Annotation:Johnny Come Along

Find traditional instrumental music

X:1 T:Johnny Come Along N:From a field 1981 field recording by John Harrod. At the time N:Davenport (b. 1921) lived near Monticello, Wayne County, south-central Ky. N:The tune is a version of "Give the Fiddler a Dram." M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel N:Play AAABB D:https://soundarchives.berea.edu/items/show/3538 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:G {c}dc|B[G2B2]A G2[GB]G|ADAF D3A|+slide+[e2e2][e2e2][ee][ef][ee]d|BGAG G2|| |:dc|BG[GB]A G2[GB]G|ADAF D3A|+slide+[e2e2][e2e2][ee][ef][ee]d|BGA(G [G2B2]):| |:[A2e2]-|[B2g2][Bg]a g2ag|fded- d2f2|afaf abag|fdee d3e| [G3c3][Gc]- [Gc]d[G2c2]|[Ae]fed BA[G,3G3]A|+slide+[e2e2][e2e2] efed|BGA(G [G2B2]):|



JOHNNY COME ALONG. American, Reel (cut time). USA, Kentucky. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). ABB (Titon): AABB (Phillips). "Johnny Come Along" is a tune whose only source is Clyde Davenport [1]. The tune is mistakenly printed in the Phillips Collection of American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1 (1994, p. 87) under the title "Five Miles Out of Town" but also appears again in the same volume as "Johnny Come Along." On the whole, "Johnny Come Along" seems to be a version of "Give the Fiddler a Dram," song/tune from that also supplies Davenport's title. The Holy Modal Rounders and the Byrds recorded the following traditional verse:
Clyde Davenport

Old dog gone, Jenny come along
In come Johnny with the big boots on
Old dog gone, Jenny come along
Twenty long years since he’s been gone
Old dog gone, Jenny come along
A pretty little girl with a red dress on
She put it on, I put it on
In come Johnny with the big boots on

The second (high) strain is related to "Davy Dugger."



Additional notes

Source for notated version: - Clyde Davenport (1921, Monticello, Wayne County, Ky.), who learned the tune from his father, Will Davenport [Milliner & Koken, Phillips, Titon].

Printed sources : - Milliner & Koken (Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes), 2011; p. 345. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; p. 126. Titon (Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes), 2001; No. 78, p. 106.

Recorded sources: -Appal. Center Ser. AC 002, Clyde Davenport - "Puncheon Camps" (1992). Field Recorders Collective FRC103, "Clyde Davenport, vol. 2" (2005). June Appal Recordings, John Harrod - "Johnny Come Along" (2017).

See also listing at:
Hear Clyde Daveport's 1981 version at Berea Sound Archives [2]
See a clip of a banjo version of the tune [3]



Back to Johnny Come Along