Lyrics for an old Cajun Lullaby

Post by **Sunsilver** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:52 pm

Many years ago, I heard (and recorded) a song from the Johnny Cash show, sung by Johnny. The melody and lyrics have haunted me ever since. I've made many attempts to find the lyrics or the music, but have been unsuccessful.

After a determined Google search, which has taken most of my afternoon, I've managed to come up with some lyrics (the chorus) and the first few lines (from memory, which may not be correct...it was a LONG time ago!). I think the song's full title is 'Bayou Baby - a Cajun Lullaby". Eddie Arnold and Merle Travis have recorded it, but as an instrumental, without lyrics.

Can anyone provide the rest of the song?

Oh, the scissortail roosts on the telephone pole,
When the evening is old,
And the bayou is cold,
And we've got a lot of the fishin' to do,
I'll fly over that bayou to you.

Oh bayou, my baby on the bayou tonight
To the katydids serenade, my cherie-oh sleep tonight
And dream of tomorrow when the fishin' is through
I'll fly o'er that bayou to you
I'll fly o'er that bayou to you
Oh bayou, my baby on the bayou tonight
We'll dream of tomorrow, when the fishin' is through
I'll fly o'er that bayou to you

Post by **JewelSong** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:55 pm

Well, apparently it is used as a square dance!

http://www.ceder.net/recorddb/viewsingl ... ordId=7349

I'll keep looking.

Post by **Sunsilver** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:57 pm

That was quick, Jewelsong! It took me HOURS to find that site! (That's where I got the lyrics for the chorus.)

I wish you better luck than I had...

Post by **JewelSong** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:29 pm

Well, apparently Eddy Arnold has recorded it, but refused to allow the lyrics to be printed on line. For some weird reason.

It's actually called "Cajun Lullaby" - there's a different song called "Bayou Baby" by Aaron Tippin that isn't the one you want.

I love finding obscure songs...it's like a treasure hunt!

Post by **Sunsilver** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:31 pm

Jewel, I eventually figured out that Eddie recorded it as an INSTRUMENTAL, which explains the absence of lyrics!

Post by **JewelSong** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:33 pm

Well, damn! He recorded it on a 1957 album called "When They Were Young" which is not available any more.

But if Johnny Cash recorded it sometime, there may still be hope.

ETA: I just posted a request on a ListServ I'm on for folksingers. If anyone knows, they will!

Post by **Sunsilver** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:49 pm

THAK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Johnny Cash DIDN'T record it, that's the problem. He frequently sang songs from other sources/artists. I think this one was part of one of his "Ride This Train" monologues.

I SO wish that they would release his old TV show on DVD!! It was like a who's who of Country artists, many of whom are now dead and gone! (Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Stringbean, Flatt and Scruggs, Mother Maybelle Carter, Grandpa Jones, Hank Snow, to name just a few.) Alas, the song copyrights would probably make such a release prohibitively expensive, if not impossible....

Post by **JewelSong** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:55 pm

I SO wish that they would release his old TV show on DVD!! It was like a who's who of Country artists, many of whom are now dead and gone! (Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Stringbean, Flatt and Scruggs, Mother Maybelle Carter, Grandpa Jones, Hank Snow, to name just a few

Apparently, someone has put his shows on DVD!

Don't know about the quality, but he says you can email him about certain shows/songs/guests. Maybe he knows which show has that song!

And HERE are two songbooks that claim to have words and chords.

Post by **Sunsilver** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:18 pm

JewelSong wrote:
I SO wish that they would release his old TV show on DVD!! It was like a who's who of Country artists, many of whom are now dead and gone! (Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Stringbean, Flatt and Scruggs, Mother Maybelle Carter, Grandpa Jones, Hank Snow, to name just a few
Apparently, someone has put his shows on DVD!

THANK YOU!! (Those DVD's are now SOLD!) I found a website where the songs from each show were listed. That is how I found the song title. Maybe that show will be on this DVD, if I'm lucky... If it's not, well, I'll still enjoy listening to some wonderful songs!

And HERE are two songbooks that claim to have words and chords.

Yeah, I saw those. Not sure I wanted to spend the money for just one song.

Post by **JewelSong** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 1:13 pm

Well, someone on my folk music Listerv has emailed me a recording of the song done by Bill Turner!

If you have broadband, I could email it to you, if you'll let me know your email! Then you can get the words!

YAY! Another successful song-search!

Post by **Sunsilver** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 3:17 pm

I do have cable internet, Js! Addy is jfuller at aci dot on dot ca.

THANK YOU!!

:hooray:

:ahem: Maybe you and I need to get together more frequently and talk folk songs!

{Wanders off humming the chorus to "The Blackfly Song".....) Are you Canadian? I seem to recall there was someone on TORC who belonged to on of the groups that performed at the Gathering, and lived in Thornhill, which is just 15 min. south of me. Don't remember who it was now.

Post by **JewelSong** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 7:20 pm

Sunsilver, there are few things I like better than discussing and singing old tunes!

I am not Canadian; I live in Boston. But I bet you are thinking of Allison, who together with Jodi and Debbie make up the group Urban Tapestry, who sang at the Gathering. I recently saw them (and jammed with them - w00t!) in Toronto, when my friend Connie and I went up to see the LOTR Musical! they are truly AWESOME!

Anyway, I sent you the file!

Post by **vison** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:02 pm

Blackfly, the little blackfly........
By the poet and songwriter, Wade Hemsworth:

Blackfly song

I love that song. I heard Hemsworth interviewed on CBC radio several times, once by the immortal Peter Gzowski, he of blessed memory.

Another wonderful folk tune I love is the Log Drivers' Waltz. Do you know it?

Log Drivers' Waltz

The tune plays in the background and you can read the words and sing along. It is the prettiest tune!

My dad used to sing folksongs to us, but we didn't know they were folk songs. "The Bum Song", you know it? "Oh, springtime has come, We can throw down our shovels, And go on the bum. . . .", "Out in the Great Northwest": "Out in the great northwest, Way out in the great northwest, Men are men out there I swear, They wrassle with the grizzly bear, Punch his nose and comb his hair, Out in the great northwest".

We just lumped these together with all Dad's "cowboy songs". He knew a lot of them and we loved to hear him sing them. He played the mouth organ, as we called the harmonica. Our old Springer spaniel, Pal, used to howl along!

Thanks for awakening some lovely, lovely memories.

Post by **Sunsilver** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:59 pm

You're welcome, Vision!

My mom used to play the piano a lot for her school kids. She had a great selection of folk song/children's songs. Some of the childhood favorites I remember were "The Big Rock Candy Mountain", "My Grandfather's Clock," and "The Happy Wanderer" (I love to go a-wand'ring, along the mountain track...and as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back: Trallee, trallala, trala la ha ha ha...)

She also played marches and dances for the kids, and they'd perform for the parents at assemblies. We'd do this at home too...she'd play "March of the Wooden Soldiers" and we'd march around the livingroom/dining room with yardsticks over our shoulders pretending they were rifles!

She had a very nice singing voice, and we'd sing together: folk tunes, hymns, Christmas carols....

At night time, when we were having trouble sleeping, she'd stand in the hallway between our rooms, and sing us to sleep...

oh shit, why did i get started on this...it's almost a year since she died...got a real bad cold today, and I miss my mommy!!

Post by **JewelSong** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:27 pm

Some of the childhood favorites I remember were "The Big Rock Candy Mountain", "My Grandfather's Clock," and "The Happy Wanderer" (I love to go a-wand'ring, along the mountain track...and as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back: Trallee, trallala, trala la ha ha ha...)

Yep. I know the words to all of those...and a whole buncha others, too.

A great site for song words for old folk-type songs and children's songs is HERE

It has words (and some tunes) to over 1,000 songs!