"Little Gold Fiddle" | Performance
Added 2019-09-25 15:22:56 +0000 UTCI learned this cante fable (literally "song story") from my dear friend & mentor George R. Gibson of Knott County, Kentucky. George learned the piece from his father, banjo master Mal Gibson, who was born about 1900. Until very recently, the only printed version known to us here in the United States was found in a 1940s folklore journal out of (I believe) Indiana.
husband's part: "Be true be true my own true love Be true for one short hour, If you be true my own true love This ship and cargo's ours!"
wife's part: "Too late too late my own true love His arm's around my middle, He's kissed me once and fucked me twice You've lost your damned gold fiddle!"
Months ago I posted a video of Gibson performing his father's cante fable and, lo and behold, a viewer in Britain contacted me and provided me with a 1950s folk recording of it titled something like "Sea Captain & the Fiddler's Wife." With that information I searched online and found a broadside of the complete ballad dated (if I recall correctly) 1701! Both the 1940s and 1700s versions of the piece are much more risque' than Mal Gibson's, which he likely cleaned up so as to be suitable for children & mixed company.
