OUR MUSICAL FAMILY

DEAR DESCENDANTS

OUR MUSICAL FAMILY

SONGS MY PARENTS SANG TO ME

DADDY'S SONGS

DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN

Good old Daniel lived in Babylon long ago
And he had the grace to tell the devil "no."
Because he prayed three times a day
In that good old-fashioned way,
They said , "To the lion's den you must go."
But the lions made him welcome to their home
When they saw that he was nothing but backbone.
When the king looked in and said,
"Are you alive or are you dead?"
Good old Daniel answered him in gentle tones,
"Well, I'd rather be on the inside looking out
Than to be upon the outside looking in.
While you paced the palace floor,
I had nought to do but snore,
For the Lord put a padlock on each lion's chin.
While you paced the palace floor,
I had nought to do but snore,
For the Lord put a padlock on each lion's chin."

The song above is of unknown origin. My father sang it and I have recorded it here as I remember it but realize that I may not have the words exactly right. There was a second verse about Nicodemus. I don't remember the words exactly but here's an approximation:

Nicodemus came to Jesus after night
For he was afraid to face Him in daylight.
When he heard the gospel plan,
How he must be born again,
Nicodemus went away sorrowing in the night.
Well, I'd rather be on the inside looking out
Then to be upon the outside looking in
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TITLE UNKNOWN

A group of jolly cowboys was discussing things one eve,
Said one I'll tell you something if you will listen, please.
I am an old cowpuncher, though here I'm dressed in rags.
I used to be a good one and go on great big jags.
Now boys I have a home, and a good one you all know,
Although I haven't seen it since many years ago.
I'm going back to see them, once more again next fall.
I'm going to see my mother when the work's all done next fall.
That night this very cowboy was called out to stand his guard.
The night was dark and cloudy, 'twas storming very hard.
The cowboy tried to herd them while riding at full speed.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to turn the herd about.
His cattle horse did stumble, and upon him did fall.
Poor boy won't see his mother when the work's all done this fall.
Fred, you may have my saddle, George, you take my bed,
Bill, you may have my pistol, after I am dead.
And think of me kindly when you look upon them all,
For I'll not see my mother when the work is done this fall.
They buried him at sunrise, no tombstone at his head,
Nothing but a little slab and this is what it said:
Poor Charlie died at daybreak, his death was from a fall,
And he won't see his mother when the work's all done this fall.

MAMA'S SONGS

AN IRISH LULLABY
Toora loora loora, toora, loora, li,
Toora loora loora, hush now, don't you cry.
Over in Killarney, many years ago,
Me mother sang that song to me in tones so soft and low.
Toora loora loora, toora, loora, li,
Toora loora loora, it's an Irish lullaby.

MY LITTLE BUCKAROO
Close your sleepy eyes, my little Buckaroo,
The light of the western skies is shining down on you.
Don't you know it's time for bed, another day is through
So go to sleep, my little Buckaroo.
Soon you'll ride the range like grown up cowboys do.
Now it's time that you were rounding up a dream or two
So go to sleep, my little Buckaroo.

I DROPPED MY DOLLY IN THE DIRT
I dropped my dolly in the dirt.
I asked my dolly "Did it hurt?"
But all that she could say was
"Waah, waah, waah."

TITLE UNKNOWN

Now don't you make sport of my troubles,
But pity me all that you can,
For I'm such an unbearable, horrible, terrible,
Incomparable unlucky man.
One night at the hotel for dinner
They suited me just to a T.
With hot soup to begin with,
They served a sloshing big plateful to me.
But e'er I had tasted a mouthful,
Leaning over to speak to a chap,
I tilted the plate bottom-side-upwards,
And spilled the hot soup in my lap.
Now don't you make sport of my troubles,
But pity me all that you can,
For I'm such an unbearable, horrible, terrible,
Incomparable unlucky man.
(More mishaps follow, one of them involving falling into a barrel of soft soap, but this is all I remember.)

My Granny

Virlie Mason Petty

My maternal great-grandfather "Bud" (Andrew Jackson) Petty played the instrument shown here. When asked whether it was a fiddle or a violin, he said, "When I play it for square dancing it's a fiddle. The rest of the time it's a violin."

Grandpa Petty (Walter Bartlett Petty) led a singing group in Henry County, Tennessee. They sang at play parties and also entered contests. Granny (Virlie Gertrue Mason) joined the singing group in her early teens.

In later life, Grandpa only sang the silly songs. Example:

Chicken in a bread pan scratching out dough,
Granny will your dog bite? No, child, no.

and

Oh, it ain't gonna rain no more, no more,
It ain't gonna rain no more.
How in the heck can I wash my neck
When it ain't gonna rain no more.

(It is my private opinion that the last two lines of the little ditty above are Grandpa's own version of the song, not what everyone else sang to the same tune.)

He also sang well-known songs like "Old Dan Tucker."

Granny, on the other hand, sang hymns. Here are the words to the one I remember best:

I've seen the lightning flashing,
I've heard the thunder roll.
I've felt sin's breakers dashing,
Dashing against my soul.
I've heard the voice of Jesus,
Telling me still to fight on.
He's promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone.
No, never alone,
No, never alone,
He's promised never to leave me,
never to leave me alone.

My mother said that most of the silly songs she sang to me were taught to her by her mother and Cousin Dorothy remembered that her Aunt Virlie played the guitar and sang "The Little Mohee", but I myself never heard Granny sing anything but hymns.

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