Annotation:Croquet Habits

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CROQUET HABITS. AKA and see "Take a wiff on me." American, Song and Instrumental (cut time). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. A one-strain song in which the verses are interspersed with instrumental breaks. It was recorded in Jackson, Mississippi, on Dec. 16th, 1930, by Freeny's Barn Dance Band, a Leake County, central Mississippi, string band consisting of brothers and cousins Cleveland Freeny (mandolin), S. Carlton Freeny (tenor banjo), Hendrix and Leslie Freeny on violins, and Fonzo Cannon on guitar and vocals. The rather odd title is a transparent attempt (perhaps insisted on by the recording company?) to sanitize the original song title, "Cocaine Habits." The Freeny's song, however, contains the usual references to drugs and sex found in songs from this group (see also "Take a wiff on me"/"Honey take a wiff on me" and "Tell it to me")

Well a croquet habit is mighty bad
But these old habits I've always had
Oh hey honey can't you come out tonight

By the way down yonder in the sunny south
Where the sun shines warm and my honey's house
Oh hey honey can't you come out tonight

Where I see my honey going across the street
She's winding and twisting like an automobile
Oh hey honey don't you deny your name

Well I've got a good woman and she lives in town
And when I'm gone she wears a morning gown
Oh hey honey can't you come out tonight

Buddy you got a nickel and I got a dime
If you don't mind it'll all be mine
Oh hey honey can't you come out tonight

But if you don't believe I'll treat you right
Then follow me down to my shack tonight
Oh hey honey can't you come out tonight

Additional notes

Source for notated version: -

Printed sources : -

Recorded sources: - OKeh Records 45524 (78 RPM), Freeny's Barn Dance Band (1931).

See also listing at:
Hear the Freeny's 1930 recording at Slippery Hill [1] and youtube.com [2]

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