Annotation:Fortune (1)
X:1 T:Fortune [1] S:fiddler & banjo player John Rector (1889-1985, Galax, Virginia) M:C| L:1/8 N:See an elderly John Rector play the tune N:on youtube.com [1] N:From a 1926 field recording by John Lomax F:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/fortune-0 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:D +slide+a2-|abaf fede|fded d2a2-|abaf fed2|A3B A2a2-| abaf fedf|[dg][dg][dg]a b2a2-|abag ed-c2|[d3f3][df][d2f2]a2-| abag fedf|edce d2a2-|abag fded|A3A A2a2-| abag f[df]fd |[d3g3]a b2a2-|abag ed-c2|[d3f3][df][d2f2]|| +slide+f2-|fgfe defd|edce dded| defd |A3A A3e-| fgfe de[d2f2]|[d2g3]a g2 A2-|ABA2 AB c2|d6f2-| fefg fedf|edce ddef-|fgfd edcB|A3AA3e-| fgfe de[d2f2]|[d2g3]a g2 A2-|ABA2 AB c2|d6|]
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)
See also the related "Sugar Hill" tune family.