Annotation:Jimmy Sutton
X:1 T:Old Jimmy Sutton N:From the playing of fiddler G.B. Grayson (1887-1930) M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel N:On the recording the first strain is played numerous times before going on N:to the second strain, which is played one time. N:Vocals and dance calls on the first strain. D:Gennett Ge 6436 (78 RPM), Grayson & Whitter (1928) D:County CO CD 3517, "The Recordings of Grayson & Whitter" (1928) D:https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/old-jimmy-sutton-3 D:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLx5KI3kpuM Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:D d2 f-ed2f-e |d2[df]f ecec|ddf-ed2f-e|ddfd Acec| d2 f-ed2f-e|ddfd Acec|d2 f-e dd[df]d|[d2g2][d2f2] ecec:| f-a-aa- a2(fg|a2) af ec e2|((3e/f/g/a-a)a- a2ef| Jg2Jf2 ece[ce]| ea-ae a2((3efg|a2)e[Ae] c2e2|[A4a4] Jc'4|a4 f-g2fe||
JIMMY SUTTON. AKA - "Old Buck Ram," "Old Jimmy Sutton." Old-Time, Breakdown. A Mixolydian/D Major. AEae or ADae tuning (fiddle). AB. The song/tune was collected from both Black and White sources, but the 'old-time' fiddle tune is closely associated with Blue Ridge regional musicians such as G.B Grayson (1887-1930), Fred Cockerham (1805-1980) and Tommy Jarrell (1901-1985). It was also in the repertoire of Grayson County, Virginia, clawhammer banjo player Vester Jones. As "Old Jimmy Sutton" the song/tune was in the repertoire of Grayson & Whitter who recorded it in the early 20th century (played in the key of G). These verses have been collected (sometimes a bleat or 'Baaa' is voiced at the end of the line):
Get out a rock as big as a button
Kill Jimmy Sutton as dead as mutton.
I like Sal and she likes chicken.
I'll keep Sal, all the time pickin'.
Sheep met a billy-goat going to pasture.
Sheep said "Goat, can't you go a little faster?"
Sheep fell down and skinned his chin
And, great God almighty, how the billy-goat grinned.
I like Sal and she likes mutton
And I hate to lose to old Jimmy Sutton.
If you can't dance that, you can't dance nothin'
And I wouldn't give a chaw to the old Jimmie Sutton (sometimes used as a chorus)
Bill took the gun, Bill went a huntin
BAM! went the gun and down fell a mutton.
Some of the verses are floating. Stacy Phillips points out that the lines-
Sheep met a billy-goat going to pasture.
Sheep said "Goat, can't you go a little faster?
were sung by Tommy Duncan on Texas fiddler Bob Wills' version of "Sally Goodin'," and were followed by--
Sheep fell down, goat rolled over,
Goat got up with a mouth full of clover.
North Carolina fiddler Tommy Jarrell sang:
Sheep, sheep, sheep and mutton,
If you can't dance that you can't dance nothing.
And a baa!
Baa! Old Jimmy Sutton.
We'll kill us a sheep and eat the mutton,
Save the tail for old Jimmy Sutton.
And a baa!
Baa! Old Jimmy Sutton.
A version of the song was collected by Thomas Talley and was printed in his Negro Folk Rhymes (1922) under the title "Sheep and Goat":
Sheep an' goat gwine to de paster;
Say de goat to de sheep: "Cain't you walk a liddle faster?"
De sheep says: "I cain't, I'se a liddle too full."
Den de goat say: "You can wid my ho'ns in yo wool."
But de goat fall down an' skin 'is shin
An' de sheep spli 'is lip wid a big broad grin.
