Friday, September 7, 2012

Angelina Baker

Angelina Baker
Angelina Baker's gone
She left me here to weep a tear
And beat on the old jaw bone


       Here is another old-time tune done in the clawhammer banjo style.  It is the first old time song I heard in a live, grassroots setting.  A week later, I bought my banjo.  The tune is called "Angelina Baker".  Despite the upbeat sound, the lyrics can be pretty sad.  The traditional Steven Foster lyrics are about a slave who mourns the loss of his lover after she is sold away.  There are some differences between this song and a later song "Angeline the Baker," but aside from the lyrics, I'm not exactly sure what they are.  If anybody knows, please shed some light on the topic.  This version is a combination of Mike Iverson's version I learned a while ago, and my own version.  In fact, it may actually be a blend of the two aforementioned songs, if they are indeed different.

No comments:

Post a Comment