Sweeny's Virginia Melodies. Jonny Boker, or, De Broken Yoke in de Coaling Ground. The Original Banjo Song. [1840] Johns Hopkins University, Levy Sheet Music Collection, Box 020, Item 012.
Content advisory: Racist language in original
Tim Twiss, of Highland, Mich., playing the song on a fretless banjo (he also does "Old Jim River" or "'Twill Nebber Do To Gib It Up So" by Dan Emmett)
The National Park Service has material on Sweeney on the Appamattox Court House national historical park's website linked to the directory of Curriculum Materials for secondary school teachers. Correlated with Virginia K-12 learning standards. Here (minus links) is the blurb:
"The Sweeneys are indeed a Wonder!" (Lesson Plan) and "The Sweeneys are indeed a Wonder!" (Supplementary Materials) The Sweeneys of Appomattox brought the banjo – America’s instrument - into the world of popular music before and during the Civil War.Lyrics of "Johnny Booker" are also printed in PUBLIC DOMAIN MUSIC Copyrighted MIDI files, and text files of their lyrics, created by Benjamin Robert Tubb, based on original sheet music sources in the public domain.
Sweeny's Virginia Melodies.
"Jonny Boker, or,
De Broken Yoke in de Coaling Ground" (1840)
The Original Banjo Song.
As sung with great applause at the Tremont Theatre,
By J.W. Sweeny
[Words and Music -- anon.]
Boston: Henry Prentiss, 33 Court St.
R. Cooke, del. B.W. Thayer's Lith. Boston
Plate Number: 133
[Source: 020/012@Levy]
Lyrics - as I've standardized spellings and cleaned them up:
As I went up to Lynchburg town,
I broke my yoke on the coaling ground;
I drove from there to Bowling Spring,
And I tried for to mend my yoke and ring.
O Johnny Booker … O Johnny Booker, do.
I drove from there to Wright's old shop
Hollered to my driver and told him to stop;
Says I, Mr. Wright, have you got a yoke?
He seized his bellows and blew up a smoke
O Johnny Booker, etc.
Says I, Mr. Wright, haven't long to stay;
He caught up his hammer, knocked right away;
Soon as he mended my staple and ring.
Says I, Mr. Wright, do you charge anything?
O Johnny Boker, etc.
Says he to me, I never charge
Unless the job is very large;
For little jobs that is so small
I never charge any thing at all
O Johnny Booker, etc.
I drove from there to Anthony's mill
And tried to pull up that ‘ere hill;
I whipped my steers and pushed my cart
But all I could do, I couldn't make a start
O Johnny Booker, etc.
I put my shoulder to the wheel
Upon the ground I placed my heel;
Then we made a mighty strain
But all our efforts proved in vain
O Johnny Booker, etc.
There come a waggoner driving by
I sat on the ground and 'gan to cry;
Says me to him some pity take
And help me [please] for conscience sake
O Johnny Booker, etc.
Says he to me, I will help thee
Took out his horses, No. 3
I wiped from my eyes the falling tears;
He hitched his horses before my steers
O Johnny Booker, etc.
Then to me he did much please
He pulled me up with so much ease;
His horses were so big and strong
The way they pulled this [cart] along
O Johnny Booker, etc.
2 comments:
where is Anthony's Mill that is mentioned in this song? trying to locate it. Thanks!
Hi Rhonda - I don't know when you posted this, but maybe better late (Nov, 2013) than never, I'll tell you what I know:
Anthony's Mill is somewhere between Appomattox and Lynchburg, Va. Bob Carlin's "The Birth of the Banjo" (2007) actually traces the route the poor guy took in the song, along today's highways. Really interesting stuff!
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