7369 old music 2402 - KET

So John Henry hammered on the mountain
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard that he broke his poor heart
Laid down his hammer and he died … (2 times)
Now the man who invented the steam drill
He thought he was mighty fine
But John Henry, he had driven fifteen feet
And that steam drill had only made nine … (2 times)
Now every Monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing
’Way off yonder, ’bout a mile or more
You can hear John Henry’s hammer ring … (2 times)
Hambone
Hambone is the ultimate development of the body-rhythm exercises I introduced
in my first program. I learned it from an African-American carnival performer when I
was a child. It uses the whole body as a “drum set”—feet, hands, arms, face, and
legs—to produce different sounds and combine these sounds for both
accompaniment and solo work. My first exposure to hambone included a sing-song
based on “The Mockingbird”:
Hambone, Hambone, where you been?
’Round the world and back again.
Hambone, Hambone, have you heard?
Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
If that mockingbird won’t sing …
and so on.
The Awful Hilly Daddy-Willie Trip
(Words and music by John and Willie McCutcheon)
Finally, I go from an example of improvisational rhythmic music—the hambone—
to the idea of creating your own songs with “The Awful Hilly Daddy-Willie Trip.” My
oldest son and I composed this song (one of our “car-tunes”) on a long trip. In it
there are observations of where we are along the journey, dreams about what
we’re going to do when we get there, what’s going on at home in our absence, and
excitement about a birthday that’s coming up the next day. Writing songs can be
one of the most exciting and liberating things a person can do.
The guitar, used as the accompanying instrument on this song, is also an
African instrument, this time from northern Africa. It was introduced to white
musicians relatively late, about the turn of this century, mostly by African-American
railroad crews.
54 Old Music for New Ears Teacher’s Guide