Caldwell County MO Archives History .....PLAY PARTY SONGS OF THE EARLY GENERATIONS ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 4, 2008, 1:01 pm PLAY PARTY SONGS OF THE EARLY GENERATIONS IN CALDWELL COUNTY Narrators: Andrew McCray, Mrs. Mary Snyder, and Wm. Worthington It has been the intention of the interviewer to get a few of the earlier songs which were used in the "play parties" popular in the 60s, 70s, and even in the 80s and 90s in this county and elsewhere. As a matter of course, these songs must have been fairly universal, since the versions used in these parts checked almost exactly with the versions used by the mother of the interviewer (now 81) in her youthful home in Ohio. These play songs provided the music for a sort of church members square dance or Virginia reel. As some one has said, "Some people considered it all right for them to go to a dance, others refused to go to a dance, but would go to a play party when songs instead of a fiddle were used." These same songs were often used by children out on the school ground. Many of the old timers spoke of the following, but not all were sure of the words, so long a time had elapsed. Now's the time to chase the squirrel To chase the squirrel, to chase the squirrel, Now's the time to chase the squirrel This cold and frosty morning. Up and down the center we go, (repeated in a refrain as above) This cold and frosty morning. Mother of interviewer sang it, "Up and down and thru we go." Then there was a group of songs concerned with a miller. These songs were typical of early days when the pioneer life centered much about a mill. "The old Miller" was a popular one and was used even in towns like Hamilton as late as the 90s, by grown-ups who did not dance. (Tune to Old Miller goes to Turkey in the Straw) There was an old miller who lived by himself As the wheels turned round, he gained all his wealth. One hand in the hopper, the other in the sack, Ladies step forward, gents fall back. Another miller song was Weavily Wheat. I will have none of your weavily wheat, I will have not your barley. But I want some of your best white wheat to make a cake for Charley He's a fine young, Charley is a dandy, Charley likes to kiss the girls whenever it comes handy. (Variant - And does it up so handy.) Another miller song that comes from the south part of the county is Bingo. The miller's big dog lay on the floor and Bingo is his name o. B-I-N-G-O and Bingo is his name o. The ending of a verse with o is quite typical of these songs. Most had used Dan Tucker, but few remembered anything but the chorus. "Get out of the way for old Dan Tucker, he's too late to get his supper." Most recalled "King William" with some variants. Some sang "Go to the east, go to the west" while others sand "Point to the east etc." This came to be a child's song in games. There was an old nonsense song, which some of the oldest sang. "Mammy oh mammy, my toes are sore, a dancing on your sandy floor." (For they did really sand the cabin floors in early days.) Another old nonsense song was brought out, " One little, two little, three little Indians," and so on thru till "Ten Little Indians Boys" was the climax. It was called "Old John Brown had a little Indian." Then you made it go backwards. Another common enough, it seemed, was Skip ta ma lou. They sang it "Just from Kidder, Skip ta ma Lou, (repeated three times) Skip ta ma Lou, my Darling. The next stanza, went "If you can't get a red bird, a blue bird will do, (repeat three times) Skip ta ma Lou my Darling." You could carry this on for several stanzas, if you were clever at verses. Interviews 1933-5. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/caldwell/history/other/playpart179gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mofiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb