Annotation:Fortune (1)
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FORTUNE [1]. AKA- "Once I Had a Fortune." Old-Time, Song and Breakdown. USA, "most popular around Galax, Va." (Krassen, 1973). D Major. Standard or ADae tunings (fiddle). AB (Silberberg): AABB (Brody, Krassen, Kuntz, Phillips). Called a "Blue-Ridge Mountain standard," it is found in western North Carolina and southwest Virginia, but has become particularly identified with Galax/Hillsville, southwestern Virginia area, style bands. It was, for example, one of the few tunes recorded by legendary Galax, Va., fiddler Emmett Lundy. Mt. Airy, North Carolina, fiddler Tommy Jarrell (1901-1986) said of the melody: "I can recollect hearing my daddy play it as far back as I can recollect. I don't know where that started from...it was more just an old, well, a flat foot dance tune I'd say."
Once I had a fortune, I put it in my trunk,
I lost it all a-gambling one night when I was drunk.
Wish I had a pretty little hog/horse, corn to feed him on,
And a pretty little wife around the farm to feed him when I'm gone. (Jarrell)
Oh once I had a fortune, I put it in my trunk,
I lost it all a-gamblin' one night when I was drunk.
Chorus
Fortune I had it, fortune I lost it,
Fortune I lost it one night when I was drunk.
Once I had a fortune but now I've lost it all,
Drinkin' and a gambling and playin' at the ball.
I'm packin' up my suitcase and now I say goodbye,
I'm gonna live a gamblin' man until the day I die. (The Backwoods Band)
Source for notated version: The Bogtrotters (Galax, Va) [Brody]; Charlie Higgins (Galax, Va.) [Krassen]; The Backwoods Band (Kuntz); Tommy Jarrell (Mt. Airy, N.C.) [Kuntz]; Ottis Burris [Phillips]; Vivian Williams (Seattle) [Silberberg].
Printed sources: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 112. Krassen (Appalachian Fiddle), 1973; p. 46. Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; pp. 309-311 (two versions). Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; p. 91. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 47.
Recorded sources: Biograph 6003, The Bogtrotters (Galax, Va.) - "The Original Bogtrotters" (Wade, Crockett, and Fields Ward). County 705, Otis Burris- "Virginia Breakdown." County 778, Tommy Jarrell- "Pickin' On Tommy's Porch" (1984). County CD 2719, The Camp Creek Boys. Folkways FTS 31038, Roger Sprung- "Bluegrass Blast." Heritage XXIV, Smokey Valley Boys - "Music of North Carolina" (Brandywine, 1978). Marimac 9009, Andy Cahan - "Old Time Friends" (1987). Rounder 0361, Bruce Molsky - "Lost Boy" (1996). Musical Traditions MTCD321-2, Rob Tate - "Far in the Mountains, vols. 1 & 2" (2002). Tennvale 003, Pete Parish- "Clawhammer Banjo." Rounder CD 0028, Fred Cockerham - "High Atmosphere." Rounder 0128, The Backwoods Band- "Jes' Fine" (1980. Influenced by the fiddling of Otis Burris and the singing of Scotty East). Tennvale 002, Barry Poss- "Galax '73."
See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]