Annotation:Red Rocking Chair

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RED ROCKING CHAIR. AKA and see "Honey Babe Blues," "Little Red Rocking Chair," “Red Apple Juice, "Sugar Babe.” Old Time, Bluegrass; Song/Tune. D Major. EDae tuning (fiddle). A large and musically varied song/tune family in the Appalachian and southeast United States. A version was recorded in the 78 RPM era by Dock Boggs ("Sugar Baby"). R. Matteson [1] notes confusion between two tune families, linked by the title "Sugar Babe." One tune family is identified as "Sugar Babe/Crawdad Song" group, while the other (a different song) is "Sugar Babe/Red Rocking Chair." Verses (, some 'floating'--i.e. appearing interchangeably in different songs,) variously include:

Well I ain't got no use for your red apple juice,
Ain't got no honey baby now (x2)

Ain't got no use for your red rocking chair,
Ain't got no honey baby there, (x2)

It's who'll rock the cradle and who'll sing a song,
And it's who'll be your honey when I'm gone? (x2)

Done all I could do to try and live with you,
Send you back to your mama some old day. (x2)

Gave her all I made then I laid her in the shade.
What more can a poor boy do? (x2)

Source for notated version:

Printed sources:

Recorded sources: Brunswick 118B, Dock Boggs (1927 as "Sugar Baby")

See also listing at:
Read the Ballad Index entry on the song [2]
Read Richie Matteson's history of the song [3]

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