about the record

This recording and my live "Lomax on Lomax" performances present the Lomax family's contributions to American culture over five generations and 148 years. I have chosen 26 songs that were found, written, recorded, and/or popularized by family members: my grandfather, John Avery Lomax, uncle Alan Lomax, aunt Bess Lomax Hawes and my Dad, John A. Lomax Jr., "The Dean of Texas Folk Singers." He was also a founder of The Houston Folklore Society, which is still going 73 years later. Special Guest Rattlesnake Annie sings one of her best songs. I wrote one by myself and another with James Tristan Redding. Thus, the digital version of AMERICAN FOLK SONGS delivers a spoken word Introduction and 26 tracks! 

I WAS BORN 10,000 YEARS AGO
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar

I first heard this paean to prevarication in the early '50s when my dad and his folklore society buddies sang it. Elvis cut it and claimed authorship in 1970, but it sat "in the can" 50 years when it was released on his "Elvis in Nashville" album and only has one verse like my version. Stick around for the last verse, as it's a brand new one I wrote and in the true folk tradition, added it. 

I Was Born 10,000 Years AgoI was born ten thousand years agoAnd there ain’t nothing in this world I don’t knowI saw Peter, Paul & MosesPlayin’ ring around the rosesAnd I’ll whip the guy who says it isn’t so

Chorus: 
It's a lie, It's a lie
Ship ahoy, ship ahey, ship a hi-yi-yi
I sailed the seven seas in my dirty dungarees
But I never, never ever saw a Mermaid

I saw Satan when he looked the Garden o'er
Saw Adam and Eve driven from the door 
And from behind the bushes peeping
I saw the apple they were eatingI know ‘cuz I’m the guy what at the core

I taught Samson how to use his mightly handsFirst showed Columbus these happy landsAnd for Pharoah’s many kidsI built him PyramidsAnd to Sahara carried all the sands

I taught Solomon all his ABC’sWas the first man to eat limburger cheeseAnd while sailing in the BayWith Methusalah one dayI saw his whiskers flappin’ in the breeze
I saw Jonah embark within the whaleAnd I never thought he’d live to tell the taleBut Jonah was eatin’ garlicAnd he gave the whale the colicSo he belched him up and let him out of jail

Now, the next verse is about Queen Elizabeth but I'm not going to sing that verse out of respect for the lady. Instead, I've written my own last verse and ready or not, here it comes:

I was married to Madonna secretlyBut that gal was way too much for meSo I went 10,000 miles down unda’Found some heavy metal thundaAnd brought back the band AC/DC

Highway to hell, highway to hellDirty deeds done dirt cheap,dirty deeds done dirt cheap

Chorus:It’s a lie, It’s a LieShip ahoy, ship ahey, ship a hi-yi-yiI saiied the seven seas in my dirty dungareesBut I never, never ever saw a Mermaid

GIT ALONG LITTLE DOGIES
John A. Lomax Jr - Introduction
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar, fiddle

The story of John Avery's discovery of this song and others is fascinating and can be found in the 2017 reissue of his autobiography from 1947, Adventures of a Ballad Hunter.

My Dad feels this is one of our finest cowboy songs as it paints such a vivid picture of life on the trail, trying to keep the dogies whole as stragglers would become dinner for Indians, wolves, or coyotes.

Git Along Little Dogies
As I walked out one morning for pleasure 
I met a cowpuncher a riding along
His hat was throwed back and his spurs was a jingling
As he approached me a singing this song

(Chorus)
Whoopi ti yi yo, git along little dogies
It's your misfortune and none of my own
Whoopi ti yi yo, git along little dogies
For you know Wyoming will be your new home

Early in the spring we round up the dogies
Mark them and brand them and bob off their tails
Round up the horses, load up the chuck wagon
And throw them dogies up on the trail

It's whooping and yelling and drivin' them dogies
Oh how I wish that you would go on
It's whooping and punching and go on you little dogies
For you know Wyoming will be your new home

Your mother she was raised way down in Texas
Where the jimson weed and the sand burrs grow
Now we'll fill you up on prickly pear and cholla
So you'll be ready for the trail to Idaho

Or you'll be soup for Uncle Sam's Indians
It's beef, beef, beef I hear them cry
Git along, git along, git along you little dogies
For you'll be beef steers bye and bye

Whoopi ti yi yo, git along you little dogies
It's your misfortune and none of my own
Whoopi ti yi yo, git along you little dogies
For you know Wyoming will be your new home

THE COWBOY'S DREAM
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Fiddle
Vince Farsetta - Mandolin, Dulcimer
John Lomax III Night Sounds Field Recording

The song presents thoughts of a lonely rider settling in for what he hopes will be an uninterrupted rest. Eddy Arnold's recording is the best-known version of this superb sermon in song, included in COWBOY SONGS & OTHER FRONTIER BALLADS. 

Roger McGuinn says "Cowboy's Dream" began as a poem by cowpuncher O.J. O'Malley and was first published in the Stock Grower's Journal in the mid-1880s. I really wanted a chorus, so the Clement House Chorale came together to deliver the goods.

The Cowboy's Dream
Last night as I lay on the prairie
And looked up at the stars in the sky
I wondered if ever a cowboy
Would drift to that sweet by and by

Ah, the road to that bright happy region
Is a dim narrow trail so they say
But the broad one that leads to Perdition
Is posted and blazed all the way

(Chorus)
Roll on, roll on, roll on little dogies
roll on, roll on
Roll on, roll on, roll on little dogies
roll on

Well they say he will never forget you
That he knows every action and look
So for safety's sake better get branded
Get your name in his big Tally book

They say there will be a great roundup
When cowboys, like dogies will stand
To be CUT by the riders of Judgment
Who are posted and know every brand.

Ah, they tell of another great owner
Who's ne'er overstocked so they say
And he always makes room for the sinner
Who drifts from the dim, narrow way

Roll on, roll on, roll on little dogies,
roll on, roll on
Roll on, roll on, roll on little dogies,
roll on

THE STREETS OF LAREDO
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Ben "Jonesy" Jones - Fife
Matthew "Buster" Allen - Drum

Aka "The Cowboy's Lament" and "The Dying Cowboy," it's another sad western tale of a young cowboy's youthful demise, originating in the 19th Century in England as "The Unfortunate Rake." Bing Crosby, Harry James and Chet Atkins have recorded the song as does a whole crop of alt-rockers such as John Cale, Prefab Sprout, Snakefarm, Mercury Rev, Paul Westerberg and more. It's one of the most recorded western songs and merits a solid Wikipedia coverage. 

The Streets of Laredo
As I walked out on the streets of Laredo
As I walked out in Laredo One Day
I spied a cowpuncher all wrapped in white linen
All wrapped in white linen and cold as the clay

I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy
These words he did say as I boldly passed by
Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story
Shot in the breast and I know I must die

So bang the drum slowly and play the fife lowly
And sing the death march as you carry me along
Take me to the green valley and lay the sod o'er me
For I'm a young cowboy and I know I done wrong

It was once in the saddle I used to go dashing
Once in the saddle I rode so gay
First to the dram house and then to the card house
Shot in the breast and I'm dying today

Oh, bury me beside my knife and six shooter
My spurs on my heels, my rifle by my side
And on my coffin place a bottle of brandy
So the cowboys can drink as I take my last ride

So we banged the drum slowly and played the fife lowly
And bitterly wept as we carried him along
For we loved our comrade, so young, brave and strong.
We loved our comrade though we knew he'd done wrong.

So bang the drum slowly...

COTTON FIELDS
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar
Vince Farsetta - Mandolin, banjo

Since Lead Belly recorded this in 1940, it's been recorded by Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival and many more. Lead Belly speeds it up towards the end. I fuse it with "Pick A Bale of Cotton" so I can present more songs in live performance.

Cotton Fields
When I was a little bitty baby
My momma would rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

Oh, when them cotton balls get rotten
You couldn't pick very much cotton
In them old cotton fields back home

it may sound a little funny
But we never made very much money
In them old cotton fields back home

PICK A BALE OF COTTON
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar
Vince Farsetta - Mandolin, Banjo

A work song pre-dating the Civil War. The top field hands could pick 800 pounds of cotton in a day but a bale was around 1,500 pounds so no one could have ever accomplished this. I make up impromptu verses about local attendees when I do my shows and here, I give shout outs to my producer and the two key players. 

Pick a Bale of Cotton
Massa told the boys to pick a bale of cotton
Yeah, Massa told the boys to pick a bale a day

(Chorus)
O lawdy, Pick a Bale of Cotton an a 
O Lawdy, Pick a Bale a Day

Gonna jump down, turn around pick a bale a cotton
Gonna jump down and pick a bale a day
O lawdy, Pick a Bale of Cotton an a 
Oh Lawdy, Pick a bale a day

I believe to my soul I can pick a bale of cotton
I believe to my soul I can pick a bale a day
O lawdy, Pick a Bale of Cotton an a 
Oh Lawdy, Pick a bale a day

My wife and I can pick a bale of cotton
Me and my wife can pick a bale a day
O lawdy, Pick a Bale of Cotton an a 
Oh Lawdy, Pick a bale a day

Yeah, Producer Matt can pick a bale of cotton
Producer Matt can pick a bale a day
O lawdy, Pick a Bale of Cotton an a 
Oh Lawdy, Pick a bale a day

Mister Shawn Camp can Pick a Bale of Cotton
Shawn Camp can pick a bale a day
O lawdy, Pick a Bale of Cotton an a 
Oh Lawdy, Pick a bale a day

Richard Bennett can pick a bale of cotton
Yes, Richard can pick a bale a day
O lawdy, Pick a Bale of Cotton an a 
Oh Lawdy, Pick a bale a day

Jump down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton
Gonna jump down, turn around, pick a bale a day
Pick a bale, pick a bale, pick a bale of cotton
Pick a bale, pick a bale, pick a bale of cotton a day

SLOOP JOHN B.
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar
Vince Farsetta - Dulcimer

This Bahamian folk song Alan Lomax and Elizabeth Barinicle recorded The Cleveland Simmons Group singing on Cat Island in 1935 has been recorded by numerous artists including The Weavers, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, Jerry Butler, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones and others before the Beach Boys' version became a huge pop smash in 1966. Here's a short list of just a few who have recorded it after that: Waylon Jennings, The Ventures, Jerry Jeff Walker, Dwight Yoakam, Simple Minds and of course, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes. Carl Sandburg included it in his classic 1927 work, THE AMERICAN SONGBAG. 

For a hearty laugh, have a look on YouTube at The Beach Boys' "official Promotional Video," not to be confused with the "official Video." And while you're on YouTube, have a look at The Cleveland Simmons Group's original recording of "Histe Up the John B.'s Sails." 

Sloop John B.
Oh we sailed on the Sloop John B,
my grandfather and me
'round Nassau harbor we did roam
Drinkin' all night, had a big fight
I feel so breakup I wanna go home

(Chorus)
So histe up the John B. sails
And see how the mainsail sets
Send for the Captain ashore, let me go home
Please let me go home, I want to go home
I feel so breakup I want to go home

Oh the first mate he got drunk
and he bust up the people's trunks
Constable had to come and take him away
Sherriff John Stone, please let me alone
I feel so breakup I want to go home

Well, de cook he got fits
and he threw out alla the grits
Then he went and ate up all of the corn
I wanna go home, please let me go home
This is the worst trip since I ever been born

So histe up the John B. sails
And see how the mainsail sets
Send for the Captain ashore, let me go home
Please let me go home, i want to go home
This is the worst trip that I've ever been on

M.T.A.
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar
Vince Farsetta - Dulcimer

When Bess Lomax Hawes and her friend Jacqueline Steiner wrote this song for an election in 1949, Bess had already begun her career with The Almanac Singers nearly ten years before. Later she became a guitar teacher, helping, among others, Ry Cooder to get started. She discovered and recorded The Georgia Sea Island Singers and wrote their story with their leader Bessie Jones. 

She was a college professor and for fifteen years ran the Folk Arts Grants program for the National Endowment of the Arts, dispensing worthy folk projects and all kinds. She helped establish the Annual Festival of American Folk Life and won the National Medal of Arts in 1993, becoming the second of John Avery Lomax's children to receive that prestigious honor, following Alan who won it in 1986. 

M.T.A.
{Spoken Introduction by Dave Guard of The Kingston Trio}

These are the times that try men's souls
In the course of our nation's history
The citizens of Boston have rallied bravely
Whenever the rights of man have been threatened

Today a new crisis has arisen
The Metropolitan Transit Authority, better known as the MTA
Is attempting to levy a burdensome tax on the people
In the form of a subway fare increase
Citizens, hear me out, this could happen to you!

Well, let me tell you of the story of a man named Charlie
On a tragic and fateful day
With ten cents in his pocket, Charlie kissed his wife and family
Went to ride on the MTA

And, did he ever return?
No, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned (What a pity)
He may ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston
And he's the man who never returned

Charlie handed in his dime at the Kendall Square Station
With a change at Jamaica Plain
But when he got there the conductor told him, "One more nickel"
Charlie couldn't get off of that train! 

All night long, Charlie rides through the stations
Wondering, "What will become of me?
How can I afford to see my sister in Chelsea
Or my cousin in Roxbury?"

(Chorus)
Well, did he ever return?
No, he never returned, and his fate is still unlearned
(Poor Old Charlie)
He may ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston
He's the man who never returned

Charlie's wife goes down to the Scollay Square Station
Every day at quarter past two
And through the open window
She hands Charlie a sandwich
As the train goes rumbling through

(Chorus)
Well, did he ever return?No, he never returned, and his fate is still unlearned(Poor Old Charlie)He may ride forever 'neath the streets of BostonHe's the man who never returned

Now you citizens of Boston, don't you think it's a scandal
How the people have to pay and pay?
Fight the fare increase, vote for George O'Brien
Let's get Charlie off the M.T.A.

(Chorus)
Or else he'll never returnNo, he never returned, and his fate is still unlearned(Just like Paul Revere)He may ride forever 'neath the streets of BostonHe's the man who never returned
The man who never returned
The man who never returned

HOME ON THE RANGE
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Fiddle
Vincent Farsetta - Mandolin

Dr. Brewster's Higley's poem, "My Western Home" began in a small Kansas weekly, after his neighbor Daniel Kelley set it to music. When grandfather's book came and was the next time it saw print, it began a journey that has included recordings by Gene Autry, Burl Ives, Connie Francis, Roy Rogers, Tori Amos and others.

The three verses that I sing between the choruses are gorgeous and rarely heard.

Home on the Range
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day

Oh give me a land where the bright diamond sand
Flows leisurely down in the stream
Where the graceful white swan goes gliding along
Like a maid in a heavenly dream

How often at night with the heavens are bright
With the light from the glistering stars
Have I laid there amazed and asked as I gazed
If their glory exceeds that of ours

Where the air is so pure and the zephyrs so free
The breezes so balmy and light
I would not exchange my home on the range
For all the cities so bright

(Chorus)
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day

FROGGIE WENT A COURTIN'
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar, Mandolin
Vince Farsetta - Jew's Harp

This tragic tale dates from 16th century Scotland and was first published in the US by John A. and Alan Lomax in 1934. I've trimmed their 35-verse version and have altered the lyrics in spots. Bruce Springsteen's abbreviated take can be found on his Seeger Sessions album. In live performances, I give him a hard time as he cut it to 9 verses and omits all the endings. Since my version has 18 verses AND all the endings, I tell the audience that "When you do the math it's clear that when it comes to this song, I'm twice as good as 'The Boss.'" Don't tell him though, he's from Jersey y'now. 

Froggie Went A Courtin'
Frog went a courtin' and he did ride unh, uhunh,
Frog went a courtin’ and he did ride unh, uhunh,Sword and a pistol by his side, unhuh, unhhhuh,

He rode right up to Miss Mousie’s doorHe rode right up to Miss Mousie’s doorKnocked three times, let out a roar

He marched right in, took her on his kneeHe marched right in, took her on his kneeSaid, Miss Mousie Will You Marry me

Not without my uncle rat’s consentNot without my uncle rat’s consentI wouldn’t marry the President

When Uncle Rat gave his consentWhen Uncle Rat gave his consent
The weasel wrote the publishment

Where shall the wedding supper beWhere shall the wedding supper beWay down yonder in a hollow tree

Yeah, first to come in was a flying mothFirst to come in was a flying mothHe laid out the tablecloth

Next come in was a little June bugThe next came was a little June bugBrought some whiskey in a jug

Next come in was a bumble beeNext come in was a bumble bbeeDancin’ a jig with a two-legged flea

Next come in was a spotted cowNext come in was a spotted cowTried to dance but didn’t know how

Well, next come in was a little white snakenext come in was a little white snakeCoiled himself around the wedding cake

(NOW IT GETS WEIRD)Net come in was a yaller dogNext come in was a yaller dogChased Miss Mousie into a hollow log

Next come in was an old tom catNext come in was an old tom Cat
Ate Miss Mousie just like that

Froggie, he went back to the lakeFroggie. he went back to the lakeHe got swallowed by a big black snake

Big black snake crawled out on landBig black snake crawled oout on landHe was killed by a Nobleman

Nobleman went off to FranceNobleman went off to FranceAnd that’s the end of my romance

That’s my story one two threeThat’s my story one two threeThe Snake, The Frog and Miss Mousie

There’s my guitar on the shelfThere’s my guitar on the shelfWant any more gotta sing it yourself

LONG JOHN
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar

Inmate Clear Rock sang a version of this folk hero tale as did "Lightnin'" Washington, as related in FOLK SONGS OF NORTH AMERICA; "I can outrun all of the horses or dogs on this farm any time I gets a notion to leave and I'm getting in the notion now." Six months later when the Lomaxes returned, a fellow inmate told them, "Lightnin' walked off and left them dogs standin," just like ol' Long John." John Green, long may you run! 

Long John
With my diamond blade
Right in my hand
Gonna hew down the oaks
From outta this land

Well if I hadda listened
To my Rosie said
I'da be in my Rosie's bed

But I didn't listen
Got to running around
And the first thing ya' know
I'm jailhouse bound

Well, I got in jail
With my mouth poked out
Now I'm in the pen
And I can't get out

I'm Long John
I'm long gone
Like a turkey through the corn
With my long clothes on
I'm gone John
I'm long gone
I'm gone John

***Spoken word about the offer
Long John Green was a prisoner in a small town Texas jail outside Corpus Christi. One day the Sheriff came up to him and said, "Long John, I hear tell you're a fast runner. Is that true?" Long John said "Well, that's what they tell me, Boss." Then the Sheriff said, "I got me a new set of hound dogs and they are top-notch dogs, paid a lot of money for them. But they need a field trial so what I'm thinkin' is we give you a head start, then we'll turn the dogs loose. If you get away, you're a free man. But these dogs will have you back in thirty minutes, they are Blue-ribbon dogs. So what do you say?" 

Well, listen here honey
you get away
And open that door
I hear the hounds a'coming
And I got to go

Well, goodbye Captain
And my sergeant too
I'm a crossin' that Brazos
In the early dew

Well, John, he made me a pair of shoes
The funniest shoes that ever was a seen
Had a heel in front there and a heel behind
So you couldn't tell where That boy was a gwine

Well I rose up
When they opened that door
And the next thing you know
I'm in Baltimore

I'm Long John
I'm long gone
Like a turkey through the corn
With my long clothes on
I'm Long John
I'm long gone
I'm gone, gone
I'm gone

GOODBYE TO A RIVER
Rattlesnake Annie - Vocals, Acoustic guitar
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
John Lomax III - Vocals

Rattlesnake Annie is one of my oldest and dearest friends from the time we first met in 1977 in Mingus, Texas. The song is a true story about how she and her husband were forced to leave their home to “The advancement of man.” 	
The song first appeared on her "Rattlesnakes and Rusty Water" LP in 1980, the one which shows her atop the armadillo that sat on the roof of the original Lone Star Café in New York City.  

Goodbye To A River
Chorus:Goodbye to a riverGoodbye to the treesGoodbye to the night birds that sing in the breezeThey’re building a dam and it’s too late to cryBrazos de Dios, adios goodbye
I love you in springtimeWhen the wildflowers bloomI love your summer skiesWith its big yellow moonI love you in autumnAnd when the whippoorwills callI love your people most of all
Chorus:Goodbye to a riverGoodbye to the treesGoodbye to the night birds that sing in the breezeThey’re building a dam and it’s too late to cryBrazos de Dios, adios goodbye

The men with the powerSay it’s just what we needBut I tell you folksIt’s a matter of greedThey’ll dam up the waterAnd cover our landThen chalk it all upTo advancement of man
Chorus:Goodbye to a riverGoodbye to the treesGoodbye to the night birds that sing in the breezeThey’re building a dam and it’s too late to cryBrazos de Dios, adios goodbye
Chorus:Goodbye to a riverGoodbye to the treesGoodbye to the night birds that sing in the breezeThey’re building a dam and it’s too late to cryBrazos de Dios, adios goodbye

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar
Jim Hoke - Dobro

Inmates at Sugarland Prison outside Houston believed that if the light from this passenger train fell on you then you would soon be freed.
The Lomaxes recorded Lead Belly singing "Midnight Special" in 1934. The weekly TV musical variety show "The Midnight Special," ran 1972-1981, showing 450 episodes.  Said to be the song Lady Gaga and Bradley first sang to see if their voices worked together. 
Johnny Rivers has the best hit  version.
Midnight Special
If you go to Houston, You Better Walk rightYou better not stagger And you better not fightSheriff Benson will arrest you And he’ll carry you downIf the jury finds you guilty Then you’re penitentiary bound

Chorus:Oh, let the Midnight Special shine a light on meLet the midnight special shine its ever-lovin’ light on me
Well, you wake up in the morning You hear the ding dong ringThey march you to the table You see the same damn thingIt’s only one table Knife and fork and a panBut if you say anything about it You’re in trouble with the man
Lord, Thelma say she loves me But I believe she told a lieShe hasn’t been to see me Since the last JulyShe brought me a little coffee She brought me a little teaShe brought me nearly everything But the jailhouse key

CHORUS

Yonder comes Sheriff Jack Smith How in the world do you knowTell him by his big hat And his forty-fourIf you’re wondering why a deputy’s Travelling through this land I heard him tell the trustyI’m the transfer man
Yonder comes Doctor Milton How in the world do you knowWell he gave me some tablets On the day beforeBut there never is a doctor Travelling through this landThat can cure the fever Of a convict man
CHORUS
Yonder comes Miss Rosie How in the world do you knowI can tell her by her apron And the dress she woreUmbrella on her shoulder pardon paper in her handShe’s come to tell the trusty, “turn a loose of my man”
CHORUS:Oh, let the Midnight Special shine a light on meLet the midnight special shine its ever-lovin’ light on meShine an ever-lovin’ light on meEver loving light on meeeeeeee

GOODNIGHT IRENE
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar

Recorded in Angola Prison in Louisiana by John & Alan Lomax in 1934, “Irene” has been covered by dozens of American and foreign artists. The Bristol (U.K.) Rovers soccer club sings it when victory is nigh and Nat King Cole, the Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Ry Cooder and Keith Richards have all waxed versions, among many others. Lead Belly says he learned the song from his uncle Terrill and is said to have been singing it as early as 1908.
Goodnight Irene
Last Saturday night I got marriedMe and my wife settled downNow me and my wife done partedGonna take me a stroll uptown
Irene, goodnight, Irene goodnight,Good night, Irene, good night IreneI’ll see you in my dreams
I asked your mother for you She told me you were too young  NowI wish to the Lord I’d never seen your faceThat you ever was born
Sometimes I live in the countrySometimes I live in townBut Sometimes I have a great notionTo jump in the river and drown
Irene, goodnight, Irene goodbye,Goodnight Irene, goodnight IreneI’ll see you in my dreams
Stop your ramblin’, Stop your gamblin’Quit stayin’ out late at nightBut go home to your wife and familyAnd sit by your fireside bright
I love Irene, God knows I doLove her ‘till the sea runs dryBut if Irene turns her back on meGonna take morphine and die

Irene, goodbye, Irene goodbye,Goodbye Irene, goodbye IreneI’ll get you in my dreams

THE ROCK ISLAND LINE
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Jim Hoke - Dobro

The Beatles' George Harrison has been widely quoted saying, “without Lead Belly, there’d be no Lonnie Donegan. Without Lonnie Donegan, there’d be no Beatles”, referring to their beginnings as a skiffle group during the 1955 skiffle craze, ignited by Donegan’s version of “Rock Island Line”. I sing a very truncated version. 
The Rock Island Line
A B C double X Y ZCat’s in the cupboard but they don’t see meOh the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadOh the Rock Island Line is the road to ride Yes the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadIf you want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you're flyin'Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line 
I May be right, and I  may be I'm wrongBut you’re gonna miss me when I'm goneOh the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadOh the Rock Island Line is the road to rideOh the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadIf you want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you're flyin'Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line
Jesus died to save our sinsHope to God I'm gonna see Him againOh the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadOh the Rock Island Line is the road to rideIf you want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you're flyin'Oh the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadGet your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line

There’s old Moses on the Red Sea shoreSmoothin' those waters with a two-by-fourOh the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadOh the Rock Island Line is the road to rideOh the Rock Island Line is a mighty good roadIf you want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you're flyin'Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line

THE BALLAD OF AIMEE MCPHERSON
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Jim Hoke - Clarinet

It’s hard to imagine how big a rockstar Aimee Semple McPherson was 100 years ago. She was the most important pioneer of electronic evangelism, being an early adopter of radio to spread her Four-Square Church message. 
She was an incredibly charismatic preacher as she delivered her fiery brand of Pentecostalism. The huge church she built overlooking Echo Lake in Los Angeles still stands and her collected sermons and writings are on offer by numerous sellers to this day. And of course you can view sermons and a documentary on YT. 

Bette Davis and Faye Dunaway starred in a 1976 dramatic film centered around Aimee’s relationship with her mother and her mysterious disappearance when she claimed she had been kidnapped. The song relates salacious details of a made up liasion. David Epstein’s excellent biography, Sister Aimee, fleshes out her remarkable life.  Today there are Four Square affiliated churches worldwide.

And, as it turned out, she was kidnapped. She was found in Mexico, close to Douglas, Arizona. 
She was covered with bruises, thorns, sunburned, and was suffering from malnutrition. When she had recovered in a Douglas hospital over 30,000 people met her train when it pulled into L.A.’s Union Station.
The Ballad of Aimee McPherson
Did you ever hear the story ‘bout Aimee McPhersonAimee McPherson, that wonderful person She weighed a hundred eighty and her hair was redPreached a wicked sermon so the papers all said Hidee, hidey, hidey hi, hodey, hodey, hodey ho
Aimee built herself a radio stationTo broadcast preachin’ to the nationShe found a man named Ray who knew enoughTo run the radio while Aimee did her stuffHidee, hidey, hidey hi, hodey, hodey, hodey ho
Held a camp meeting down at Ocean ParkPreached from early morning ‘till after dark Said the benediction, folded up the tent  And nobody knows where Aimee went Hidee, hidey, hidey hi, hodey, hodey, hodey ho
When Aimee McPherson got back from her journeyTold her story to the district attorneySaid she’d been kidnapped on a lonely trail Despite of a lot of questions, Aimee stuck to her taleHidee, hidey, hidey hi, hodey, hodey, hodey ho
Well, the Grand Jury started an investigationUncovered a lot of spicy information Found about a love nest down at Carmel by the Sea Where the liquor was expensive but the lovin’ was freeHidee, hidey, hidey hi, hodey, hodey, hodey ho
They found a cottage with a breakfast nook A folding bed with a worn-out look The slats were busted, and the springs were loose And the dents in the mattress fittedAimee’s cabooseHidee, hidey, hidey hi,  hodey, hodey, hodey ho

Now Radio Ray’s a goin’ hound He’s a goin’ yet, and he ain’t been found They got his description, but they got it too late ‘Cause since they got it, he’s lost a lot of weight Hidee, hidey, hidey hi, hodey, hodey, hodey ho

Now I’ll end my story in the usual wayAbout a lady preacher’s holiday If you don’t get the moral, then you’re the gal for me ‘cause there’s lots more cottages down at Carmel by the seaHidee, hidey, hidey hi, hodey, hodey, hodey HO

THEY CAME BUT DID NOT SEE
James Tristan Redding - Acoustic guitar

What began as a poem by a pimply 16-year-old 63 summers ago is now a song, my first co-write! 
James Tristan Redding created the melody and laid down the terrific guitar licks. I was inhaling the classic sci-fi of the late ‘50s, early ‘60s, not sure if this was inspired by a particular writer.
They Came But Did Not SeeSearchers came and the Searchers wentAnne everywhere they smelled the scent Of a people brave and a people bold Who had lived for eons since days of old 
When the searchers finally left From every rock and every cleft Strange little eyes popped into viewAs silent as the morning’s dew 
They assembled and all agreedThe Leader stood and he decreed: ”To survive when danger’s near Learn when and how to disappear”
Learn when and how to disappear”
By John Lomax III & James Tristan Redding

THE VIRGIN STURGEON
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar

My dad sang this a bunch and there are are lots of versions out there on You Tube. I picked up a verse that I didn’t find until after recording was done but I will add it to my Lomax on Lomax performances.
My father was a lighthouse keeperHe took caviar in his morning teaHad three children with a mermaid Two were fishes, one was me

And here’s the lyrics of the album version:
The Virgin Sturgeon
Caviar comes from the Virgin Sturgeon
Virgin Sturgeon's a Mighty Fine Fish
Virgin Sturgeon's need no urgin'
That's why caviar is my dish

Shad Roe comes from Scarlet Shad Fish
Shad Fish have a sorry fate.
Pregnant shad fish is a sad fish,
Got that way without a mate

Oysters, they are a fleshy bi-valve
And they live within their shell
How they diddle is a riddle
But they do so what the hell

Mrs. Clam is optimistic
Shoots her eggs out into the sea
Hopes her suitor is a shooter
Hits the exact same spot as she

Give a thought unto the codfish
Always there when duty calls.
Female codfish is an odd fish;
From her come those codfish balls
The turtle lives 'twixt plated decks
Which totally conceal its sex
I think it clever of the turtle
In such a fix to be so fertile
I gave caviar to my grandad
He's a gent of ninety-three
We heard screaming from the backyard
He'd chased grandma up a tree
I fed caviar to my girl-friend
She was a virgin, tried and true.
Now that virgin needs no urgin'
There ain't nothin she won't do

Caviar comes from the Virgin sturgeon...

LAST NIGHT I HAD THE STRANGEST DREAM
Richard Bennett - Acoustic guitar
Shawn Camp - Acoustic guitar
Jim Hoke - Harmonica

The album’s most recent song was written by Ed McCurdy as the Korean War loomed and just five years after Hiroshima & Nagasaki. 
It’s a powerful anti-war song that has endured over the decades with many versions, the first being Pete Seeger’s “Strangest Dream” in 1956. Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel, Garth Brooks, the Weavers and the Kingston Trio have since recorded it. 
It’s been translated into over eighty languages and is the official song of the Peace Corps. McCurdy enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a singer and actor in both the U.S. and Canada before passing in 2000.
Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream
Last Night I Had the Strangest DreamI ever had beforeI dreamed the world had all agreedTo put an end to war
I dreamed I saw a mighty roomAnd it was filled with menAnd the papers they were signingSaid we’ll never fight again
And when the papers were all signedAnd a million copies madeThey all joined hands and bowed their headsAnd grateful prayers were prayed
And the people in the streets belowWere dancing ‘round and ‘roundAnd swords and guns and uniformsWere thrown upon the ground
Last night I had the strangest dreamI ever had beforeI dreamed the world had all agreedTo put an end to war
Ed McCurdy, 1950

american folk songs expanded liner notes

about the record

continuing the lomax legacy