"Naomi Wise" Performance
Added 2020-07-14 10:28:03 +0000 UTCMy banjo is tuned gCGAD relative ( ≈ eAEF#B actual). I learned this song from George Gibson of Knott County, Kentucky. Though most of us learned the piece as "Oma Wise" or "Omie Wise," she is called Naomi Wise in actual historical documents. She was murdered by John Lewis, the son of a wealthy North Carolina slaveholder, in 1808. Gibson refers to it as "Omie Wise tuning," and he usually plays the tune overhand (clawhammer) style--not finger picked as I do.
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Listen all you people I'll tell you no lies
I'll tell you the story of Naomi Wise,
Naomi was murdered the year was eighteen-eight,
This is her story I think it's not too late.
John Lewis said meet me down at Adams' Spring
I will bring you some money and other fine things,
Foolishly she met him down at Adams' Spring
He'd brought her no money nor other fine things.
There he beat her and strangled her 'til she could hardly speak
Then he threw her in the river where the water's twenty foot deep,
Young William was fishing out one sunny morn
When he spied Naomi's body come up in a storm.
He cast his net around her and drew her to the bank
Then he pulled her from the river and laid her on a plank,
They called for John Lewis to come to the place
They knew that he had killed her when he saw her face.
They said look all you people and see what Jack has done
He's killed his woman and never turned to run,
My name is John Lewis my name I'll never deny
I've murdered Naomi Wise and now I've come to die.
Comments
It's actually over 200 years and I often wonder listening to this song, what Naomi Wise herself would have thought if she could somehow have known that her death was to be recorded in folklore and still told two centuries later.
Ted Crilly
2020-07-16 14:49:00 +0000 UTCSo sad, even 120 years later. Violence against women needs to end! Thank you Clifton, you really make this sound as tragic as it is.
Cindy Barrett Gilchrist
2020-07-16 13:38:30 +0000 UTChaunting rendition, like it very much, Thanks
Bob Roberts
2020-07-14 20:05:21 +0000 UTCVery nice.
Jason Hemsley
2020-07-14 14:24:05 +0000 UTCCould you do a clawhammer lesson also please?
Curtis Smolen
2020-07-14 11:41:17 +0000 UTCBeautiful rendition.
Gil Sayre
2020-07-14 11:36:43 +0000 UTCThank you Clifton
Mark D Van Dyke
2020-07-14 11:28:51 +0000 UTCYes! The lesson's coming next, as soon as I arrange the tableture.
Clifton Hicks
2020-07-14 11:23:36 +0000 UTCJust love this - thanks Clifton
Dirty Bacon
2020-07-14 11:06:51 +0000 UTCOh man! What a song, what a performance.
Dave Murray
2020-07-14 11:00:11 +0000 UTCAre you going to do a lesson on this one Clifton?
JT Morgan
2020-07-14 10:41:17 +0000 UTCThanks Clifton and also thanks for supplying the lyrics 👍🏼 Great job as usual!
Steve Angell
2020-07-14 10:38:12 +0000 UTC
