"Going Up North" Performance
Added 2020-07-20 19:46:51 +0000 UTCI learned this song from the recording of John Jackson on the album, "Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia" (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings). Jackson said he learned it from his father, and offered the alternate title, "Can't Get No Letter From My Home." It is likely that his version represents two songs which were combined into one.
The traditional banjo style I've used here can be described as up-picking, up-stroke, or, erroneously, Pete Seeger style. I learned to pick like this from watching master banjoist, George R. Gibson, of Knott County, Kentucky. My 1888 Luscomb banjo is tuned to gDGBD relative (fCFAC, A=440 Hz, actual).
I'm going up north gonna throw my breeches off
And dance in my long shirt tail all night, honey
Dance in my long shirt tail!
O me O my I can't get no letter from my home, poor boy
What's gonna become of me?
My woman she won't write to me
My babe won't write to me,
She won't write me no letter she won't send me no word
She knows how to make a man feel bad!
High sheriff and the deputy
Riding down the road after me, poor boy
What's gonna become of me?
Honey if they catch me they'll hang me if they can
But they'll hang them an innocent man, poor boy
They'll hang them an innocent man!
Dogs on my track sweet potatoes on my back
Got to make it to my shanty if I can, poor boy
Gotta make it to my shanty if I can!
The most closely-related piece in the canon appears to be the much more common banjo song, "Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy," typically played in the same tuning.
Comments
I just realized which John Jackson this song came from. One of the greats for sure. I got into him following a trail from Dom Flemmons liner notes
Cameron Frisch
2020-09-03 20:19:07 +0000 UTCThanks, James. I couldn't quit if I wanted to.
Clifton Hicks
2020-07-22 22:42:30 +0000 UTCAwesome! No Ticky-tacky,boring BS there! Please keep banging that head and sending out the real deal straight from your soul. Thank you Clif!!
Jim Ramser
2020-07-22 22:41:19 +0000 UTCYes, that's a great way to describe it. Many old people in East Kentucky would use that style for Little Birdie. Even if they played every other song 2-finger or overhand, they'd up-pick Little Birdie and tap their spare fingers on the banjo head like that.
Clifton Hicks
2020-07-21 12:02:30 +0000 UTCSweet ... 🎶Oh me, oh my, what a nice way ... to start the day, dear boy, what a nice way ... to start the the day. Nice!
Rob Kunkel
2020-07-21 10:49:26 +0000 UTCGreat stuff, percussion really adds to it
Daniel Pearce
2020-07-21 09:37:51 +0000 UTCI guess I'll be learning a new way of picking...because this sounds ace. It seems like you're playing index lead but instead of planting your fingers you're using them for percussive effect. Love it!
Ted Crilly
2020-07-21 08:43:17 +0000 UTCnice up picking ! damn ! i need to work on that..lol
Neil W Burke
2020-07-20 22:36:58 +0000 UTCLove it! Great playing.
bambuza
2020-07-20 21:11:39 +0000 UTCThat was great !
Jason Hemsley
2020-07-20 20:52:54 +0000 UTCYes! This! That was awesome Clifton, thankyou. Can't wait for the lesson on this one.
David Lowe
2020-07-20 20:37:06 +0000 UTCExcellent playing! I've been playing a rough copy of your really old video of this song for ages, so I'm very interested to see your lesson on this.
John Gilby
2020-07-20 20:06:43 +0000 UTC
