Annotation:Fall on My Knees

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 FALL ON MY KNEES. Old-Time, Breakdown and Song. USA, a local Galax, Va./Mt. Airy, N.C. tune. D Major. ADae tuning (fiddle). AA. The late collector and banjoist Ray Alden (1981) found that around the Round Peak, N.C., area this was known as Fred Cockerham's tune; Tommy Jarrell (Mt. Airy, N.C.) said of him, "He knew a hundred verses." Cockerham's wife, Eva, told Alden that he would "sometimes sit in his big green armchair and play this song for hours." Jarrell remembered the tune "going around" the Round Peak area (where he was raised) around 1915, although, as Richard Nevins points out, it had been known in neighboring Grayson County, Va., for a generation before that, testifying perhaps to the isolation of the mountainous region at the time. Mike Yates (2002) also finds it "is quite a common tune in the Hillsville, Galax, Mt. Airy area." His source, Calvin Cole (recorded in 1979) of Hillsville, Carroll County, Virginia, called it "Lonesome Road" from the first line of the second verse below. "In the Pines" is a related melody. Well I fall on my knees and I pray to the Lord, That you will stay by me little girl, That you will stay by me. Look up, look down, that long lonesome road, Hang down your pretty head and cry little girl, Hang down your head and cry. Well my suitcase is packed and I'm never comin' back, Goodbye little woman I'm gone, I'm gone, Goodbye little woman I'm gone. I wish to the Lord that I'd never been born, Or died when I was young little girl, Or died when I was young. Then I'd never have kissed your red ruby lips, Or heard your lying tongue little girl, Or died when I was young. You told me one, you told me two, You told me ten thousand lies little girl, You told me ten thousand lies. You've told me more lies than there's stars in the skies, You'll never get to heaven when you die little girl, You'll never get to heaven when you die. Another collected verse goes: Fall on my knees, and beg you, 'Please Little girl, can I stay with you?' (x2)  Source for notated version: Tommy Jarrell (Mt. Airy, N.C.) [Kuntz, Milliner & Koken].  Printed sources: Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; p. 239-240. Milliner & Koken (Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes), 2011; p. 191.  Recorded sources: Chubby Dragon CD1008, Brad Leftwich, Bruce Molsky et al - "Mountairy.usa" (2001). County 713, Tommy Jarrell, Oscar Jenkins & Fred Cockerham - "Down to the Cider Mill" (1968). County CD-2719, Camp Creek Boys. Flying Fish 334, The Red Clay Ramblers- "It Ain't Right" (1986). Heritage XXXIII, Ace Weems and His Fat Meat Boys - "Visits" (1981). Musical Traditions MTCD321-2, Calvin Cole (et al) - "Far on the Mountain, Vols. 1&2" (2002). Yodel-Ay-Hee 005, The Wildcats - "On Our Knees" (1992).  See also listing at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music: An Index to Recorded Sources:

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