[Dixielandjazz] Goofus

[Tim Eldred]

The piano roll I have has that wording as the start of the first verse.  I don't know that there is a chorus - the middle portion below is kind of a bridge between the two verses and has a different melodic line.  Here are the words on the roll:

I was born on a farm out in Ioway/a flaming youth who was bound that he'd fly away/I packed my grip and I grabbed my saxophone.  Can't read notes but I play everything by ear/I made up songs on the sounds that I used to hear/when folks hear me play they always say/sounds a little Goofus to me.

Corn fed chords appeal to me/I like rustic harmony/hold the note and then change the key/that's called Goofus.  Not according to the rules/that you learn at music schools/but the folks just dance like fools/they go Goofus.

Got me a job but I just couldn't keep it long/the leader he said that I played all the music wrong/so I set out with an outfit of my own.  Got together a new kind of orchestree/and we all played just the same Goofus harmony/and I must admit we were a hit/sounds a little Goofus to me.  (Not sure on the last line - can't find the piano roll to check, but that's what I remember it to be...)

The piano roll then repeats the "Corn fed chords" and "Got me a job" portions, with "sounds a little Goofus to me" as the ending.

Hope this helps...

Tim Eldred
Roseville, CA
Lurker and amateur musician...

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com [mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Yeates
Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2010 8:23 PM
To: julepjerk at surewest.net
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Goofus

Every version I have heard of Goofus contains what I would call the chorus.  The part I am referring to has the words that include

“I was born on a farm out in Ioway
A flaming youth who was bound that he’d fly away”

I had only heard it played that way until I was listening to a recording of it by Slim Lamar’s Southerners.  They play a whole lot more of the tune than simply the famous part I have mentioned above.  In fact that part seemed to come up only once. (I wasn’t listening that carefully to it.)

Can anyone tell me if there actually is a verse to the tune or did  Slim Lamar’s Southerners simply do a good job of creating a bit more to flesh things out. If there is a verse as well, does anyone have the words?

Kevin Yeates
Vancouver, Canada

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