Annotation:Croquet Habits
X:1 T:Croquet Habits S:Freeny's Barn Dance Band (Mississippi) M:C| L:1/8 N:A version of "Take a wife on me." R:Song and Instrumental D:OKeh 45524 (78 RPM), Freeny's Barn Dance Band (1930) F:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/croquet-habits Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:C EF|:GEG2 cdcd|edec- c2(^c2|d)=cdc AcAG|FEDD- DE D2| G4+slide+B3A| GFGF GFED|C4-CG EF:|]
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
The song belongs to the family as "Take a Drink on Me" and "Take a Wiff on Me."