X:1
T:Fiddle Up
N:Transcribed by John Hartford from the playing of fiddler Jess Young,
N:Chatanooga, Tenn.
M:2/4
L:1/8
R:Reel
B:Stephen F. Davis - Devil's Box, vol. 23, No. 3, Fall 1993 (p. 35)
Z:abc's AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:G
d/G/|Bd/A/ Bd/A/|B/d/e- ed/A/|Bd/A/ Bd/A/|B/d/(e e)d|g/a/g/e/ dB/c/|
dB AG|+slide+d2 (e2|e)g/e/ f/e/ d-|1[M:2/8]d:|2 g2=f2||:ee ^dd|
e/^d/e/d/ e/=d/c/A/|GA c<e|GA c<e|gg gg|1 g/=f/e d2|
e/^d/e/d/ e/d/d/d/|e/G/A c2:|2 g=f/e/ d>e|ge f/ed/ |c3||
FIDDLE UP. American, Country Blues. G Major ('A' part) & C Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Recorded by Chattanooga fiddler Jesse Young and his band (possibly C.C. Thomas on banjo and nephew Alan Young on guitar) for Columbia Records on October 25th, 1928, with the addition of a Columbia employee, Dan Hornsby, doing the vocals on this this session. "Fiddle Up" was Young's adaptation of Iriving Berlin's "Ragtime Violin," interpreted for early country music audiences. Songwriter Berlin (1888-1989) wrote both words and music, and published the melody in 1911. It begins:
Mister Brown, Mister Brown had a violin, Went around, all around with his violin. Lawdy, how he play'd it, sway'd it, made it moan so beautiful, Anna Lise, Anna Lise heard his violin, Rolld' her eyes, roll'd her eyes at his violin, Lawdy how he lov'd 'er, turtle dov'd 'er, When Anna would cry.
Cho: Fiddle up, fiddle up on your violin, Lay right on it, rest your chin upon it, Doggone you better begin. And play an over ture upon your violin.
Young's verses are very similar:
Mr. Brown, Mr. Brown had a violin, He roamed around, roamed around all around the town; A Lordy, how he played it, played it, Every night and day. Susanna sighed, rolled her eyes all around the hall, She rolled her eyes, rolled her eyes all around the hall, Then Lordy, who he played it, played it, All the whole night long.
Cho: Fiddle up, fiddle up, upon your violin, Play right on it , rest your chin upon it. Doggone you'd better begin, Playing on the middle of your violin.
The tune is similar to the original "Memphis Blues."
Additional notes
Recorded sources : - Columbia 15388-D (78 RPM), Jess Young's Tennessee Band (1928). Edison Amberol 966, Billy Murray & American Quartet (1912, as "Ragtime Violin").
See also listing at : Hear Billy Murray's 1912 recording at youtube.com [1]
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