Annotation:Blue Mule

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BLUE MULE. AKA - "Old Blue Mule." AKA and see "Austin Breakdown." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Arkansas, Missouri. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Silberberg): AA'BB'C (Beisswenger & McCann). Recorded for the Library of Congress by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph in the early 1940's from Ozark Mountain fiddlers, where it is a regionally popular tune formerly seldom heard in other parts of the country. Mark Wilson sees resemblance with the tunes "Nancy's Got a Pretty Dress On" and "Austin Breakdown," while Drew Beisswenger (2008) finds Absie Morrison's "Irish Washerwoman (2)" (a reel version) similar. There is some speculation it may have derived from the play-party song "Skip to My Lou." "Blue Mule" is usually heard played in two strains. Source Glen Rickman (1901-1982) believed the tune to have been played during the Civil War, and identified his additional third part as the one a "Rebel" cousin had played [Beisswenger & McCann]. Guthrie Meade gives two early 78RPM recorded sources: Bob Miller's Hinky Dinkers (1930) and Jess Hillard & His West Virginia Hillbillies (1933). It was in the repertoire of Missouri fiddlers Art Galbraith (1909-1993) and Bob Holt (1930-2004).

Source for notated version: Kerry Blech (Seattle) [Silberberg]; Glenn Rickman (Hurley, Mo.) [Beisswenger & McCann].

Printed sources: Beisswenger & McCann (Ozarks Fiddle Music), 2008; p. 112. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 13.

Recorded sources:

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]