[Dixielandjazz] Abe Lincoln in parody - dig deep into your memory!

David Richoux tubaman at tubatoast.com
Sun Sep 9 22:11:57 PDT 2007


Steve:

Lets try to isolate the song a bit - might make it easier to search for.

Besides possibly hearing it at a Mid-West ragtime festival or two,  
would you say it was a song that could be sung in church?
around a campfire?
at an elementary school?
in a playground?
at college?
at a parlor party or dinner table?
was it a military song?
a barroom or bawdy song?
a protest rally or political function sort of song?
a hoot-n-nanny?
West or East Coast? (we know it was in the Mid West at some point )
North or South?
Did it seem really "old fashion" or were the words more modern?
was it humorous or serious?
Nostalgic?
more jazzy or ragtime (or just "old-time?")
Blues? Country?
Spiritual/Gospel?
masculine or feminine POV?
Was there any other mention of the Civil War, slavery or other  
elements of that historical period?

that might narrow it down a bit ;-)

maybe something done by the St. Louis Ragtimers? (they are notorious  
for digging up [or creating] strange old songs - and they have  
recorded Old Grey Bonnet...)



Dave Richoux

On Sep 9, 2007, at 8:58 PM, David Richoux wrote:

> Hey - I have to get at least SOME points for finding a published  
> and recorded song that even mentions Abe Lincoln and is probably  
> sung to "Grey Bonnet," right?
>
> I am finding nothing in my books and internet searches - I even  
> asked my mother (she has a vast knowledge of old and odd tunes, but  
> her selective memory is getting a bit dicey these days...)
>
> Dave Richoux
>
> On Sep 9, 2007, at 1:25 PM, eupher dude wrote:
>
>> The lyrics I'm thinking of are a perfect fit for "old gray bonnet"
>>
>> Let's have a good time thinkin' about Abraham Lincoln....
>>
>> or something really similar.  I've heard them done in Cleveland  
>> and in St Louis, at the old Ragtime Festival, and I don't think it  
>> was by a Clevelander at the Fest.  (Only ones I ever saw there  
>> were Sister Jean and Laundry Fats).
>>
>> Somewhere, someone knows these lyrics...the only Lincoln content  
>> is that first line, so it's not REALLY about Lincoln at all.
>>
>> c'mon, ye mouldy figs...
>>
>> steve
>>
>>



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