Annotation:Watermelon on the Vine: Difference between revisions

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WATERMELON (HANGING) ON THE VINE. Old Time, Song (whole time). USA, Georgia. “Watermelon on the Vine” is a well-known minstrel song, popular with early country music performers. Georgia’s Skillet Lickers group and Tennessee entertainer Uncle Dave Macon both recorded the song in the mid-1920’s; the former’s became a best-seller. The Skillet Lickers (in the configuration of Gid Tanner and Clayton McMichen on fiddles, Riley Pucket on guitar and vocals, and Fate Norris on banjo) recorded the song in Atlanta on April 17th, 1926, one of eight sides for Columbia records. Wayne W. Daniel (in his book Pickin’ on Peachtree: A History of Country Music in Atlanta, Georgia, 1990) opines: “The output from this historic recording session makes for a rather unimpressive list of what even there were long-familiar tunes and songs: “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane,” “Bully of the Town,” “Pass around the Bottle and We’ll All Take a Drink,” “Alabama Jubilee,” “Watermelon on the Vine,” “Don’t You Hear Jerusalem Moan,” “Ya Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog Aroun’,” and “Turkey in the Straw.”” African-American collector Thomas Talley, in his book Negro Folk Rhymes (1922), prints a stanza under the title “Watermelon Preferred”:

Dat hambone an’ chicken are sweet.
Dat ‘possum meat are sholy fine.
But give me,--now don’t you cheat!—
(Oh, I jes wish you would give me!)
Dat watermillon, smilin’ on de vine.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources:

Recorded sources: Columbia 15091 (78 RPM), The Skillet Lickers (1926). County 526, "The Skillet Lickers, vol. 2" (1973). Heritage 054, Wade Mainer "Brandywine '83: Music of French America" (1984). Vocalion 5063 (78 RPM), Uncle Dave Macon (1925).

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-'''WATERMELON (HANGING) ON THE VINE.''' Old Time. USA, Georgia. “Watermelon on the Vine” is a well-known minstrel song, popular with early country music performers.  Georgia’s Skillet Lickers group and Tennessee entertainer Uncle Dave Macon both recorded the song in the mid-1920’s; the former’s became a best-seller. The Skillet Lickers (in the configuration of Gid Tanner and Clayton McMichen on fiddles, Riley Pucket on guitar and vocals, and Fate Norris on banjo) recorded the song in Atlanta on April 17th, 1926, one of eight sides for Columbia records. Wayne W. Daniel (in his book Pickin’ on Peachtree: A History of Country Music in Atlanta, Georgia, 1990) opines: “The output from this historic recording session makes for a rather unimpressive list of what even there were long-familiar tunes and songs: “[[Hand Me Down My Walking Cane]],” “[[Bully of the Town]],” “[[Pass around the Bottle]] and We’ll All Take a Drink,” “[[Alabama Jubilee]],” “Watermelon on the Vine,” “[[Don’t You Hear Jerusalem Moan]],” “[[Ya Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog Aroun’]],” and “[[Turkey in the Straw]].”” African-American collector Thomas Talley, in his book '''Negro Folk Rhymes''' (1922), prints a stanza under the title “Watermelon Preferred”:
+'''WATERMELON (HANGING) ON THE VINE.''' Old Time, Song (whole time). USA, Georgia. “Watermelon on the Vine” is a well-known minstrel song, popular with early country music performers.  Georgia’s Skillet Lickers group and Tennessee entertainer Uncle Dave Macon both recorded the song in the mid-1920’s; the former’s became a best-seller. The Skillet Lickers (in the configuration of Gid Tanner and Clayton McMichen on fiddles, Riley Pucket on guitar and vocals, and Fate Norris on banjo) recorded the song in Atlanta on April 17th, 1926, one of eight sides for Columbia records. Wayne W. Daniel (in his book Pickin’ on Peachtree: A History of Country Music in Atlanta, Georgia, 1990) opines: “The output from this historic recording session makes for a rather unimpressive list of what even there were long-familiar tunes and songs: “[[Hand Me Down My Walking Cane]],” “[[Bully of the Town]],” “[[Pass around the Bottle]] and We’ll All Take a Drink,” “[[Alabama Jubilee]],” “Watermelon on the Vine,” “[[Don’t You Hear Jerusalem Moan]],” “[[Ya Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog Aroun’]],” and “[[Turkey in the Straw]].”” African-American collector Thomas Talley, in his book '''Negro Folk Rhymes''' (1922), prints a stanza under the title “Watermelon Preferred”:
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 ''Dat hambone an’ chicken are sweet.''<br>