please check to Jcertain that I haven't left a portion of the tape out. I have only be in, pages of transcription to type from since the tapes have been handed my I am unable to check) and S: (Hums) Whatcha gonna do with the baby-a? Take him to his mamy-o. T: Mammy-a? S: Yeah. (Resumes picking) Whatcha gonna do with the baby-o, Take him to his mammy-o. Way up yonder the cow bells raing Way down yonder uh jaybird saings. By-o-boun' the baby By-o-boun' the baby-o. Way up yonner uh cow bells raing Way down yonder jay bird saing By-o-boun' baby By-o-boun' the baby-o. Way up yonner cow bells raing Way down yonner the jaybirds saing. When uh baby cries when I come hom T'night I'm gonna . (unable to understand) Mother won't let (unable to understand) By-o-boun' baby, By-o-boun' the Baby-a. (continues to pick banjo quietly.) J: What is 'at now. What did you do different? T. He's wearin' different things. See, 'e hadn't got the same things on his fingers. He 'an strum with his fingers now an' slide right over 'em. S: 'At's call Whislin' Rufus. S: They uz one 0' the boys 'at use' to play with me, hadn't played with me 'n 'about three years 0 He come 'bout thirty minutes after you lef' an' stayed 'til three o'clock Sunday mornin , J: Good Lord have mercy. S: Pickin'. All we done uz made music. s: One a' mah_friends 'at use' to play with me over uh radio (At this point, Tom and I dropped our teeth) Now 'e can really play an' saing. Y'awna hear 'nother old'un1 Barefooted boy with boots on Came a-runnin t down the street His hands were in 'is pockits, An' 'is boots were full 0' feet He uz born when he wuza baby His gran'maw's pride an' joy His only sister was a girl An' his brother wuz a boy. Never knew thur ages Never knew thur ages An' 'ey didn't seem to care They knew they had a birthday comin' o them ever year They never knew thur father's age But 'ey always had a hunch That he wuz born b'fore thur time An' the oldest 0' the bunch An' when they died an' at thur feet The names they could not tell The girls all went to heaven An' I don' know 'bout the boys. The boys keep away frum the girls, I say An' give them plenny of room, When you're wed, they'll beat you 'til you're dead With a balled end of a broom. Boys keep away from the girls, I say An' give them plenny a' room When you're wed, they'll beatcha 'til you're dead With a balled end of a b~oom. Oh where have you been Little Maudey Oh where have you been Little Maude Have you been away 1 ? ? (not understandable) Oh where have you been Little Maude? Little Mau~aude, Little Ma-aude, Where have you been little Maude? 'Ell the birs wern' asingin' an' the bells wern' a ringin' Oh, tell me where you've been little Maude. Oh whur have you been little Maude Oh whur have you been little Maude The bells arn' a-saingin' an' the bells arn' a-ringin' Whur have you been little Maude. Little Ma-aude, Little Ma-aude Whur have you been little Maude 'Ull the bird warn' a-saingin' an' the bells warn' a-raingin' Please tell me whur you been little Maude. Love peach pie 'n' love tatah puddin' Give it all away t' kiss Sally Gooden. Love peach pie 'n' love tatah pUddin' Give it all away t' kiss Sally Gooden S: Us see uh. I'm free little bird, as I can be I'm free little bird, as I can be I'll never build my nest on uh groun' I'm free little bird, as I can be. Take me home boys t'night, take me home Take me home boys t'night, take me home Take me home boys t'night, for my head is feel in I lite, Take me home boys t'night, take me home. Repeat last vers e; . I'm gain' an' I'm never camin' back Oh, I'm gain' an' I'm never camin' back I'm gain' an' I'm never camin' back, ah no Take me home boys tlnite take me horneo I'm free little birq,ascI can be, I'm a free little bird, as I can be. s: Them's just 'bout iz aI's you 'an git thar Sonny, didn't you tell me that you were born up here? Where were you, I mean, uh, where d 1 s: Up across the mountain here. J: What did your folks do? S: Well, uh, m' daddy, he 'us in uh Army. He stayed 'n uh Army 'til 1946, and uh I uz mos'ly raised by my gran'mother. My mother, while, while my daddy wuz in the Army, she worked at uh par-chute plant in Gainesville. An' uh so when he come up they went out 0' the Army, they went to Virginia an' lived up 'ar awhile an' I stayed with my gran'mother. J: Lemme turn this thing up. T: This house? j;" S: This house? T: Yeah, you've added on to it, 'er was it added on to when you got it. S: It uz added on to when I got it. T: You hartu' been in here too many years have you? Four, five years" s: Been livin' here since '57. T: Was it like 'is when you got it? I mean, was it ever a 0 we were laokin' at the side of it out there. Looks like it wuz a . T: Used to be a log cabin an' you added on uh inside. s: l's still aw ain't nuthin' been changed 'cep inside. T: Yeah, I 'an see. Inside has been pine-panelled inside? s: Yeah, i's it's been pine-paneled inside 'n' 'at's all o T: This partition here's been put up hadn' it? S: No, it uz all put up when I come. T: Sokay. Use' be the main stove right here look like. T: Pot belly right here. Wood stove . J: An; you t' uh, didn' you tell me las' time that you had learned this, how t' pl . uh what about the songs, how'd you learn them an' all that. S: Handed down. Git to pickin' ith that uh ain't nuthin' to it. J: Did you' Daddy sing? S: N~, he didn' play J: Did you' gran 'daddy, or . . T: Who'd you pick it up , pick up banjo S: N~ 'e didn't play. Gran 'mother 0 T: Your gran'mother picked it? S: She's eighty-two years old. She cain' pick now, but she use' tuh could. T: Whur's she at now S: She's jus' live over the hill T: 'At's who 'At's who. J: Does she tell tales? T: 'At's who you wanna talk to right there. s: Naw, she don', she don't uh, she's heard me play it suh much, she don't pay no 'tention to it now. T: She probably can sing an 01' song or two. She could probably even sing an 01' song or two without even a guitar.s: Naw, she cain't sing. She's too far goneD J: She's eighty-two. s: Yeah, she don't, she don't talk 'bout at stuff any more, she, she's heard me play it such much she don't pay it no 'tention now. J: Do you know any tal tellers up in here? Joanne was tellin' us about her cousin er sumthin' about s: Coleman Cunup? Uh, I know SOIDe people over yunder 'roun' Blairsville tells some at uh at uh hair rise on your head, but ya'll ain't got time to go over in 'ere. Now they's plenny a' them. J; Well, I wuz thinkin' about camin' back again S: They's plenny 0' them 01' folk back in thar can tell you some tales 'at's way on back. J: Around Blairsville? T: 'At's on uh way J: Uh, cou', I mean can you gimme some names of people up there? S: Well, they's some Collins. I'd have to take you. J: Okay. (Sonny plays more on the banjo) If I can come back, uh, then you could take me? S: Yeah. Couldn' make. You couldn' make it today. s: See, I worked on one uv 'ems roads by their houses. An' uh got acquainted with 'em an' uh. 01' woman, she's 'bout 90 years 01' lives over thar'n she tells about, 'bout walkin' t' school so many miles 0 (Door opens and Joanne Cash, Sonny's wife enters s: Hello. Come in. s: I asked 'er did she send you out, did you sen 'em ana wil' goose chaseo J: Why? Ditn' 'ey find the house? J: Well, we were gonua try to fin, uh, Tray Mountain, an' COUldn't. S: Liable to got shot. Deer huntin' up 'ar t'day. J: Tray Mountain T: They got. We saw one up there S: They (not understandable) shot 'ith rifle up 'ar. J: You didn't uh. You didn't find the house I told you 'bout. T: We didn't we probably passed on by it an' in uh. S: You gonna cut yer recorder off? You ain't takin' all this down. T: Looks like it. s: Lon 'n' Bessie'd be up here after while. J: I wuz uh. Lord, don' let 'at take down what I say. S: Takin' it down anyway. that stuff back in thar isNow I tell ya 'bout uh only way I 'an git ye you jus' come an' spend uh weekend with us. J: I got some more too my mother toll me 0 to go up tuh Granny Vandiver's. S: Jerry said he uz gonna braing 'at stuff down here tonight. J: An' uh, an' she had anythaing you wanted. S: Jerry's gon I, Jerry's gonna braing down here t 'night. J: Gran'ma tol' me t' go up tar. J: Granny Vandiver. Who's 'at? J: 'At'suh. J: I mean, uh, uh, uh. J: 'Is kin to the preacher. Yall asked 'bout us down here. I's his mother. An' gran'maw said to go up 'ar an' she bet you S: Jerry said he uz gon' braing some 0' that stuff down here. J: She had everthain~ ya'll wanted in uh way 0' 01' literture if ya'll wawnd it. s: Jerry said he'd braing it down here t'niteo He said he liZ gain' up ar o I sen' tim up taro J: Yeah. We don' we're not interested so much in you know stuff that's in print as, as we're interested in things that've just been passed down, orally, you know, by word of moutho An' uh, not, you know not like songbook songs an' stuff like that. Not this type 0' stuff, but like passed down, like, like Sonny learned from his gran'mother an' stuff like that. Songs that uh. S: They want han-me-down stuff. (?) 'bout that. She handed you down some songs. S: Eh, I know it. J: 'At she wrote. Didn't she use' tuh saing to you. S: Oh, a sho' lot of 'em. J: What are some of 'em she used to sing, Sonny? S II Aw, she liZ bad to write sacred songs an' old, old songs an f uh. I know one called Hobo's Paradise. Now that's a old 'un. 'Ar's a place call down uh street Whur all the fancy hoboes meet They called it the second clice hotel Whur two trav'lers stopped to rest Wh' they eaten they fell dead In that awfuL, hungry hotel whur they stayed. Oh, the biscuits they were wooden. They were sawed up into puddin' The babies had thur hands all in thur soup An' the ham it rolled on wheels When you touch 'em they would squeal In that awful hungry hotel whur they stayed. ah, the biscuits they were wooden They were sawed up into puddin' The babies had thur hands all in thur soup An the ham uz rolled on wheels When you touch 'em they would squeal In that awful hongry hotel whur they stayed. ah, the beef steak it could walk An' the gravy it could crawl The houn' dogs, they would lap rite outa yer plate An' the sausage it wuz marked When you touch 'em they would bark In that awful hongry hotel whur they stayed ah, the biscuits they were wooden They were sawed up into puddin' The babies had thur hands all in thur soup An~ the ham 'ad rolled on wheels When you touch 'em they would squeal In that awful hongry hotel whur they stayed. My gran'father's clock was too large for the she'f So it stood niney years on the floor It was taller by ha'f Than the 01' man himseff Though it weighed not a penny weight more. It wuz bought on the morn' When the baby he was born Au; was always his treasure and pride But it stopped (pause) short (pause) never to go again When the old man died. J: ah, I broke it (in regard to a toy of Stephen) An' watchin' its pendulum swaing to an' fro Many ires 'at he spent as a boy From childhood to manhood the clock seemed to know An' to share all his fears and his joy. Well, it struck twenty-four when he entered at the doore An' the hand hung down by thur side But they stopped (pause) short (pause) never to go again. When the aI' man died. Niney year without slumbering Niney years without slumberin' Well, it stopped short never to go again When the aI' man died. Th They laid him to rest, on a mountain so high But the clock it won't keep time then they tol' him that he would be fine But it stopped (pause) short (pause) never to go again When the 01' man died. Boil 'em cabbage down, down Bake them hoecakes brown The only song that I can saing Is boil them cabbage down Boil the cabbage down, boys, Boil the cabbage down The only song that I can saing is boil the cabbage down (Repeat of last version) Unea Lee's got a coon In' 'es gone on, gone oll,gpne on. Unca Lee's got a coon tn' gone on, uh rest a' the live-long day Wudn' Ie a big un boys, wudn' he a big un boys Wudn e' a big un boys, before they gun 'em down Unea Lee's got uh coon 'n' Ie's gone all, gone on, gone on, Unea Lee's got a coon 'n' 'e's gone on fer the rest of the live-long day. (Another verse was sung here, but the voice was too distorted to hear) High on a mountain far an' away You can hear Uncle Pen at uh break 0' day Rosin' up the fiddle Ever'body's doat-sy-do unea Pen say's it's time to go. First he played the Jenny Lynn That'wuz when the women begin Then he played the Folsum boy J: You were tellin' me that you sang Whipporwill, too, can you sing, will you sing that. Will you wait ra-t me Iittle darlin' When the birds have gone to rest Will yoU wait for me little darlin' When it's time far the whipporwill to saing.j Will you wait for me little Annie Will you wait for the robin in the spraing Will you wait for me little When it's time for the whipporwill to saing S: Us see J: How 'bout playin' some more on your guitar, will? I like your gUitar. J: Let me play with him (apparently talking about Stephen) s: I'd like for you t' hear the rest 0' remo Joanne, see if you 'an git Stevie to slepp or sumpn. Jus' look at tim, he's res'lesso J: Groan as she picks Stevie up. I cut off the tape recorder at this point because Sonny was getting his guitar. Joanne came back from putting Stephen to bed and began to tell a tale that her mother or grandmother had told her a little while earlier. She, like Sonny, didn't wait for me to get the tape on. ~: Said it wuz a fact, uh honest fact. An' he now he said!i's true. He said him an' his pappa was a-camin' home one nits an' said ley been over to a neighbor's hOUS6o An' he said at when they liZ a-camin' down they road, said they had tah go down thu a path 0' woods, you know, to git to the house. An' said you cudn' hear a soun' an' 'ere wadn nuthin'to see. WulI, he said he, about ten foot frum a pine tree 'at wuz standin' far said he seen a goose in uh road. They said it wuz a goose. 'Ey said him an' his uncle beat 'at goose with a club an' never did touch the goose. Said 'ey beat 'at club til it wuz just like a broom straw, but never did hit uh goose. Now he said 'at wuz a fact S: I'n tell you some taller'n 'at. T: Wish I'd a brouglt my pipe now T: Wish I'd a brougbtmy pipe now. J: Huh. Whew Stevie, You heavy S: (Can't understand what he says) T: 'bout to give it to (? not understandable)S: Honey, whur's a rest 0' them paper napkins at? Are they any in J: I don' know. J: Wher's a lighter S: No, you did gimmer one. Here it goes. Give it t' me with the bottle. J: Stevie, I'm 'on have to go check on that machine way over theah. T: 'Bout run outa tape? J: Hang on just a S: Spilt uh draink. At this point I cut the recorder off thinking that I would only get conversation about my accident. I was also running short on the reel of tape. The tape picks up again with Sonny's singing. All I do is sit and pine (not on the tape) Waitin' for that gal 0' mine When the tree it blossoms When the corn it tawsels In the Blue Ridge far away I'll be-e far away I got the Blue Ridge Mountain Blues Got 'em all in the bottom of my shoes When the tree it blossoms When the corn it tawsels In the Blue Ridge far away. s: Here's one 'bout Tennessee Onct I had a little gal An' her pappy called her Sal She lived down in sunny Tennessee Then I thought on day I'd go Jus'to see that gal you know I longed to sit rite by her side But her daddy always had A big bull dog, he wuz bad He'd git you if you wasn't on the sly 'Roun' the cawner I heard a click Hear the 01' man holler sick I knew that dog wuz a-waitin' jus' for me Heard the aI' man cuss an' swear When I felt my britches tear I knew that bull dog had a holt 0' me. An' I sent 01' Sal a-sayin' When she said farewell to me I went outa them hills an' hollers An' out a' Tennessee But i'll never fergit the spot In that little back yard lot When that bull dog chased me outa Tennessee s: Now my uncle, he knows alIa' 'em old uns 'ar~ I hadn' I've even fargot to tell you about him. He move down here frum Statesman, North Car'lina, 'bout three . he's retired. Stayed up thar workin' in a furniture factory an' he learnt, he learnt me them tunes far wren I's about ten years old. An' he knows piles of 'em J: What's 'is name? s: Corbett Calbarson. Here's one, 'nothern he learnt me. (Dialogue-type performance with guitar picking in the background) Well, gonna tell you a little tale about a-goin' yarpin-tarpin coon bug huntin'. Uz on a stormy nits, didn' have no lites. So you 'an figger 'bout how the 01' song goes. So uh went out t' the barn an uh called on the dogs an' saddled up the fence, ant the horse got on. 'Ad In' aI' dog an' his name was Shorty. The reason uh called 'im shorty 'cause is tale wuz cut off rite up behind tis ears. Uh, he liZ one a' the bes' dogs 'e had. I turned all the dogs loose an' oh yeah, uh forgot to tell you, 'ad one dog, we called him Blue. Everbody thought he uz a good dog but he wudn' ha'f as good as people thought he wuz. So we thought we'd go up 'ar on uh hill an' catch us one a' them big 01' hare possums. So we went out tar an' got ever thaing ready to go. An' 0' Shorty wuz rite in 'ar with us. Like always, he llZ rite in 'ar. He didn' take up no room 'cause his tail uz cut off rite up behind his ears~ 'Ell I 'eard 'im a-runnin' an' runnin- an' runnin- an' 'e run allover the side a' that all ridge, an' I after while I heard one 0' 'em squawl an' guess whuch one it wuz. I's 01' Shorty. They treed up a huckleberry sap an' bout four foot thu it, uh little en. I set 'own 'ar on uh groun' an' I looked rite straight up an' I cudn' see nuthin' 'cause I didn' have no lite an' after while the moon come out. Wudn' nobody there but me an' 01' Shorty an' the rest 0' the dogs. An' Shorty uz rite 'ar too. I looked up 'ar an' I seen too great big eyes lookin' at me an' I looked back at 'em ant ley looked down at me ant 'er we set g So I decided uh couldn' git no whur. So I decided I'd climb the tree. The futher, I'd climb, the futher the tree ud git, an' the futher I'd climb, the futher the tree ud git an' after while. After whil, I got up 'ar uh whur i's at. In a few minutes I 'eard . . In a few minutes I 'eard one the awflest rackets I ever heard hit the groun' an' guess whut it wuz? It uz meg An' 01' Shorty an' 'em got on me na' 'ey like to eat me UPg Well, I didn' know whut to do 'cause they wudn' nobody thar but us. I looked everwhur an' I called an' couldn' call 'cause I jus' loss m' breath. Well, I 'cided I'd go back down uh holler 'n' 'ar an' I went down uh holler an' 'ar uz nother racket, an' guess what it wuz? Wudn' a thaing. I jus' thought it uz sumpn. 'Ell I went on down uh little futher an' I come to the graveyard an' 'ey wudn' nobody thar but dead people, 'ey wudn' none uh them a-tawkin t So Its a-gittin' futher 'nother day older 'n' deeper in debt 0 So went on back t' the house an' 'ey as't me whur the dog WUZ o An' I told 'at aI' Shorty, an' ley said how come you in 'is mess. He says well, I says well, its like this o He said, I such .. I seen uh uncle, I seen uh. (Pause) To his wife: (What's 'at.) Said I such, went up to yarpin' tarpin' coon bug huntin' (Who is 'at Joanne) J: I don't see nobody S: 'Ell said I went a-yarpin' tarpin' coon bug huntin~. Said I don' guess uh'll ever go n'more. Says you know what I done? Say I tuck 01' Shorty to the house an' said I went in 'ar an' I showed 'im 'at coon hideo Said I showed 'em at coon hide and said ever since 'en he's been gain', gone a-huntin'. Said las' time I seen 'im he's gain' down t' the rairoad track barkin'. Said I don' know whur e 1 is now, but if 'e didn't stop, he's still a-goin'Q (Here he sang Weepin' Willow again - see first transcription) S: That uz one 0' the first recordin's ever put on uh record player. Put on by the Cari:er family. Ituz called Bury Me Beneath the Willow, the Weepin' Willow Tres o 'Et's see. J: Saing uh Cabin up . Cabin in uh Mountain. 'E know at er not. s: Here's a old un. I can see a candle light, down in the little green valley Oh, the marnin' glory vines are a-twinin' roun' the door How I wish 'at I was 'ere t'night, down in the little green valley My homesick heart would trouble me no more. 'Ere's only one thaing ever gives me consolation That's to know that I'll be a-goin' back someday, Down upon my knees I pray for the Lord to please take me Back to that 01' Green Valley far away. A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.