Annotation:Johnny Inchin' Along: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:47, 16 March 2012

JOHNNY INCHIN' ALONG. AKA and see "Indian Nation," "Nigger Inch Along." Old-Time, Breakdown. The tune is related to Ed Haley's "Indian Nation", Alva Greene's "Indian Squaw", Art Stamper's "Terry Fork of Ball," and the Kentucky tune "Nigger Inch Along." "Johnny Inchin' Along" is the title Doc Roberts used. John Hartford (in liner notes to "Ed Haley: Forked Deer, vol. 1") notes that the late Gus Meade noted similarities to Noah Beavers' tune "Goin' to London", and Hartford himself said "There is a faint hint of COTTON EYED JOE and POOR LITTLE DARLIN (WOLVES A-HOWLIN') here....Coarse section also smacks of Snake Chapman's PAT HIM ON THE BACK."

A song in Marsh's The Story of the Jubilee Singers with Their Songs' (c. 1880's) may help to explain the title, as it contains the chorus:

Keep a inching along,
Keep a inching along;
Jesus will come by 'nd-bye;
Keep a inching along like a poor inch-worm,
Jesus will come by 'nd bye,

Source for notated version:

Printed sources:

Recorded sources: Gennett 7049 (78 RPM), Doc Roberts (1929).

Tune properties and standard notation

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-'''JOHNNY INCHIN' ALONG'''. AKA and see "[[Indian Nation]]," "[[Nigger Inch Along]]." Old-Time.  Dorothy Scarborough cites a Negro spiritual (in '''Negro Folk Songs''') collected from an informant from East Waco, Texas, which has the lines:
+'''JOHNNY INCHIN' ALONG'''. AKA and see "[[Indian Nation]]," "[[Nigger Inch Along]]." Old-Time, Breakdown. The tune is related to Ed Haley's "[[Indian Nation]]", Alva Greene's "[[Indian Squaw]]", Art Stamper's "[[Terry Fork of Ball]]," and the Kentucky tune "[[Nigger Inch Along]]." "Johnny Inchin' Along" is the title Doc Roberts used. John Hartford (in liner notes to "Ed Haley: Forked Deer, vol. 1") notes that the late Gus Meade noted similarities to Noah Beavers' tune "Goin' to London", and Hartford himself said "There is a faint hint of COTTON EYED JOE and POOR LITTLE DARLIN (WOLVES A-HOWLIN') here....Coarse section also smacks of Snake Chapman's PAT HIM ON THE BACK."
+<br>
+<br>
+A song in Marsh's ''The Story of the Jubilee Singers with Their Songs''' (c. 1880's) may help to explain the title, as it contains the chorus:
 <blockquote>
-''Keep a-inching along like a poor inch worm,''<br>
+''Keep a inching along,''<br>
-''Jesus will come bye and bye.''<br>
+''Keep a inching along;''<br>
+''Jesus will come by 'nd-bye;''<br>
+''Keep a inching along like a poor inch-worm,''<br>
+''Jesus will come by 'nd bye,''<br>
 </blockquote>
- Luther Strong and W H. Stepp both play this melody (more or less) and call it by the "N" name
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