Elizabeth Morris and Stephen H. Potter interview with Claude Miller and Millard Allen (part one)

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This is the first part of a four-part recording in which Claude Miller and Allen Millard sing folk songs, most about murdered women and short stories, and play the banjo and fiddle. They do not know the origin of the songs but recall learning them as children from their family and friends; specifically, Claudes grandfather taught him most of the songs. Allen states that he has played the banjo for over twenty years. Between singing, the interviewees discuss where they learned the songs and the meaning behind the lyrics. They sing: 00:00 - Darlin Corina 02:25 - Pearly Blue 04:40 - Cripple Creek 8:40 - Ground Hog 10:40 - Roll on Buddy, Roll on 14:30 - Wild Bill Jones. From 16:00 to 21:50 one of the interviewees plays the banjo, then the interviewees sing: 21:50 - Pretty Polly 26:20 - Little Sadie 28:15 - John Henry. At the end of the recording, Millard explains that some songs have different lyrics to the same tune, including Old Smokey and Lets Get a Little Lawyer.
Millard Allen (1929- ) was born in Polk County, Tennessee, and had four older brothers. His father and grandfather were born in West Virginia where they worked as miners. He later moved to Pickens County, Alabama. As a child, he played religious songs on the fiddle and banjo with his father. Additional biographical information has not been determined. Claude Miller was born in the mid-eastern region of Alabama, near Columbus, Georgia, and later moved to Pickens County, South Carolina, with his family when he was a boy. Additional biographical information has not been determined.
FOLKSONGS COLLECTED IN PICKENS COUNTY, GA. BY ELIZABE'rH MORRIS AND STEPHEN R. POTTER FOR JOHN BURRISON FOLKLORE 302 GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY MARCH 16, 1970 I II III IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Prefaoe Dialogue Tape # 1 songs Tape # 1 1 Darlin' Corina 2 Pearly Blue '3 Cripple Creek 4 Ground Hog 5 Roll on Buddy, Roll on 6 Wild Bill Jones 7 Pretty Polly 8 Li ttle Sadie 9 John Henry Dialogue Tape # 2 page 1-3 4-11 12 12 11 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18-22 V Songs Tape # 2 1 Whoa Mule 2 Maple on the Hill 1 Poor Ellen Smith 4 Cold Creek Maroh 5 Little Georgie Rose 6 Little Brown Hand 7 Little Birdie 8 Thirty Pieces of Silver 9 Old Joe Clark 2'3 24 25 (instrumental) 10 29 VI Songs and Titles from Claude Miller's Tape 31 origin 12-)) VII VIII (TABLE OF CONTENTS) Songs collected but not recorded 1 Little Magie 2 Big Ball in Brooklyn 1 Old Sloe Foot summary 1 Directions to the Houses of M. Allen and C. Miller )4 15 15-16 17-39. 40 PREFACE The Songs and Story of the Millard Allen Family Millard Allen was the last of five sons and was born in Polk County, Tennessee in 1929. IIis father and grandfather were born in Hest Virginia where they were mi.nerB. Millard's father mentioned that during the depression years "coal mining ,msn' t so good" so he atid his father became loggers, following the saw millers from Hest Virginia into Kentucky and Tennessee, and finally settling on the edge of the North Georgia mountains in Pickens County. }lr. Allen (eeniorl tells hm~ hl!ls father's family , also miners, came from England to Hest \ : " Virginia; he guesses because they knew mining. His father played the fiddle and later began picking the five-string banjo, because he liked fast and funny songs and ",~e all learn' t the lianjo and lianjo songs for dancing". "Illy pa" he continued "d1idd1ed for all the town dances and 1 caught on to the banjo when 1 was comin' on to seven years old. Me and my pa use to play at all them dances; pa played fiddle and me the banj o. Hy daddy like to dance and 1 could sho,~ you some real dancing now if it wer't for my high blood. 1 fell out 'bout two years ago and can't dance or pick no more. 1 done won two pickin' contests in my old days. 1 taught Millard to pick like my pa done me whin he was long 'bout six. lIe done real good. None of my other boys pick so good as Millard. Aslted to comment on some of the old timey songs Mr. Allen (senior) said "My folks believed in Gods' words and we didn't take to much of them songs 'bout murderin'sand ki1li.n'. He learn' t some of them hut 1 brung up my boys real good and thlOV;';s all. good boys." 2 At this point Mr. Allen began relating a story about a man who killed his wife and baby. He becsme extremely upset to the point of tears. He had refused to talk into the micraphone and sat aceross the room saying that his "high blood" kept him away from nm. fangle things. Several times he would interupt his son, who was now starting to play Borne old songs, to remind him of verses of words that he was forgett1.ng; hm./ever, he would never perform himself. Hhen Hillard Allen was questioned about his father, he said that he was about seventy-five years old, but that he '78sn ' tl "right sure". He continued that they d1.d not get to go to church very much since they were so often on the move. They would play the banjo at all the socials and as he became better on the banjo his father would play the fiddle and he would play the banjo. He had never taken up the fiddle, preferring the sound of the banjo. His father all.ays told them that joy was in the Lord and in the music and that the Lord liked to see folKs have a good time. Playing along with Millard Allen, on the guitar, was Mr. Claude Miller. Mr. Miller was born in Hiddle Esst Alabama near Columbus, Georgia. Hr. Miller and his family moved into Pickins County shortly after he was born. He now lives next do~r to Millard Allen. Mr. Miller is very religiously oriented preferring spiritual songs. He has even written fifteen spiritual:> himself. He is about sixty years old, and having been brought up in the heart of the "llib1e llelt" firm.ns on drinking, smoking, and dancing. He seems to habe a tradition of spiritual singing but has been greatly influenced by Hank Hi11iams, who "is an Alabama boy like me". Hhen playing and singing spiritual songs he used a twelve string guitar declaring that "it remi.nds me when my mothel'! played an ibld organ." Both Mr. Allen and Mr. Miller get together and pick with a fe\1 friends on Saturday nights at the Hill Community House on HIghway 53 outside of Jasper. Georgia. There they play "\1hatever we feel lIke; some sing; some play; some just sits around and taps their feet". 3 4 TAPE 1/1 Steve: What is this now Hillard: Well, lets try a little "Darlin~ Corina". Claude: Play it in "G", Hillard: You ready? Claude: Yeah. Go ahead. 1/1 "DARLIN' CORINA" Hillard: Let me get me a chair or somethin , and set d01m. Steve: (To Claude) Do you know any songs? Claude: No, no. (pause) You want to hear everything I know? Steve: Yeah. Claude: I ain't got that much time. (with a laugh) 1/2 "PllARU,"BtUE;:" Steve: What was that?' "Pearly Bluen" ? Hillard: "Pearly Blue"." yeah. Steve: When did you learn that? Hillard: I think I learn't that 'bout twenty years ago. There used to be a show called the "Hidday Herry-Go-Round . ~Come at Knoxville, Tennessee. We'd come in out of the field early every day to listen to that show, and I thi~k that's where we picked it up. Am I t~o close to the mike, 5 Steve: lfueee did you learn "Darlin ' Corina"? Hillard: Tell you the truth I don't remember. It's a real old one. Claude want to play a little"Cripple Creek"? Claude: Kind a slow it down a little. Hillard: You like to play slow anyhow. 113 "Cll.IPPLE CREEK" (instnumental) Claude: You can really tell when that finishes. Steve: That sounds great. Do you remember where you learned that? Hillard: Well that's probably the first one I learned on the banjo. Steve: Oh, really? How long have you been playing the banjo? Hillard: 'Bout twenty years. See, I played the old fashion way for a long time, then I changed over on the three finger picks. Let's go back Claude to the old fashioned ones, if you want to. "Rpll on Buddy" too far? Steve: WIlY don't we play it back and see if the voices are all-right. I'll tell you whenever you start playing. Claude: He's been playing a lot longer than I have. I have just been playing for about four years. Alot of it you just pick upf from your folks or maybe you hear it on the television or radio. Dot you can get off of records. Dot of it just comes down through the generations. Steve: That's what we are primarily interested in.l. anything that you may have been taught when you were young or may have picked up from your parents. For instance the things you Betsy: Claude: 6 you have been playing are just great perfect wonderful. Millard: Li1l:e a lot of songs you .really don't know how they originated. Lot of 'em come from maybe a murder trial. There's one called"Little Pearl Brown" , she's dead and can't find her head, trail still goes on', something like that. Do you know it? Steve: No. Don't know it. Millard: My mother I was dOIYn Sunday and I asked her if she knel< some of the old dongs and she was telling me that her mother had some of them Iqrote dOl<n up in Gundy, llirginia, up in !las t Virginia. She'd be glad to mail them to us. They' s pumb on back to oldest time. Steve: Let's do that then. Millard: And shes all<ays glad to help you know my grandmother is She, something like this I<here you hold up old timem music and revise it. She'd really like that. Steve: Do you knol< "Barbara Allen" ? Millard: Just a few verses, maybe two or three verses of it. Steve: Play it oft the banjp. Millard: No. Ordinarily the banjo is for speeded up tumes for the songs that got a little more speed to 'em are faster. Do you knol< "Barbara Allen"? No, not no more. I used to sang it when I was a kid, but when you grow older you lose part of your memory, course I'm not that old but I'm on up in years. Millard: You knOlq Iqe' s taping the other day 'n I thought ahou1 that 7 "Ground Hog" song. That's an old one. Claude: "Ground Hog" yeah I think we played that last Saturday nightl Hillard: He forgot it. FIe taped it 'bout an hour. 114 "GROUND HOG" Hillard: That one's just ... Some of this stuff ... it sounds so corny ... you probably want to cut it out I guess. Steve: No, no that's great. Hillard: Letls try "John Hardy". Let's play that "Roll on Buddy, Roll on". 1ll1hle I got it on my mind, other wise I mighy throw j.t in with "Jogh Hardy". 115 "ROLL ON BUDDY, ROLL ON" Steve: That's pretty. Hhere did you learn that? Hillard':' That wasn't too fast was it Claude? Guess I just picked it up arround the house. Seeve: Hhat about the "Ground HOg"? mlere did you learn that one? Hillard: I must learned that from my grandfather. He use to live in Virginia. Done alot of ground hog huntin'.We was huntin' one day and caught a big ground hog and he asked if I ever !heard the song about the ground hog. Told him no I never heard it and he said, "well, \~hen ~Ie get back to the house I'll pick it and sing it for you. Steve: \vhen \~as that? Hhen you were a little kid ,aye? Hillard: Yeah, but I must habe been seven or eight years old. 8 Steve: Your grandfather played pretty welltt too, aye? Hillard; Yeah, he ,~as a good banjo picker. Steve: Did you or he play two-finger picking? Hillard: Yeah, he played what they called the "old ClS\~ Hammer" and this other (Hillard gave us a demonstration of the "ClS\~ Hammer" style and what he called !!Chicken Pickin' Up Corn). You've ever heard the "Ballad of Wild Bill Jones". This supposed to be a true song Steve: Yes, I think I may have heard this, yes. Hillard: Well, any,~ay this guys caught him with his wife or Hith his friend and killed him. We'll try that one Claude if you want to. Steve: What's the story? What Happened? Hillard: He just caught him Hith his girl friend and shot him through jealousy or somethin'. 116 "WILD BILL JONES" Tape messed up at this time. The next song is "Pretty Polly" 117 "PRETTY POLLY" Hillard: Let's run it off and SIOH it down a little. I think we really are too fast. Claude: Betsy: Claude: Betsy: Claude: 9 I think we should retape that one. How do your ~1OrHd go now? to "Pretty Polly" Pretty Polly, pretty polly will you take me in time Let me say good by to you and tell you my mind. My mind is to marry and never to part. First time I saw you It wouil.ded my heart " ahd er they' s somethin ' in there about"Pretty !Jolly's she's yonder, she stands " somethin , about the rings on her fingers her1i1y white hands" I can't remember that part of it. "Pretty Po11y" somethin' about going back to see her before I get to old The next one is "Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly come go along with me, Before l~e get married some pleasures to see Then it get over thare whare all on for what they did spy A new disgrace and a spade standing by./I What happened then? Hell ... er ... she said ... "Little Hillie, Little Hi11ie, I'm afraid of your ways. The way we've been ramb1in' Your 1eadin' me astray. Then she threw:,') her arms around him She said spare me my life Let me be a sing&e girl If I can I t be your wife." .... he said ... Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly Your guess is 'bout right I dug on your grave The latest part of last night." .....There I s lots of verses Steve: 10 I can f t remember... They' s one about " your past reputation been trouble to me, Pretty Bolly, Pretty Polly Then he went down to the jail house And what did he say I killed Pretty !lolly in trying to get a<Tay." '" that's about all of it I know. Steve: That's nice 'n has alot of different verses. Claude: Theres one, Hell Johnny Cash, he probably knm~s more of the old songs than I do, He made this song and put part of the words to "little Sadie" in It. 'Bout this gy who killed his girl-friend. If you ever notice 'Little Hillme' the guys namesa always 'Little Hillme' Yes, we've noticed that. Millard: Claude, I'Te' 11 try a Iittle of that "Little Sadie" if you want to. Steve: l<here did you learn "Little Sadi.e"? Millalld: Mother sung that song to me a long time ago, ... let 's see, I dontt remember how long, its been but she sung songs. Its reai fascinating. I'se just a kid and I learned that one right off. Lot of songs I couldn't learn, didn't interest me. 1/8 "LITTLE SADIE" (fragments) Millard: That might not have been all of it. I ought to have wrote all these songs dmm and been ready for you. 11 Claude: Playa little of "John Henry". Millard: They's alot of verses to that song I can't remember. Claude: I got the ,~ords Hrit dmm over at the house one Burl Ives sings 1/9 "JOHN HENRY," Claude: That's too fast for me. I just got one speed you knoH on altlt of 'em. Allen comes over and heck he Hants you to play and pick a little faster. Steve: Hho? Claude: Allen AndreHs speed it up a little faster, but lets get some life into this. Steve: Do you knoH any children's songs you may have learned? It doesn't matter if they're silly or anything. Millard: No, I Has pickin' a song the other day had same tune to "Old Smokey" 'bout the guy that I~as travelin' to Knoxville Hm~'s that go ... "Let's get a little lawyer ... " Hhat is it? One that strangers hailin' on the moon ... its gettin' on the night And the horses can't travel on this darR road at night Steve: Says go put"pp your horses',' might have that in your book YOu might have heard it Yeah, I might have heard that to a different tune. , ,/,, I, /, DAHLIN CORINA (#1 ) ,; , Dig a hole. dig a hole in the meadow. I Dig a hole in the oold oold ground n,{ " i\/' " (/.~!) I) .:~ ,', ,/,':-' s" '" ," ,I) " , .. ,Wake up. wake up darling Corina What makes you sleep so well? The highway robbers are oommint To tear your play house down. Last time I saw Corina ,Ihe was sitting on the banks of the sea With a 44 buokled around her And a banjo on her Knee. 12 "PEARLY BLUE" (1/2) Well, I went down the road about a mile or two Het a gifl named Pearly Blue Built so hi.gh on her hair of brmm Prettiest gi.rl Dorn in thi.s town. Well, grandpa would like to know, \~lere lim headin' down the road. Get my gal on the line You can find me there most any old ti.me. Well, every day and Sunday too Go to see my Pearly Blue I don't know why I love her so That gal's mine lives down the road. Old man Flatt he owhed a farm From the t~;}~~~1u~~ the barn From the barn to the rai.l Hade his livi.n' by cayyyi.n' the mail. 13 "CRIPPLE CREEK" (instrumental) (113) "GROUND HOG" (114) Come here Sal with a snicker and a grin, Ground hog greese allover your chin Ground hog, ground hog Well shoulder up your gun Wistle up your dog Go to the woods for to catch a ground gog. Ground hog, ground hog. Corne here Sal with a ten foot pole And fetch that ground hog out of his hole 14 .\ (/ i \. .. i' \.' Ground hog, ground hog. Oh the meats inthe cupboard If that ain't ground hog I'll be durned, Ground hog, ground hog. Oh ye ;'eatiCl' ft:"'rJ the meat an d-eencler the tiide Best pair of shoes I ever tried Ground hog, ground hog, Well, little piece corn bread a layin , on the shelf '1W1i1 Want any more you can sing it yourself, Ground hog, ground hog. "ROLL ON BUDDY ROLL ON" (115) Roll on my buddy roll on Roll on my buddy roll on Well you wouldn't roll so slow If you knew ~lhat I knm, vn" Roll on buddy, roll on Got another gal in Tennessee Got another gal in Tennessee Tennessee, tha't's whare I want to be Roll on buddy, roll on. ChGlrus- Roll on my buddy roll on / '> Well you wouldn't roll so SIO~'l If you knew what I know Roll on my bUddy, roll on. Well I'm goin' all around this ~;orld Well I'm goin' all around this ~~orld I'm goin' aroing this world with a banjo pickin' girl Roll on buddy, roll on, 15 16 "WILD BILL JONES" ( #6) As I went out to take a little walk I walked upon that Wild Bill Jones. He was walking and talking by my true loves side I forbid him to leave her alone. He said my age is twenty-one Too old to be controlled So I pUlled my revolver from my side And destroyed that poor boys soul. He scrambled. around. and. fell to the ground And. gave one dying groan M1h suitease is packed and. I'm read.y to go back And. honey won't you come on home~ Pass around that long neck bottle And lets all go on a spree For the day was the last of Wild Bill Jones And today will be the last of me. "PRETTY POLLYI/ ( #7) Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly won't you take me in time Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly won't you take me in time Let me say good.-bye to you and. tell you my mind. Oh my mind. it is to marry and never to part Oh my mind it is to marry and never to part First time I saw you it broken my heart. Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly won't you go along with me Before we get married some pleasures to see. She hopped along behind. him and away they d.id. go She hopped. along behind him and pay they d.id. go Way over the mountain, the valley so low. "LITTLE SADIE" (118) Oh I ,qent out last nlght I went rlght home Up next mornlng at half past nlne Carrled Llttle Sadle to the burrln' ground "JOHN HENRY" (119) .John Henry was a Uttle blddle baby Slttln on hls mama's knee Oh he pleked up a hammer an Httle pieee of steel Sayln' that'll be the death of me, Sayln' that'll be the death of me. John Henry had a IHtle bi.ddi.e Wlif,e Her name was Polly Anne John Henry got slek and had to go to bed, Polly Anne drove that steel llke a man, Polly Anne drove that steel llke a man. John Henry went up on the mountaln And he looked over on the other !Hde The mountaln was so tall, John Henry ,qas so small Lald do~m hls hammer and he dled, Lald do~m Ids hammer and he dled. 17 18 TAPE # 2 Betsy: Where did you learn "Whoa Mule Whoa"? Millard:I learn't it in Virginia. somebody's mUle run away so we went baok to the house and dad pioked it out on banjo and sung it. He's retired now and lives with me. We'll get him up here direotly and make him piok one somehow or other. Want us to piok that one now? "Whoa Mule Whoa" (#1 ) steve: That's nioe. Betsy: Isn't that oute. What about "Maple on the Hill". These are some we wrote down. Millard~That one if I remember the words. Miller you ogght to harmonize a little on this one. steve: Where d.id. you learn "Maple on the Hill"? Millard:I heard that song on , they oalled them viotrolas. My grandmoterh had one, kind you wind up. Put the Work it by hand. Worked. everything by hand.. Betsy: And this oame off an old reoord? Millard: Yeah, and I don't remember who it was by. One of the oldest musioians known I quess. (begins song and then stops) I hope I too high, sraoe that off if you want to. Get baok up in "G". That' a a hard. one to sing anyway. "MAPLE ON THE HILL" ( #2) steve: Betsy: Thats pretty. We've got "Little Brown Hand". 19 Millard: That one I have to play that on the gUitar, I guess. I don't know how to play it on the banjo. Lets play "Poor Ellen Smith" whlle I want to sing it. I just know about two bout couple of verses of it. Betsy: Now wheee did you first hear this? Millard: I don't know. I've heard that all my life. They's a lot of that we steve: Betsy: \Bhis is "I!loor Ellen Smith". Sing it the way you know it. "POOR ELLEN SMITH" (#3) Claud,e: I kinda lost tune to that one. steve: That's pretty. M1l1ard: I wish we could get that 'Whoa Mule Whoa" l1ke we pioked it the other day we had, just about it letter perfeot. Steve: You never had any Banjo lessons just been playing all your life fight? M1l1ard: Just watohing dad use to play the rhythm guitar for him and he thought ever thin' had to be right. Boy he really used to ohew me out if I go into the wrong oord. He'd say we've played this one a thousand timesnow. Used do play" Cold Creek March" same tune as'Goin' Down the Road A Feelin'Bad". Less try a little of thatm Miller want to? steve:' Going Down the Road Feeling Bad:'? Millard: Yeah, but "Cold Creek Maroh" was original name of it. Some of it some of em 013.11 i t,Lonesome Road Blues" 20 Millard: Let's try it. <'COLD CREEK MARCH" ( $4) (instrumental) Millard: Is that too slow Miller? Claude: Speeded it up. Millard: Finger gettin' tired I was trying to hurry up and get through 'fore I give out. Betsy: Do you know any word.s to that? Millard: Some of'em they's two or three verses to that. "Goin' down the road a feelin' bad They ~eed me on corn bread 'an peas And. I anin't gonna be treated this away. '0 Miller harmonize and help me e. 11ttle on "Little Georgi e Ro se 0' "LITTLE GEORGIE ROSE" (#5) steve: What"s the name of that? Millard: "Li ttle Georgie Rose" Steve: Little Georgie Rose? Millard: We say "Li ttle Georgie Rose"down here. Betsy: Did we ever do "Little Brown Hand"? Claude: You want this guitar? Millard: That's the hardest one I ever tried. to sing pick or anything. Suppose we change that to "Little White Hand". They might steve: Whatever way you want to sing it. Millard: Don't matter, I was singing it the oterh day somebody said. <ILi ttlw Brown Hand" ????? steve: Want to play my guitar? Claude: Don't Illatter. 21 Millard: Are we in tune? tune good? Claude: I can't paay it like he does. "LITTLE BROWN HAND" (/16 ) steve: We d.on' t want to wear you out. Betsy: And where d.id you learn that? Millard: Don't remember. Claude: smokey corners of West Virginia (laugh) M1l1ard: Betsy you think you can figure all that out when you get back to school? Betsy: I don't know how int the world. M1l1ard: Do you know -'l'lld Sloe Foot-'? steve: "Old Sloe Foot'? Millard: "Old. sloe Foot-' about an old bear. steve: How do you do o'Li ttle Bird.ie'? Millard: I use to pick that song a long time ago. "LITTLE BIRDIE" ( #7) Millard: That's good harmony there. Claude: COUldn't keep up with you. Betsy: What about -'Otd Joe Clark"i Mlllard: Want me to sing some of it? Betsy: yeah sing all you know. -, OLD JOE CLARK" (#8 ) Betsy: That's a good one. 22 Millard.: Guess it would be too mOdleBn... 'bout fifty years old. steve: Any stories oonneoted with any of these songs? Baokground material? Millard: Not reallym many oome from old murder trials like steve: Betsy: Claude: steve: Claude: steve: Betsy: Claude: Betsy: Claude: "Wildwood Flower". This girl and boy were engaged to get married and he died or somethin'. Claud.e would you like to do something" What aboutthis one we oall"Juda" or "Thirty Pieoes of Silver" ? I need some help don't put that banjo up. Want to help me sing it I may get too fast. \4here did ~ou learn this one? I think mostly having Cousin Emmie she use to be on Grand Ole Oprey and I listen' to her sing it. "THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER" ( #9) That's pretty. What about this one. It's rainin', it&s rainin'. No. Never tried it but one time. I think Ralph Stanley wrote that. YOu want to try it? No. I might mess it up, If there's anythin' I hate is messin' a song up. I would like to try one of HanR Willilams songs. I'd like to try an sing "House of Gold". I never oould, do muoh with it. I'm prettiy muoh a Hank Williams bug. I like him and the Stanly Brothers. 23 "WHOA }!ULE" (# 1) Down the road and take your shoes, ain't you comin' too? I ain't got time to kiss you now Got so many things to do. Chorus - Whoa mule, whoa Whoa mule I say, I amm't got time to kiss you now The mule donu run away. If I had a needle and thread, I'd find how I could sew. I'd sew little Betty to my coat and down the road I'd go. Chorus - lfuoa mule I'd tell you, whoa mule I'd holler. Jerk a knot in the old mules' tail and grab the holt by the collar. Chorus - 24 "MAPLE ON IIIHE HILL" (/I 2) Near a country village stood a maple on the hill. WhereIsat \~i th my Geneva long ago. We \~ould sing love songs together And listen to the Whippon~ils. Don't forget me little darlin' "hen they lay me dOlm to die, Just remember dear the promises I have made As you linger there in sadness thinkin' darlin' of the past Let your teardrops kiss the flOl~ers on my grave. I "ill soon be "ith the angels on that bright and pretty shore. Even then I'll !hear you shining on the bills You'll sing \~ith me Iittle darlin' as you did that s tarry\! night As "e sat beneath that maple on the hill. 25 POOR ELLEN SMITH (# 3) Poor Ellen smlth, how was she found She was shot through the heart lylng oold on the ground Her clothes were all ragged and her ourls on the ground And blood marked the spot where poor Ellen was found. They took up thelr rlfles and they hunted me down, And they found me a loafln all around ore the town. She told me she loved. me and she sald she'd be mlne, But she went and left me here wlth these troubles on my mlnd. I got a letter yesterday and I read lt tOday- Sald the flowers on her grave they were fadln aWay. I'm golng baok home Lord I'll stay when I go, ftnd on poor Ellen's grave pretty flowers I wlll sow. REPEAT FIRST VERSE "LITTLE GEORGIE ROSE" (# 5> Now come and listen to my story A story that I knm, is true About a rose that bloomed in {jeorgi.a \~ith hair of gold and eyes of blue. Chorus- Way down i.n the Blue Ridge Hountains, Way down where the tall pines grow, Wed my s~Teetheart on the mountain, She's my little Georgi.e Rose. We often sing love songs together I ~mtched her do her own part Dhe smi.led a t me when I was in heaven And she was my sweetheart Repeat Chorus- 26 "LITTLE BROWN HAND" (# 6) There's a little log cabin down in Tennessee With the morning glories hanging 'round the door, Prettiest little girl that you ever did see She's been my lady friend a year or more. ilioruB- Now honey been once I caught Your big eyes a rollin' Just as cute as your little brown hand If you'll by my misses We'll live on hugs and kisses Oh honey do you love your man? Two littlw chiidren long, long ago Used to play together in the sand Lon in the evening when the sun was sinking low It d take her by her little bro~m hand. Repeat Chorus- Down at the corner by the meadow Writing ove letters in the sand Brings back memories of long, long ago, When I take her by her little brown hand. Repeat Chorus 27 "LITTLE BIRDIE" (# 7) Little Birdie Little Birdie Come and sing me your song. Got a short time for to stay here Ahd a long time to be gone. I'm a long ~lSy from EI Paso And myoId Kentucky home; And my mother and father are both dead. I got no one to call m9 own. Repeat First Verse - Harried woman Harried \~oman Come and see what you've done. You've tahght me to love you And your husband's dead and gone. Repeat First Verse - 28 "OLD JOE CLARK" (# 8) I went down to Old Joe Clarks' I ain't gonna go no more lie slept on a feather bed I slept on the floor. llire thee well Old Joe C~ark Fare thee well I say Fare thee well Old Joe Clark, I'm gonna wed this day. I went down to Old Joe Clarks' lie was sick in bed I ran "0/ fingers down his throat And pulled out a il:hicken's head. Fare thee well Old Joe Clark Fare thee well I say. Fare thee well Old Joe Clark I'm gonua wed this day. 29 30 THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER (# 9) Thirty pieces of silver Is a sad but true story From the Bible it came And it tells us how Judas sold the Savior in shame He planned with the counoil of high priest that day Thirty pieces of silver was the price they would. pay. CHORUS Thirty pieces of silver, thirty shaCkles of shame \vas the price paid for Jesus On the cross he was slain B~trayed and forsaken, unloved. and unclaimed In anger they pirced him but he died not in vain. T'was there on the hillside the multitUde crone And. found our d.ear Savior Then took him away They scorned and they mokked him Thorns was crowned round his head And his raiment of purple showed bloodstains of red. REPEAT CHOHUS '31 CLAUDE MILLE~S TAPE 1 pray the Clouds Away (Claude Miller) 2 Billy in the Low Ground (Millard Allen & Claude Miller) '3 DarUn' Corina (Millard Allen & Claude Miller) 4 Roll on Buddy Roll on ( same) 5 John Henry ., 6 ? 'f 7 Whoa Mul e Whoa 'f 8 Wild Bill Jones 'f 9 Little Sadie " 10 Three Little Birds " 11 pretty polly 'f 12 Train 45 'I 1'3 Mountlan Dew " 14 Claude's Ballas of unknown origin 15 Pages of the Bible Claude Miller 16 Family Altar 'I from Claude Hiller's tape Title unknown Hhile walking one day in the country I saw a gathering cvowd. And as my footsteps grew closer I could smell the sweet fragrance of love. It looked like a family reunion And my eyes all cloudy could see Said an old man set by a graveside "I haven't seen Mary in years". Chorus - Hold to my hand and lead me Lead me away from here I just braught these flowers for Mary I haven't seen Mary in years. rnlen Mary and I werejust married He had such plans for our child; But for no reaSOn I started ramblin' Like a boy I just run wild. If I could live my life over, I'd bring Mary such cheer. Now she's gone where she'll never need me. I haven't seen Mary in years. Chorus - 32 from Claude Miller's tape (continued) Title unknown Then the old man left the graveyard. I walked along by his aide. I called out his name but through all his shame lIis son he did not recognize. Chorus - lIold to my hand and lead me Lead me away from here. lIow did I know it was mama. I haven't seen mama in yeats. Chorus - )) 34 "LITTLE MAGIE" Oh yonder stands little Magie Champaigne glass in her hand She drinking away her troubles And courtin' andther man. Pretty flowers were made for ? Pretty stars were made to shine Pretty girls were made for to marry Little Magie was made for mine. Lay down your last gold dollar. Lay down your gold - diamond rings. Little Magie gonna dance for daddy To the tune of the banjo strings. * This song is Millard Allens' favorite. Millard: I think my daddy learned that one from an old railroad worker up in Toco Plains, Tennessee. 35 "BIG BALL IN 8ROOKLYN" Roll up your windows, put on your gown Put on your new shoes, we'll all go down. Chorus - Big BAll in Brooklyn, Big ball in town. Big BAll in Brooklyn, We'll dance aroun~. Go in to Georgia, go in to Rome, Go in to Georgia, make it my home. Workin' on the railroad, sleeping on the ground, Eatin' soda crackers, ten cents a pound. "OLD SLOE FOOT" Comin' ore the mountain, tryin' hard to see Bear tracks, bear tracks lookin , ba ck at me WAs. goes too late Old bear got a little pig and headin' to the ga~e. Chorus - He's big around the middle and he's broad accross the rump Runnin' ninety-nine miles an hour, taking thirty feet of jump Never been caught, ain't neVer been treed, Some fo1kd say he lookd a10t like me Saved up my money and bought me some bees And started making honey ,~ay up in the trees. Cut down the tree and the honey's all gone Lost hJ.s ,~ay one day when I was a slHting there ( "OLD SLOE FOOT" ) Winters comin ' on and its forty below The river froze over , oh "here can he go? Chasin I up the river and shoved him in the \~ell, And shot him in bbe middle, just a whistlin' hell. Repeat Chorus - 37 SUMMARY Interviewing M1l1ard. Allen and Claude Miller we felt we had some difficulty in getting accross the type of songs we wanted to record.. They had little idea as to when the songs they knew had been written or sung. Mr. Miller had sung old Gospel songs all of his life, but had been so influenced by recordings and radio that his traditional background was fairly well destroyed. His hero, Hank W1l1iams, plays an important role in his : thinking as to what is a good song and what is not. He admi tted knowing a few verses of ., Barbara Allen" but had forgotten most of the verses and therefore did not wish to attempt it. On a tape he had prepared previous. to our arrival he sang gospel songs, most of which were traceable to Hank W1l1iams. In bhe middle of these gospels he adds a ballad that tells the story of a man walking through the country sid.e and meeting an old man sitting by a graveside. The old man tells him that bile woman in the grave is Mary, presumably his wife. Later in the song the man tells us that Mary is his mother and the old man is his father. ClaUde Miller does not remember where he heard. the song "just one I heared all my life", might have come off an a1d record, just d..on't know." In trying to trace this song we found several in ~ ~ ~ Weep and Wee" Some ~ My Lady, stories of prod..igal sons and hobo's but mone of these had the exact or even close to the exact story line of this song. We also checked:.through many baok issues of Country Song Roundup and Country and West.e;r;-n Hit Parad.e but could. not find. this song, '38 M1l1ard Allen oomes from a long line of banjo players and singers. The men in the family played. and. the women sang. Mr. Allen's father was st1l1 logging in his selilenties and has many old stories to tell about mining in Virginia and logging throughout Tennessee and Kentuoky. He has had. the same leg broken twioe in logging jams. "Loggin' really eells on a man" he says"Have to leave family or else move them with you, boys don't get muoh sohoolin' that away." "Lots a songs use to sing an' piok 'bout man leavin' home to go loggin' didn't know if wife and family be 'round when he git baok like in war", wars is bad. like loggin' I guess." We would have ll.ked to save spent more time wi th M1l1ard Allen as when his memory was jogged, he would oome up with more verses to songs he had. sung. The tape seems:::tb;havlvmade him nervous and afiller it was turned off he would repeat several verses he lladn't remembered while singiRg the song for the reoorder. Even though we spentabout six hours there we felt that there was muoh more we oould have learned from him and his father. We al so would. have liked to spend. some time wi th some of their other friends not present for our reoording. Allen Andrews, who never oould learn to piok five strings and plays four instead on the "geetah" by hokding it under his ohin. Another interesting person would. have been someone referred to as "ole man Childers". "He still works at loggin' and knows a lot of them ole songs, even older ones than I dol He pioks and sings a real good song". Mr. Allen and Mr. Miller were very friendly and tried very hard to please us. They invited. u)3 up any Saturday night, their regular gathering night, and assured. us that we would be welcome to sing or play along with the group. 19 40 Direotions to the Houses of M. Allen and C. Miller Mr. Allen's house oan be found by driving through Tate, Georgia and taking the first paved road to the left, then turning at the next road to the left. At this time the road has some asphalt on it, but is not really paved. Mr. Miller's house is the first one on the left and Mr. Allen's the seoond. Both men oan be reaohed at the following address: Route # 3, Tate, Ga. Mr. Allen (telephone) 735-3186 Mr. Millard Allen is now wmployed as a "tug" d.river for Lookeed Airoraft Corporation. Mr. Claude Miller is employed by Southern Railway. , I ' ~LEASE' " ny letting us collect your traditions--stories, songs, music, sayings, riddles, or beliefs of earlier days--you have made a valuable contribution to preserving and understanding Southern history, and especially the history and "Iay of life of your community. Because you have given unselfishly of your time to do this, the Georgia Folklore Archives, ,1hose representatives are dedicated to preserving these traditions, wants to protect your rights to this material by guaranteeing that it will not be used for unscrupulous commercial profits. ny signing this sheet, you are giving us permission to use this material for educational purposes so that people who are interested can understand how life was in the old-timey days. Your material "lill probably not be printed or issued on a record, but if it is, and you don't want your name to be used, say so-owe respect your right to privacy. Thank you for the time you have an important part of American life. that you want to send along to us so given to help us record a heritage that is If you remenmer any more old-timey things that it will always be preserved, write to: Signed Georgia Folklore Archives c/o Prof. John Burrison Georgia State University 33 Gilmer Street South East Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Address For Ga. Flo Archives: Nitness Date _)_,,_1-,-(_"_'---.;..iJ_O_ _ t'litness t&.' LEASEBy letting us collect your traditions--stories, songs, music, sayings, riddles, or beliefs of earlier days--you have made a valuable contribution to preserving and understanding Southern history, and especially the history and l~ay of life of your community. Because you have given unselfishly of your tilDe to do this, the Georgia Folklore Archives, whose representatives are dedicated to preserving these traditions, wants to protect your rights to this material by guaranteeing that it will not be used for unscrupulous commercial profits. By signing this sheet, you are giving us permission to use this material for educational purposes so that people who are interested can understand hOl'1 life was in the old-timey days. Your material 1'!ill probably not be printed or issued on a record, but if it is, and you don't want your name to be used, say so--we respect your right to privacy. Thank you for the time you have given to help us record a heritage that is an important part of American life. If you remenmer any more old-timey things that you want to send along to us so that it will always be preserved, l~ite to: Georgia Folklore Archives c/o Prof. John Burrison Georgia State University 33 Gilmer Street South East Atlanta, Georgia 30303 (/ For Ga. Fl. Archives: -:- _ ~// /~A f=,~a/4 Date __3__A.L'I_~_-f.~~(j_ _
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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.