Follow The Drinking Gourd
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RELEASED ON:
There are three versions of this song.
Versions 1 and 3 are live recordings. Version 2 is a full studio recording. Version 1:
Version 2: Sessions Version 3: Live At The Elsinore |
LYRICS:
There’s a blood stained path and a shiny blade Follow the drinking gourd If someone comes you’d better duck for shade Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd When the moon comes up and the sun goes down Follow the drinking gourd You can hear the hunters as they run the hounds Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd The river makes a mighty fine road Follow the drinking gourd The dead trees show the way to go Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh [x2] Follow the drinking gourd [x2] Follow follow When the dawn comes up and the first quail calls Follow the drinking gourd Remember them that’s careless is them that falls Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd Well if you get there before I do Follow the drinking gourd Pray for me that I’ll get there too Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom Follow the drinking gourd Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh [x2] |
"Follow The Drinking Gourd" is something I only heard once, back in 1962. I was drawn to the subject matter but could not find the lyrics anywhere, could not find a record that contained the song, and could not find anyone at my school who had ever heard the song, so I had to cobble together a logical set of lyrics which told the story of the American Negroes, trying to escape from the South and go into the North for sanctuary and blend these lyrics in with the words I could remember having heard.
I was fifteen when I heard the song. Jon Bealer sang second harmony and Nancy Tiffany sang higher parts and some of the verses. Then Bruce Rutherford got out of Juvey and joined the group. He was six foot four, had a terrible reputation for being a hood who had been away several times to correctional facilities, and sang in a high soprano voice that was higher than any of the girls I'd ever heard sing. Later we expanded the group from four people to eight. One of the new members was Gene Mason who ended up starting his professional career with me upon graduating high school and flunking out of college. (Me, not him).
I was fifteen when I heard the song. Jon Bealer sang second harmony and Nancy Tiffany sang higher parts and some of the verses. Then Bruce Rutherford got out of Juvey and joined the group. He was six foot four, had a terrible reputation for being a hood who had been away several times to correctional facilities, and sang in a high soprano voice that was higher than any of the girls I'd ever heard sing. Later we expanded the group from four people to eight. One of the new members was Gene Mason who ended up starting his professional career with me upon graduating high school and flunking out of college. (Me, not him).