Annotation:Finger Ring

Tune properties and standard notation

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FINGER RING. AKA and see "I Wish't I Had a New Five Cents," "New Five Cents (2)." Old-Time, Breakdown/ Song. USA, Oklahoma. D Major. ADae tuning (fiddle). AABB. Originally from African-American tradition. The melody is not the same as the Kentucky tune "New Five Cents," although the lyric suggests at least a floating connection.

I would not have a yeller gal, I'll tell you the reason why,
She'd blow her nose on yeller corn bread and call it pumpkin pie.

Refrain:
Wish't I had a finger ring (or, new five cents),
Wish't I had a dime;
Wish't I had a finger ring (new five cents),
To give that gal of mine.

I would not have a yeller gal, I'll tell you the reason why,
Her neck's so long and yeller I'm afraid she'd never die.

Mawsy had a yeller gal, brought her from the South,
Her mouth looked like an old fireplace with the ashes all raked out.

Mawsy had an old gray mare I know her mighty well,
If she ever jumps in my corn patch she'd better jump in hell.

Mawsy had an old blind horse, he calls him Bawly Sam,
Every tooth in his old head is sixteen inches round.

(See "Old Joe Clark," "Old Dan Tucker" for similar floating verses, also the song "Raise a Ruckus (Roughhouse) Tonight" and "Sook Pied")

Source for notated version: R.E. Perkins (Sequoyah County, Oklahoma) [Thede].

Printed sources: Thede (The Fiddle Book), 1967; p. 67.

Recorded sources:

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Tune properties and standard notation