Folksong for March, 2018

 Camptown Races
Wade in the Water

I'm going to share two traditional songs to try this month, mainly because as I was working on sharing the one we have scheduled, late at night in the dark of my room, using headphones so as not to disturb my husband next to me, I caught an ear-worm and kept finding myself playing different versions of a very different song and I had to exorcise, er, share it.

Because I know many of our members enjoy hearing some of the little behind the scenes, how things happen details, I want to explain why I was up doing the folksong and hymn for March at 2 a.m.  Besides the fact that I tend to procrastinate a bit- not on purpose, but because I just genuinely don't really experience time passing and so every month the end of the month astonishes me.  I was doing this late at night because my husband and I are sharing a power cord at the moment.  There was a power surge (apparently, according to people who know these things), and my laptop plug made a loud wailing, hissing noise and then there was a noise between a pop and a boom, and the extension cord, which was on the bed, turned black and smelled horrible and scorched my sheets, and my poor power cord- one of the metal prongs actually melted a bit. It all smelled very bad, too.  Happily, my husband and I share the same brand of laptop, so I use his power cord in the evening and at night, so he can take his laptop touse at work in the morning.
Teamwork.

We do plan on getting me a replacement, but we live in the Philippines, so it's not quite that simple.  We may have a lead on one, however, and as soon as we have the time we'll take a cab over to the store that tells us they have one, and we'll see if that is indeed the case (so often, it isn't).

Also, because we live in the Philippines in a recently developed neighborhood, our internet is sometimes unreliable, and we have a finite limit.  It's the end of Febrary, so we're near the end of our monthly allotment, which means I cannot play and replay the youtube videos as often as I would like in order to get it all correct.  I've tried to listen carefully and type fast, but there are typos in the lyrics posted below and I believe a couple of missed or repeated lines, more than I would like.  If anybody else cares to listen and check, leave a comment with your suggested correction and I'll fix the errors you find.

Now about the folksongs.... on the schedule, we have Camptown Races by Stephen Foster (1826-1864). Foster was known as America's songwriter. He essentially created the profession, and struggled to support himself due to weak copyright protections.  If you're interested,you can read more about him and his life and goals for his music here.  However, it's not required. It's fine to just sing the songs.


Here's a version by the 2nd Carolina String Band, Civil War Re-enactors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ynyKZuUSpM 

Another version

Johnny Cash

The setting is the Camptown Racetrack, and the singer is going to watch as many race as he can and hopes to win some money (in some versions he *has*) through betting on the horses- specifically, the 'bob-tailed nag.' 

Lyrics, though there are some variations between performers:


The Camptown ladies sing this song
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
The Camptown racetrack's five miles long
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

I come down there with my hat caved in
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
I go back home with a pocket full of tin
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

The long tail filly and the big black hoss
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
They fly the track and they both cut across
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

The blind hoss sticken in a big mud hole
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Can't touch bottom with a ten foot pole
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

Old muley cow come on to the track
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
The bob-tail fling her over his back
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

Then fly along like a rail-road car
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Runnin' a race with a shootin' star
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

See them flyin' on a ten mile heat
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
Round the race track, then repeat
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

I win my money on the bob-tail nag
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
I keep my money in an old tow-bag
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay
Lyrics taken from this page

Johnny Cash sings 'bound to run all night...'   In an attempt to duplicate the southern black dialect, Foster originally wrote 'going to' as 'gwine to' which is an approximation of 'goin', though not a particularly happy or successful one, IMO.

If you are old enough to remember Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, you know he hummed this song all the time.  Here's a compilation of many of those moments.

Bob-tailed is a horse with its tail cut short. Nag is a synonym for horse. Originallyit referred to a smaller horse for riding.Eventually it came to mean any older, run-down horse. Perhaps our singer doesn't have enough money to bet on a better horse?  A bay is a reddish brown horse with black main, lower legs, and ear edges. It's a very common colouring.
The singer goes to the races with his hat caved in-  symbol of povety, and returns with a pocket full of tin, or money.

It's a fun, humorous song with a catchy refrain and tune, not meant to be taken seriously.  It's easy to catch on to the chorus and sing along pretty quickly. It's a good song for expressing exhuberant feelings and happiness over some unexpected turn of good luck.  It's not social commentary.

Foster's ideas and practices evolved and grew over time, but one thing that never changed is that he asked his performers not to mock slavery or slaves, and he never allowed crude characatures on his published sheet music. His attempts to accurately depict a southern black dialect never were very successful and he eventually dropped them altogether.  Keep in mind that in the days before radio or television, the accented speech divisions between the south and north were even stronger than they are now- one of the most common complaints among soldiers in WW1 is that the northerners and southerners couldn't even understand each other.  Foster was from Pennsylvania, not the south.  For more information, see this page.


Somehow in the domino effect that happens when chasing down information on the internet I ended up clicking a link to Wade in the Water, a favourite of mine since childhood days.

There are a lot of variations to this one, both to the lyrics and the tune, although the basic heart of the song is always:
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.

According to Wikipedia, ""Wade in the Water" (Roud 5439) is the name of a Negro spiritual first published in New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers (1901) by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J. Work (see Fisk Jubilee Singers). It is associated with the songs of the Underground Railroad."

(The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditional spirituals, but included some Stephen Foster songs. The original group toured along the Underground Railroad path in the United States, as well as performing in England and Europe. Later 19th-century groups also toured in Europe.)

Listen and Learn:

Wade in the Water by the Jeeemeys, the alter-ego of musician and teacher Jimmy Rossi
https://youtu.be/HeLur5K_Hwo

Mr. Rossi put the lyrics in his video so it's easy to follow along. This version is also fairly simple and easy to follow as it lacks the wonderful improvisation that often accompanies Wade in the Water.

Wade in the Water by Ella Fitzgerald and the Goodwill Spiritual Choire

https://youtu.be/vg_8L96E3eU (Wade in the water) (Wade in the water) Wade in the water Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water, God is gonna trouble these waters See that band all dressed in white God is gonna trouble these waters It look like a band of the Israelite God is gonna trouble these waters

Wade in the water Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water, God is gonna trouble these waters

See that band all dressed in red God is gonna trouble these waters Look like a band that Moses led God is gonna trouble these waters

Wade in the water Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water, God is gonna trouble these waters
My Lord delivered Danuel, Danuel, Danuel Didn't my Lord deliver Danuel Then why not every man? Now didn't my Lord deliver Danuel, Danuel, Danuel Didn't my Lord deliver Danuel Then why not every man? Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river Went down there for to pray Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river To wash his sins all away Washed all day, washed all night Washed till his hands were sore Washed all day, washed all night Till he couldn't wash a-no more (Hey) Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river Went down there for to pray Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river Washed his sins all away Wade in the water Wade in the water, children Wade in the water God is gonna trouble these waters Wade in the water Wade in the water, children Wade in the water God is gonna trouble these waters God is gonna trouble these waters God is gonna trouble these waters


 Here's a version by the Blind Boys of Alabama
 Wade in the water
 come on and wade in the water, children
wade in the water
My Lord, my God's gonna trouble the water

 Come on and Wade in the Water
Come on and Wade in the Water , children
Wade in the water
My God's gonna trouble the water

 If you hear tell of me dyin'
 I don't want nobody to cry
All I want you to do for me
and that's to close my eyes.

 Well, Come On and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
My Lord, my God's gonna trouble the water.

 Well in my dying hour
 I don't want nobody to mourn
All I want you to do for me
 and that's to give that (bell at dawn?)

Well,  Come On and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children!
Wade in the water.
 My God's gonna trouble the water.

 When I get in Glory
I'm gonna shake my brother's hand, Oh, yes
I'm gonna tell all about my troubles while traveling through this land.

 Come On and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
My God's gonna trouble the water.

 Come on and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
My Lord, my God's gonna trouble the water.

 Wade in the Water by the Staples Singers:
 Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water,
He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 See that host all dressed in red?
He's gonna trouble the water.
Must be the host that Moses led.
He's gonna trouble the water.

 You don't believe I've been redeemed
He's gonna trouble the water
Well, follow me down by the Jordan stream
He's gonna trouble the water.

 Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
 He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
 He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 See that host all dressed in white
He's gonna trouble the water.
 It looks like the children of the Israelites
He's gonna trouble the water.
I looked over yonder and what did I see?
 He's gonna trouble the water.
 A band of angels coming for me
He's gonna trouble the water

 Well, why don't you Wade in the water?
Wade in the water, children
 Wade in the water
 He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water




 
St James Missionary Baptist church in Canton, 1978
Turn it up

Oh, I've got my ticket in my right hand
And I'm on my way to the promised land.

You can talk about me just as you please
And the more you talk, I'm gonna bend my knees...

You know you don't believe I've been redeemed
Follow me down to the Jordan Stream

Ohhh, who is that yonder dressed in red?
oooh, just like the children that Moses led.

Who is that yonder dresed in blue?
It look like the ones that made it through (I think, can somebody double check?)




 Topher Keene teaches an audience how to sing it in 3 part harmony, a very good teaching/learning recording for those who want extra help (could be fun with an AO/CM co-op): https://youtu.be/4xeDemvhekc

What does it mean?  Depends on who you ask, and also on who is singing.

Some of the reference are obvious:

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had., John 5:4

Moses led the Israelites out of slavery.

Under the surface: it's probably a spiritual celebrating freedom and encouraging it as well, literally.   Harriet Tubman was the Moses of her people.  The Ohio River had to be crossed to reach freedom, and often references to the Jordan River were coded references to The Ohio River.  It's giving hints on how to get to freedom- wade in the water to keep the blood hounds off your trail, follow our Moses, cross the Ohio river, make it to the other side.  

When God troubles the water... is that a reference to conditions being right to make a run for freedom?  

The background is meaningful and important- but if you only have time for one thing, make it be singing the song (s)

Sing!