Annotation:Wolves a Howling

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X:1 T:Wolves a Howling S:The Stripling Brothers, Charlie (1896-1966) and Ira (1898-1967), west Alabama. M:C| L:1/8 Q: N:AEae tuning (fiddle) R:Country Rag D:Vocalion 5412 (78 RPM), Stripling Brothers (1929) F:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/wolves-howling-2 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:A cd|eeef eec2|eeec B2cd|eeef eecc|BAAF (F/G/F)EA| ceef eecd|eeec B2 cd|eeef eecc|BAAF (F/G/F)E|| D|CEEE +slide+[AA][AA][AA][AA]|cAB(c A2)AA|CEEE +slide+[AA][AA][AA][AA]|AcBA (F/G/F)ED| CEEE +slide+[A2A2][AA][AA]|cAB(c A2) AB|c[e2e2][ef] [e2e2][c2e2]|([B2e2]A2) (F/G/F)E2:|

WOLVES A HOWLIN’. AKA – "Poor Little Darlin'." Old Time, Breakdown. USA; Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. A Major (Beisswenger & McCann): G Major (John Brown/Bruce Molsky, Phillips). AEae (most versions), GDgd (John Brown) tunings (fiddle). AAB (Phillips): ABB’ (Beisswenger & McCann): AABB. The tune has wide dissemination among deep South and Midwest fiddlers. Tom Rankin and Gary Stanton (notes to "Great Big Yam Potatoes") indicate it was popular in the “Old Southwest” or the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Richard “Dink” Goforth, a Missouri fiddler and father of Gene Goforth (1921-2002) played “Wolves a Howlin’” and another tune called “The Howlin’ Wolves,” that was nearly the same. “His Dad swore up and down (that it) was different,” writes John Hartford (2001), “but Gene never could separate the two.” “Wolves…” was specialty tune of Tuscallosa fiddler Monkey Brown (1897 1972) who was active in Alabama contest fiddling in the 1920's and 30's. It was a common tune in western Alabama, especially the Tombigbee Warrior region (Cauthen). The tune was one of several old time fiddle pieces listed in a 1925 University of Alabama master's thesis by S.M. Taylor entitled "A Preliminary Survey of Folk Lore in Alabama." Robert Fleder (1971) remarks that "Wolves Howlin'" has been collected in Mississippi and Oklahoma as well as Alabama, "but there is no reason to suspect that it is not indigenous to the Alabama-Mississippi region.” Mississippi fiddler John Brown, of Tishomingo County, was recorded in 1939 playing the tune in GDgd tuning. He was over age 80 at the time. Some see resemblances to “Cotton-Eyed Joe (1)” (according to John Hartford), while Mark Wilson sees similarities with “Pretty Girl Going Down the River.” See also Kentucky fiddler Buddy Thomas’s “Sheep and Hogs Walking through the Pasture.” Little Jimmy Dickens recorded the tune under the title "Poor Little Darlin'." The tune was played by Tom Sauber in Walter Hill’s 1980 film The Long Riders.

The first line of the lyrics, according to Rankin, is common in tradition, but the second is often composed at the whim of the source. Sometimes sung ‘howls’ are included.

Wolves outside howl and a hollar
They gonna getch you
Bet you a Dollar! [Unknown]

O don't you hear them wolves a howlin,
All around my poor little darlin';
Four on the hillside, six in the holler,
They're gonna get 'er, betcha a dollar. ... [Thede]

Don't you hear them wolves a howling,
Setting in the corner talking to my darling. ... [Rankin]

' Wolves a howlin' All around my poor little darlin'
Can't you see those blue clouds flyin'
Poor little darlin', home a cryin' . ... (or ‘hollerin’ and cryin’)

Wolves are, howlin', howlin', howlin'
Oh the wolves are howlin'
Howlin' found my...{stop singing} ... [John Hatcher, Mississippi]

Can't you hear them wolves a'howlin'
All around you poor little darlin'
One on the hillside, two in the hollar
Bet them wolves have done and got her.

Sheep and Hogs and walkin' thru the pasture
Sheeps said, `Hogs can't you run a little faster?'
Go on there and hush your growlin'
Can't you hear them wolves a'howlin'? ... [Goldie Goforth, sister of fiddler Gene Goforth]

Additional notes

Sources for notated versions: - W.S. Collins (Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma) [Thede]; John Hartford [Phillips]; Bob Holt (1930-2004, Ava, Missouri), learned from the humming of his father and banho playing of Uncle Noah, as well as from a 78 RPM recording [Beisswenger & McCann].

Printed sources : - Beisswenger & McCann (Ozarks Fiddle Music), 2008; p. 69. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes vol. 1), 1994; p. 260. Thede (The Fiddle Book), 1967; p. 133.

Recorded sources: - Briar 4204, Earl Collins – “That’s Earl”. County 401, "The Stripling Brothers." Marimac 9000, Dan Gellert & Shoofly "Forked Deer" (1986). Mississippi Department of Archives and History AH 002, W.E. Claunch & John Brown "Great Big Yam Potatoes: Anglo American Fiddle Music From Mississippi" (1985. Two different renditions, originally recorded for the Library of Congress in 1939). Rounder 0361, Bruce Molsky – “Lost Boy” (1996. 1st part based on John Brown, 2nd on the Stripling Bros.). Rounder RO-0388, Gene Goforth –“Emminence Breakdown” (1997). Rounder CD-0432, Bob Holt – “Got a Little Home to Go to” (1998). Rounder 0442, John Hartford – “Hamilton Ironworks” (2001). Rounder Records CD-0435, Bob Holt – “Traditional Fiddle Music of the Ozarks, vol. 1” (2000. Various artists). Vocalion 5412/02770 (78 RPM), Stripling Brothers (Alabama) {1929}.

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

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