"Old Tar River" Performance
Added 2022-12-23 16:00:02 +0000 UTC"Old Tar River" (Old Tare River) is attributed to Joel Walker Sweeney, who's thought to have composed it by 1840. Frank Brower and Dan Emmett played it on stage in Lynchburg, Virginia, on July 4, 1841. Sweeney himself is documented performing it in New York City the following year. It first appears in print in THE COMPLETE BANJO PRECEPTOR by Elias Howe (1851).
I learned "Old Tar River" from Aaron Stevens of Monteagle, Tennessee. See Clarke Buehling and Mark Weems for other versions of the song. My instrument is an exceptional 1867 Henry C. Dobson banjo tuned dGDF♯A ~ gCGBD.
Way down in North Carolina
On the bank of the old Tar River,
I walked there from Alabamy
Just to see my dear Aunt Fannie!
Coon and a possum got in a fray
They fought all night until next day,
Coon broke away and he cut for the holler
Possum said I guess I gotta foller!
They wound up at the top of a hill
The possum went in for the kill,
He grabbed the raccoon by the tail
Made him wished he's ridin' on a rail!
Along come a man with a great big dog
Possum cut for the hollow log,
When the raccoon seen that man
Up a tree that raccoon ran!
Coon dog looked and he sniffed all around
He knew that coon had left the ground,
Then he barked right up that tree
Raccoon said you can't catch me!
My song is sung now I must leave you
When I go don't let it greave you,
First through the window then through the door
I's lookin' for my old banjo!
Comments
I would never have thought of a foot tambourine. I was guessing spoons. At any rate, this is my song to learn for the week. Thanks!
John Neumann
2022-12-31 14:26:20 +0000 UTCThanks, John. My only issue was the foot tambourine being so much louder and piercing than that old '67 Dobson banjo. I've learned that it's best to put a cloth sack over the tambourine to muffle it for recording.
Clifton Hicks
2022-12-31 13:17:05 +0000 UTCOutstanding!!! The percussion is great and adds to the feeling of the song.
John Neumann
2022-12-30 19:37:57 +0000 UTC
