Macon is thought to have learned the song rock about my saro jane from black stevedores at nashville in the 1880s, although alan lomax believed that the song dated from the mid19th century. Personal experiences with the name saro nicknames for saro meanings and history of the name saro. In 1889 one samuel conrad hanson published a song book, merry. Aug 24, 2012 the hero, the legendthe dixie dewdrop. Record on the 7th of may 1927 by uncle dave and his fruit jar drinkers. In a further instance of historical irony, uncle dave liked to sing a song about the. Laura kaplans the story of jane is the first book to chronicle this controversial sliver of history, and it is a fascinating, if partisan, closeup of the group. Uncle dave macon october 7, 1870 march 22, 1952, born david harrison maconalso. Your speculation about the source of the phrase the big macmillan intrigued me. The above comment by uncle dave is one of the few direct links that we have to the origin of. But les caraher eventually sent him data for a likely identification. Engine gave a crack and the whistle gave a squall the engineer gone to the hole in the wall oh saro jane.
Theres a lot of fake folk music about steamboats, but this seems to be the genuine. Lyle lofgren once searched for the big macmillan mentioned in this song, with little luck. Chatham county line saro jane g em saro jane oh where are you g em the mail has come and theres some for you bm oh saro jane the stars are out the moon is full my cups empty while anothers full oh saro jane em d the train it whistles through the pines a em one sun sets while another shines bm oh saro jane off in the distance i hear a cardinals song baby come back. Upon his death, scruggs mother, georgia lula ruppe called. Detailed information about the origin and performers is given for each song as well as the history and development of the bluegrass genre. Oh, theres nothing to do but to set down and sing oh rock about my saro jane. The troublesome operations of the boat are described. Every book ive ever read about the history of rock and roll has been either frivolous or idiotic.
Rock about my saro jane rock about my saro jane ive got a wife and five little chillun believe ill take a trip on the big macmillan oh saro jane. John gilbert is the boat rock about, my saro jane riley pay me the john bs sails cotton needs pickin whoa back, buck bring me lil water, sylvie po farmer boll weevil holler go down, old hannah long john another man done gone jumpin judy longest train it makes a longtime man feel bad i got to roll cant. Snafu prequel jane interviews for an internship with a pi. New lost city ramblers, rock about my saro jane on nlcr14 notes 64 words. Featuring profiles of 100 groundbreaking artists from the rock music pantheon and special breakout sections on trendslike beatlemania, disco fever, and motown, this book is the definitive guide to all things rock n roll. Provided to youtube by smithsonian folkways recordings rock about my saro jane the new lost city ramblers remembrance of things to come. Oh, theres nothing to do but to sit down and sing and. Detailed information about the origin and performers is given for each song as well as t. Oh, rock about my saro jane, oh, rock about my saro jane, oh, theres nothing to do but to set down and sing, and rock about my saro jane.
I am looking for a tab to rock about my saro jane,scruggs style. Uncle dave macon october 7, 1870 march 22, 1952, born david harrison maconalso known as the dixie dewdropwas an american oldtime banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Ive got a wife and five little chillun believe ill take a trip on the big macmillan oh saro jane. But these days, seems like im spending more time reading books about rock history than i am listening to newly released rock reissues. Uncle dave macon, meanwhile, claimed to have learned his song rock about my saro jane from black stevedores along the cumberland river in the 1880s.
Practical and independent, jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her. Included are the melody line and chords to over two hundred favorite gospel and bluegrass songs. A civil warera song about a riverboat, popularized by tennessee banjoist and entertainer uncle dave macon 18701952 who according to researcher charles wolfe claimed to have learned it from africanamerican stevedores on the cumberland river in the l880s. Select the add to cart button under any video on the site for which youd like to purchase the tab. Bluegrass pickers tune book fretted instruments music book. I received an email from les caraher with the following information, which seems to me a prime candidate for the big macmillan. Bluegrass pickers tune book b ook mel bay publications, inc. Earl scruggs did not invent threefinger banjo playing. Rock about my saro jane ive got a wife and five little chillun believe ill take a trip on the big macmillan oh saro jane. This is the sound of history in the making, of mountain music coming down from the mountain as the rest of the country opens to it in all of its raw, heartfelt glory.
However there is an odetta version using these lyrics on her 1959 album, my eyes have seen which has what seems to be something close to the original lyrics and which dylan uses ive got a wife and five little children im gonna take a trip on the big mcmillan with sarah jane, sarah jane. The singer, despite a wife and five little children, decides to take a trip on the big macmillan. Yankees built boats for to shoot them rebels my muskets loaded and im gonna hold her level oh saro jane. A musthave for any music fan, the history of rock chronicles over six decades of key events in rock, punk, metal, and more. Any major dude with half a heart a history of country vol. The definitive guide to country music, backbeat books, 2003. So, i did a little bit of research on the internet and came up with an alternative source for the. They rode the crest of the folk boom, supplied the theme for the beverly hillbillies, and played carnegie hall. Sing out reprints, sing out, sof 1959, 6, p20 rock about my saro jane. The advent of accessible radio in the early 1920s was crucial in the rise of popular music, country included, as record companies started to seek new sounds. He is l isted on the national recording registry of the library of congress for performing on the first grand ole opry broadcast in 1939. Oh, theres nothing to do but to set down and sing and rock about, my saro jane. Boiler busted and the whistle done blowed the head captain done fell overboard oh saro jane.
I read your article on uncle dave macons rock about my saro jane. This doubledisc set is the most useful survey of their work for the label, spanning 1950 to 1969, and throwing in three unreleased tracks along the way. Rock about my saro jane rock the cradle joe rock the cradle lucy roll her on the ground. His father, george elam scruggs, was a farmer and a bookkeeper who died of a protracted illness when earl was four years old. Saro is probably a variant of sarah and is indigenous to the appalachians and the american south. Mar 14, 2015 the ninth jane yellowrock novel release april 7, 2015 blood in her veins, new compilation of all jane yellowrock shorts along with two brand new novellas, see below release feb. The early years short story about jane just after she left the childrens home. And rock about, my saro jane o rock about my saro jane o rocl about my saro jane o theres nothing to do but to set down and sing and rock about, my saro jane boiler busted and the whistle done blowed the head captain done fell overboard o saro jane refrain engine gave a crack and the whistle gave a squall the engineer gone ti the hole in the.
An early influence was a local banjoist, dewitt snuffy jenkins, who plucked in a finger style. A comical, fantastical and witty reimagining of the tudor world, p. Boiler busted and the whistle done blowed, the head captain done fell overboard, refrain chorus. Which is the best book to understand the history of rock.
Rock about my saro jane discussion forums banjo hangout. It derived most directly from the rhythm and blues music of the 1940s, which itself developed from earlier blues, boogie woogie, jazz and swing music, and was also influenced by gospel, country and western, and traditional folk music. Engine gave a crack and the whistle gave a squall the engineer gone ti the hole in the wall. Rock and roll in turn provided the main basis for the music that.
Timeline of stories in the jane yellowrock world wesa and the lumber king a brand new short story from beasts pov, set in the hunger times. Chatham county line saro jane g em saro jane oh where are you g em the mail has come and theres some for you bm oh saro jane the stars are out the moon is full my cups empty while anothers full oh saro jane em d the train it whistles through the pines a em one sun sets while another shines bm oh saro jane off in the distance i hear a cardinals song baby come back where you belong oh saro. Oh, rock about my saro jane oh, theres nothing to do but to set down and sing and rock about, my saro jane. Oh, theres nothing to do but sit down and sing and rock about my saro jane.
In essence dylans version takes a steamboat song rock about my saro jane which. Mel bay the bluegrass pickers tune book is a must for all bluegrass pickers. A number of sources have considered the first to be rocket 88, which was recorded in 1951 by ike turner and his band, but credited to his saxophonist and the. The words uncle dave sang on his 1927 vocalion recording go. Jan 01, 2012 a musthave for any music fan, the history of rock chronicles over six decades of key events in rock, punk, metal, and more. Bluegrass pickers tune book book mel bay publications, inc. Macon claimed to have learned the song rock about my saro jane from black stevedores working along. The story of jane is an examination of this amazing example of grassroots organising, written by one of the women involved. Rock about my saro jane and the origin of the mcmillan reference.
Uncle dave macon rock about my saro jane lyrics genius. Bluegrass pickers tune book book mel bay publications. From new country, country gazette performing saro jane about the artists. Faith hunter timeline of stories in jane yellowrocks. Bill haley and his comets first introduced rock n roll to the mainstream read. May 31, 2015 provided to youtube by smithsonian folkways recordings rock about my saro jane the new lost city ramblers remembrance of things to come. The ninth jane yellowrock novel release april 7, 2015 blood in her veins, new compilation of all jane yellowrock shorts along with two brand new novellas, see below release feb.
Rock and roll emerged as a defined musical style in the united states in the early to mid1950s. More than once i was astounded by the things the members of jane were willing to do in order to make safe abortions available to as many women as possible, and by their logistical savvy. Bluegrass pickers tune book fretted instruments music. And rock about my saro jane the engine give a crack and the whistle gave a squall the engineer gone to the holeinthewall saro jane saro jane aint nothin to do but to set down and sing and rock about my saro jane yankee built boats to shoot them rebels my guns steady gonna hold it level saro jane saro jane but to set down and sing and rock. I had a lot more trouble filling up my top ten of 2014 rock reissues coming in my next blog post than my top ten of 2014 rock books. Newsday kaplan draws on her personal recollections and interviews with jane members and clients and the doctors who performed the abortions to provide a wellwritten, detailed. The book suggests that that the odd line banks of said brow might be a corruption of the line in verse 9 of the other version which has the mountains sad brow.
Rock about my saro jane has been reissued on jsp7729. Repeat oh, theres nothing to do but to sit down and sing and rock about my saro jane. These were earl scuggs and lester flatts prime years. Earl scruggs was born january 6, 1924, in the flint hill community of cleveland county, north carolina, a small community just outside of boiling springs, about 10 miles west of shelby.
Repeat oh, theres nothing to do but to sit down and sing and rockabout my saro jane. Saro jane chords chatham county line cowboy lyrics. Macon claimed to have learned the song rock about my saro jane from black stevedores working along the cumberland river in the 1880s. Although haley had had international rock n roll hits the year prior and had been making the charts since 1953 and recording recognizable rock. Boiler busted and the whistle done blowed, the head captain done fell overboard, oh saro jane. She holds an mfa in writing from sarah lawrence college and a phd in english from the. One of the most influential bluegrass acts of the 70s as well as one of that decades most popular country artists in europe country gazette blended bluegrass with countryrock and, in the process, sowed the seeds for the newgrass movement of the 80s.
Various recordings dating back to the 1940s and 1950s have been cited as the first rock and roll record. The bluegrass pickers tune book is a must for all bluegrass pickers. Oh rock about my saro jane oh rock about my saro jane oh theres nothing to do but to set down and sing and rock about my saro jane. Rock by, my saro jane ive been around her all my life all thats left is just one wife, oh saro jane nothin to do but sit around and sing rock by, my saro jane oh, rock by, my saro jane rock by, my saro jane nothin to do but sit around and sing rock by, my saro jane now, you get a line and ill get a pole and well go down to the fishin. If you need factual information, theres no book that can compare to wikipedia. The identity of the first rock and roll record is one of the most enduring subjects of debate among rock historians. The song buddy wont you roll down the line was inspired by the coal creek war, an east tennessee labor uprising in the 1890s. It turns out there was a boat that plied the mississippi all during the civil war as a supply boat. Engine gave a crack and the whistle gave a squall the engineer gone ti the hole in the wall oh saro jane. There were enough books of note, in fact, that in addition to a top ten which follows below, ive also listed a dozen other books worthy of some note, and a halfdozen that were released too early to make. Saro, do you also know the song, rock about my saro jane.
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