From Rees Baldwin, Barry Dock, Wales
Sources: The James Madison Carpenter Collection AFC 1972/001 Cylinder 037 03:33; Disc sides 073 00:30, 391 03:09; MS p. 00119
I’m fascinated by the two solo melodies of Baldwin’s song. The first five verses follow Baldwin, then I added traditional floating verses to fill out the performance.
- Oh Hilo, Johnny, Hilo, I wonder what’s the matter now.
ChorusJohnny come down to Hilo, pull down below.
- Oh Hilo, Johnny, Hilo, I wonder what’s the matter now.
- I used to work down Mobile Bay but I got in debt and ran away.
- Away down South where I was born among the fields of yeller corn
- Oh Hilo, Johnny, Hilo, I wonder what’s the matter now.
- Oh Mobile Bay’s no place for me, I’ll pack my bags and go to sea.
- Was you ever in Mobile Bay, screwin’ cotton by the day?
- Oh Hilo, Johnny, Hilo, I wonder what’s the matter now.
- Growl you may but go you must, if you growl too much your head’ll bust.
- Hilo, Johnny, Hilo, I wonder what’s the matter now.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Bob,
This is so captivating on the CD and now in my head.
Were there no notes on what jobs it was used for?
Alas, Carpenter didn’t leave any details about this song, just the recording and a transcription of the words. Baldwin only sang 4 verses so I’m guessing it was used as some kind of short-haul (one pull per chorus) shanty like “Haul Away Joe”. The pull could have come on “Johnny come down to Hilo, pull down be-low“. Another option would be for the pull to come on the word “pull” – (whodathunkit). Open to interpretation. . .