From: abbysale@sundial.sundial.net (Abby Sale)
To: ballad-l@indiana.edu, digitrad@world.std.com
Subject: Wee wees
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 11:10:46 GMT
Message-ID: <31c92f4a.610706@mailhost.sundial.net>
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I've recently come across "The Johnstown Girls" in Randolph's
"Unprintable" collection, _Blow the Candles Out_ (edited Legman).  I'm
much intrigued by it so I thought I'd try & put together everything I had
lying around in the house on it & have a closer look.

Then I figured, what the hell, I might as well waste your band-width &
see if any of youse guys had any thoughts on it.  Are all these co-
descendant?  Any interesting internal things?  Is it an American
survival of mystical stuff? Huh?  What?

Re: "The Wee Wee Man," (#38) Bronson says this hasn't been found in
tradition since 1824.  The primary text was in Herd (1776) & it was set
to a jig tune for Johnson's Musical Museum.  The two have been
reprinted together with little change ever since.  Bronson doubts it
could ever have actually been sung to this tune.  A good tune, but
unlikely with these words.

=======================================================================

Bronson's single text from three identical sources; all but identical
to Child A:

"The Wee Wee Man"

As I was walking all alone,
	Between a water and a wa',
And there I spied a wee wee man,
	And he was the least that ere I saw.
His legs were scarce a shathmont's length,          [about 6 inches]
	And thick and thimber was his thighs,       [heavy, massive]
Between his brows there was a span,
	And between his shoulders there was three.

He took up a meikle stane,
	And he flang't as far as I could see,
Though I had been a Wallace wight,                  [strong as Wallace]
	I couldna liften't to my knee.
O wee wee man, but thou be strong,
	O tell me where thy dwelling be,
My dwelling's down at yon' bonny bower,
	O will you go with me and see.

On we lap and awa we rade,
	Till we came to yon bonny ha',
Where the roof was o' the beaten gould,
	And the floor was o the crystal a'.
When we came to the stair foot,
	Ladies were dancing jimp and sma',
But in the twinkling of an eye,
	My wee wee an was clean awa'.


' Use QBASIC, BASICA or GWBASIC to run all from here to the bottom ****
ON KEY(7) GOSUB 3000: KEY(7) ON
PLAY "O2 L8 Mf T90 mn"
CLS
PRINT "Type (F7) to stop"
PRINT : PRINT
' probably 1 flat; 6/8
FOR i = 1 TO 17
READ sphincter$
PRINT i; ".  "; sphincter$
PLAY sphincter$
NEXT i
DATA "   b
DATA "   >c. <b-16 a a g e
DATA "   >c. <b-16 >c <c d e
DATA "   >c. <b-16 a a g e
DATA "   g e d d4 b-
DATA "   >c. <b-16 a a g e
DATA "   >c. <b-16 >c d4 e
DATA "   c. <b-16 a a b- >c
DATA " <g e d d4 e16 f16
DATA "  g4 e g4 e
DATA "  >c. <b16 >c <c d e
DATA "  g4 e g4 >c
DATA "  <a f d d e f
DATA "  g4 e g4 e
DATA "  >c. <b-16 >c d4 e16 d16
DATA "  c. <b-16 a a. b-16 >c
DATA " <g e d d4
3000 '
' ****

=======================================================================

I ignore the Steeleye Span version as altogether unlikely and almost
certainly just an Anglicazation of Child A.

=======================================================================

"The Johnstown Girls"

...We rode and we rode all down the lane,
And such a sight it never was seen,
But four and twenty Johnstown girls
A-dancing naked on the green.

Such a gettin' upstairs I never did see
Such a gettin' upstairs it don't suit me.

We romped and wrastled all that day,
And fucked her well all through the night,
.........................................
The Johnstown girls don't need no light.

When I woke uo my love was gone,
And she had took her fill of me.
I rode a many-un down the lane,
But the Johnstown girls I never did see.

#183 in _Blow the Candles Out_.  No tune.  Sung for Randolph in 1942 in
Arkansas.  Respondent had learned it in 1910.  The editor, Legman calls
this Randolph's most interesting recovery in the Ozarks.  He only goes
so far as to agree that "is somehow suggestive of 'The wee Wee Man.'"

It gets a bit confused here, but Legman then seems to give a c1928
version from Brown's _North Carolina_.  The following, Legman says, is the
only recovery from tradition of a clear "Wee Wee Man" version since 1828.

Oh, I went walking one fine day upon the Gomont pier O,
I saw a little fairy man, no bigger than my ear O.

He wore a coat all gold and green, no bigger than a thimble,
But he was strong as any buck, like a gandy dancer nimble.

I took him up and I set him down, and I put him on my knee,
And there he threw a mitch-ed stone as far as could see.

I told him he was a fine, brave man, and as strong as he could be,
And he said to me, My bucko lad, come you along with me.

So I went his way along the lane, and soon we found a castle,
And a fine naked lady came out to see if I would rassle.

(The singer self-censored a verse on the girl's physical qualities)

She was the gayest wench for bed I ever saw in al my life,
If elder Thomson had been there, she could have been his wife.

We lay in a bed all covered with pearl, and I did often kiss her,
And now at night alone in my bunk I surely do often miss her.

When I woke up and found her gone, I knew I could not stay,
So I spied around for my little man, but he had gone away.

=======================================================================

A black net-fishing shanty from Florida.  Collected in 1940.  Well sung
by The Boarding Party on Folk-Legacy

"Johnson Girls"

Johnson girls is a-mighty fine girls,
	Walk around, honey, walk around.
Johnson girls is mighty fine girls,
	Walk around, honey, walk around.

Neat in the waist and got mighty fine legs
&c.

Great big legs and teeny-eensy feet.
&c.

Beefsteak, beefsteak, make a little gravy,
Your thing, my thing make a little baby.

Way down south they got the jewmaka jam,   [hot enough to knock your
Hot like cayenne, but it's good, goddamn.       cock off, I guess]

Johnson girls is a-mighty fine girls,
Johnson girls is mighty fine girls,

=======================================================================

"The Johnson Boys"
	Lomax, _F S of North Amer_

Johnson boys, raised in the ashes,
Never knew how to court a maid,
Turn their backs and hide their faces,
Sight of a pretty girl makes them afraid. (3x)

Johnson boys went a-courtin',
The Coon Creek girls so pretty and sweet,
They couldn't make no conversation,
They didn't know where to put their feet. (3x)

The Johnson boys, they went a-huntin',
Took two dogs and went astray,
Tore their clothes and scratched their faces,
They didn't get home till the break of day. (3x)

The Johnson boys went to the city,
Ridin' in a Chevrolet,
They came home broke and a-walkin',
They had no money for to pay their way. (3x)
	Shame, O shame on the Johnson boys.

No attribution except "sung by Lily Mae Ledford, see Brown, Folk
Ballads from North Carolina, v.III"

=======================================================================

The Weavers do "Meet the Johnson Boys" also with no attribution:

Johnson boys was born in the ashes,
Didn't know how to court a maid,
Turn their backs and hide their faces,
Sight of a pretty girl makes them afraid. (5x)

Johnson boys they came a-courtin',
Coon Creek girls so pretty and sweet,
They couldn't make no conversation,
Didn't know where to put their feet. (5x)

Johnson boys, they went a-courtin',
Ridin' in a Chevrolet,
They came home broke and a-walkin',
Had no money to pay their way. (5x)

Johnson boys eat peas and honey,
They have done it all of their life,
Makes the taste mighty funny,
But it keeps them on the knife. (5x)

Johnson boys will never get married,
They'll live single all of their life,
They're too scared to pop the question,
There ain't no woman that'll be their wife. (5x)
	Shame, O shame on the Johnson boys.

=======================================================================

Three "Johnson" songs from DigTrad.  (Note "johnson" is a common enough
euph. for "penis" and thus not necessarily an accidentally chosen
title.)

"Johnson Boys"

I hear them Johnson boys a-coming
Singing and a-hollering and shooting off their guns;
All the other fellers scared as the devil,
Johnson boys has got 'em on the run (2x)

Johnson boys, won't do to mess with,
They stick together just like glue.
If you start any kind of trouble,
They'll beat the hell out of you. (2x)

Johnson boys went to the mountain
They didn't reckon long to stay,
Met up with some high-borned ladies
Didn't get back till the break of day.

Johnson boys, getting mighty sassy
Johnson boys, think they're men,
Comb their hair and wash their faces
Look pretty good for the shape they're in.

Johnson boys, they went a-courtin'
Johnson boys, they didn't stay.
Reason why they went no further,
Had no money fur to pay their way.

Johnson boys, raised in ashes
Didn't know how to court a maid;
Turned their backs and hid their faces
Sight of a purty girl made them afraid.

Johnson boys, brave and hearty,
They knows how to court old maids.
Kiss and hug and call 'em honey,
Rush up pretty girls, don't be afraid.

Johnson boys, play your fiddle,
Johnson boys, sing your song,
Johnson boys, hug in the middle,
Hug in the middle and you can't go wrong.

Johnson boys, mowin' in the meadow
Big black snake bit one on the toe;
He commenced a-yellin' and a-hollerin'
It's a sight to see them Johnson boys go!

>From Frank Proffitt
filename[ JHNSNBOY

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Johnson Boys" 2

Have you heard the many a story,
Told by old and young with joy,
About the many deeds of daring
That was done by the Johnson boys ?

cho: Hop up, pretty girls, don't be afraid (2x)

The Johnson boys were boys of honor,
They knew how to court the maids,
They knew how to hug and kiss them,
Hop up, pretty girls, don't be afraid

They were lads of skill and courage
And their sight was very far
And they joined their country's service
In that awful Civil War,

They were scouts in the rebel's army
And were known far and wide
When the Yankees saw them coming
They throw down their guns and hide.

>From New Lost City Ramblers
Originally recorded by Al Hopkins and the Buckle Busters
filename[ JHNSNBY2

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Johnson Gals"

Want to get to heaven, yes I do
I want to get to heaven with the Johnson crew

Want to get to heaven, don't want to be late
Want to go through the Pearly Gates

Oh my Lord can't you see
That you can't get to heaven with a fool like me

See them girls dressed so fine
They ain't got Jesus on their minds

Everywhere in this world I go
Can't get around for the calico

filename[ JOHNGALS
CB