Old Dan Tucker

Published versions
"The Original Old Dan Tucker", Boston: Charles H. Keith, 1843:


 * OLD DAN EMMIT's
 * ORIGINAL BANJO MELODIES
 * EMMIT, BROWN, WHITLOCK, PELHAM


 * The Original
 * OLD DAN TUCKER
 * As sung by the Virginia Minstrels
 * Words by Old Dan. D. Emmit


 * I come to town de udder night,
 * I hear de noise an saw de fight,
 * De watchman was a runnin roun,
 * Cryin Old Dan Tucker's come to town.


 * Gran' Chorus.


 * So get out de way! Get out de way!
 * Get out de way! Old Dan Tucker.
 * Your to late to come to supper.


 * Tucker is a nice old man,
 * He use to ride our darby ram,
 * He sent him wizzen down de hill,
 * If he hadn't got up he'd lay dar still.


 * Chorus


 * Here's my razor in good order,
 * Magnum bonum—jis had bought 'er,
 * Sheep sell oats, Tucker shell de corn,
 * I'll shabe you soon as de water get warm.


 * Chorus


 * Old Dan Tucker an I got drunk,
 * He fell in de fire an kick up a chunk,
 * De charcoal got inside he shoe,
 * Lor bless you honey how de ashes flew.


 * Chorus


 * Down de road foremost de stump,
 * Massa make me work de pump;
 * I pump so hard I broke de sucker,
 * Dar was work for ole Dan Tucker.


 * Chorus


 * I went to town to buy some goods
 * I lost myself in a piece of woods,
 * De night was dark I had to suffer,
 * It froze de heel of Daniel Tucker.


 * Chorus


 * Tucker was a hardened sinner,
 * He nebber said his grace at dinner;
 * De ole sow squeel, de pigs did squal
 * He 'hole hog wid de tail and all.


 * Chorus

New York: Atwill's, 1843:


 * I come to town de udder night,
 * I hear de noise den saw de fight,
 * De watchman was a runnin roun,
 * Cryin Old Dan Tuckeer's come to town,


 * Chorus:


 * So get out de way!
 * Get out de way!
 * Get out de way! Old Dan Tucker,
 * Your too late to come to supper.


 * Tucker is a nice old man,
 * He use'd to ride our darby ram,
 * He sent him whizzin down de hill,
 * If he had 'nt got up he'd laid dar still,


 * Chorus


 * Tucker on de wood pile--can't count 'lebben,
 * Put in a fedder bed--him gwine to hebben,
 * His nose so flat, his face so full,
 * De top ob his head like a bag ob wool,


 * Chorus


 * High hold on de holler tree,
 * He poke his bill in for to see,
 * De lizzard cotch 'im by de snout,
 * He call old Tucker to pull 'im out,


 * Chorus


 * Tucker he had cash a plenty,
 * Dressed to death--his old trunk empty,
 * To kiss de galls he thot was useless,
 * 'Cept he kissed wid a sway-back-looseness,


 * Chorus


 * Here's my razor in good order,
 * Magnum-bonum--jis hab bought 'er,
 * Sheep shell de oats, ole Tucker shell de corn,
 * I'll shade you all when de water gets warm,


 * Chorus


 * I went to meetin de udder day,
 * To hear old Tucker preach and pray,
 * Dey all got drunk, but me alone,
 * I make ole Tucker--walk-jaw-bone,


 * Get out de way, Get out de way,
 * Get out de way you hard'end sinner,
 * Your too late to come to dinner.

"The Latest Version of Old Dan Tucker", Deacon Snowball's Negro Melodies, 1843, includes this alternate verse:


 * We are de boys from old Virginia,
 * And take de shine from Pagannini [sic],
 * Wid our old banjo and jaw bone,
 * We drive all udder music home.

Galbreath presents this version as "authentic":


 * I came to down de udder night,
 * I heard de noise, den saw de sight,
 * De watchmen dey (was) runnin' roun'
 * Cryin' "Ole Dan Tucker's come to town."


 * Chorus:


 * Git outen de way
 * Git outen de way
 * Git outen de way, Ole Dan Tucker,
 * You's too late to come to supper.


 * Sheep an' hog a walkin' in de pasture,
 * Sheep says, "hog can't you go faster?"
 * Hush! hush! honey, hear de wolf growlin',
 * Ah, ah, de Lawd, bull dog growlin'.


 * Chorus


 * Here's my razor in good order,
 * Magnum bonum—jis hab bought 'er;
 * Sheep shell oats, an' Tucker sell de corn,
 * I'll shabe ye soon as de water gits warm.


 * Chorus


 * Tucker went roun' hickry steeple,
 * Dar he meet some colored people,
 * Some was black, some was blacker,
 * Some was de color ob brown tobackur.


 * Chorus


 * Jay bird in de martin's nest,
 * To sabe he soul he got no rest.
 * Ole Tucker in de foxe's den,
 * Out come de young ones nine or ten.


 * Chorus


 * Tucker on de wood pile can't count lebben,
 * Put 'im in a fedder bed goin' to hebben;
 * His nose so flat, his face so full.
 * De top ob his head like a bag ob wool.


 * Chorus


 * High-hold on de holler tree,
 * He poke his bill in for to see,
 * De lizard cotch 'im by de snout,
 * He call for Tucker to pull 'im out.


 * Chorus


 * I went to de meetin' de udder day ..
 * To hear old Tucker preach and pray;
 * Dey all got drunk but me alone,
 * I make ole Tucker walk jaw bone.


 * Chorus

Political versions
William Jennings Bryan used the tune for his campaign song in the 1900 Democratic National Convention in Kansas City:


 * Voters, come and hear my ditty,
 * What was done at Kansas City:
 * David Hill, the New York lion,
 * Nominated Billy Bryan.


 * Chorus:


 * Get out of the way, you Grand Old Party,
 * Get out of the way, you Grand Old Party,
 * Get out of the way, you Grand Old Party,
 * You're so old, you're getting warty.


 * For running mate there was a pull,
 * But 'twas no use, the woods were full;
 * And then and there to still the noise
 * They gave the job to Illinois.


 * Chorus


 * Still your boss is Mark A. Hanner,
 * He looks just like a stockyard's tanner.
 * Is the ring our hats we're shying,
 * Whoop! Hurrah! For Billy Bryan.


 * Chorus


 * Keep the banners ever flying;
 * Follow always Billy Bryan.
 * Onward now and all keep steady,
 * 'Cause we're after Mack and Teddy.


 * Chorus

Marion Harland recorded another political version from a Whig rally in 1844:


 * The moon was shining silver bright, the stars with glory crowned the night,
 * High on a limb that 'same old Coon' was singing to himself this tune:


 * Chorus:


 * Get out the way, you're all unlucky; clear the track for Ole Kentucky!


 * Now in a sad predicament the Lokies are for President;
 * They have six horses in the pasture, and don't know which can run the faster.


 * Chorus


 * The Wagon-Horse from Pennsylvany, the Dutchmen think he's the best of any;
 * But he must drag in heavy stages his Federal notions and low wages.


 * Chorus


 * They proudly bring upon the course an old and broken-down war-horse;
 * They shout and sing: 'Oh! rumpsey dumsey, Colonel Johnson killed Tecumsey!


 * Chorus


 * And here is Cass, though not a dunce, will run both sides of the track at once;
 * To win the race will all things copy, be sometimes pig and sometimes puppy.


 * Chorus


 * The fiery Southern horse, Calhoun, who hates a Fox and fears a Coon,
 * To toe the scratch will not be able, for Matty keeps him in the stable.


 * Chorus


 * And here is Matty, never idle, a tricky horse that slips his bridle;
 * In forty-four we'll show him soon the little Fox can't fool the Coon.


 * Chorus


 * The balky horse they call John Tyler, we'll head him soon or burst his boiler;
 * His cursed 'grippe' has seized us all, which Doctor Clay will cure next fall.


 * Chorus


 * The people's fav'rite, Henry Clay, is now the 'fashion' of the day;
 * And let the track be dry or mucky, we'll stake our pile on Ole Kentucky.


 * Get out of the way, he's swift and lucky; clear the track for Ole Kentucky!

Version from the Civil War:


 * Old Abe is coming down to fight,
 * And put the Democrats to flight;
 * He's coming with the wedge and maul
 * And he will split 'em one and all.


 * Chorus:


 * Get out the way, you little giant
 * Get out the way, you little giant
 * Get out the way, you little giant
 * You can't come in, you're too short and pliant.


 * Abe, he lives in a big log hut,
 * Can drive the wedge and use the glut;
 * He swings the maul and when he hits,
 * It goes in the ground or else it splits.


 * Chorus


 * Old Abe knows how to drive the team,
 * Because he never goes by steam;
 * But now the ox-goad he will use,
 * And dust the giant in his shoes.


 * Chorus


 * Look the prairie's all on fire,
 * If poor Douglas had grown higher;
 * He might have seen the smoke and stuff,
 * But his short legs can't run fast enough.


 * Chorus

Folk versions
Slave version from 1850s Orange County, North Carolina:


 * Marster and Missus look' might fine—
 * Gwine to take a journey, gwine whar dey gwine,
 * Crab grass a-dyin', red sun in de west,
 * Saturday's comin', nigger gwine to rest.

Slave version remembered by Dora Franks of Aberdeen, Mississippi:


 * Old Dan Tucker was a mighty mean man,
 * He beat his wife with a fryin' pan.
 * She hollered and she cried, "I'se gwine to go,
 * Dey's plenty o' men won't beat me so."

North Carolina version:


 * Ole Aunt Dinah she got drunk,
 * Felled in de fire and kicked up a chunk.
 * Red hot coal popped in her shoe—
 * Lordy a-mighty! How de water flew?

Another North Carolina version:


 * Ole Dan'l Tucker clomb a tree,
 * His Lord an' Marster for to see.
 * De limb hit broke an' Dan got a fall—
 * Nuver got to see his Lord at all!


 * Miss Tucker she went out one day,
 * To ride with Dan in a one horse sleigh.
 * De sleigh was broke, and de horse was blind—
 * Miss Tucker she got left behind.


 * As I come down de new cut road,
 * I spied de peckerwood and de toad,
 * And every time de toad would jump
 * De peckerwood hopped upon de stump.


 * And next upon de gravel road,
 * I met Br'er Tarypin and Br'er Toad.
 * And every time Br'er Toad would sing
 * Br'er Tarrypin cut de pigeon wing.


 * Ole Dan and me we did fall out,
 * And what d'ye reckon it was about?
 * He trod on my corn and I kicked him on the shins;
 * That's jest the way this row begins.


 * If Ole Dan he had corn to buy,
 * He'd mo'n and wipe his weepin' eye;
 * But when Ole Dan had corn to sell,
 * He was as sassy as all hell.

Miscellaneous stanzas from the folk tradition:


 * I came to town de udder night,
 * I hear de noise, an' I saw de fight.
 * De watchman wuz a-runnin' roun'
 * Cryin' "Old Dan Tucker's come to town."


 * Old Dan Tucker he went to de mill,
 * To git some meal to put in de swill;
 * The miller swo' by de point of his knife
 * He nebber had seed such a man in his life.


 * Dan Tucker and I we did fall out,
 * And what do you think it was about?
 * He tread upon corn; I kicked him on de chin,
 * An' dat's de way dis row begin.


 * Old Dan began in early life,
 * To play de banjo an' de fife;
 * He play de niggers all to sleep,
 * An' den into his bunk he creep.(Lomax 261)


 * Old Daniel Tucker wuz a mighty man,
 * He washed his face in a fryin' pan;
 * Combed his head wid a wagon wheel
 * And he died wid de toofache in his heel.


 * And now Old Dan is a gone sucker,
 * And never can go home to supper.
 * Old Dan has had his las' ride,
 * An' de banjo's buried by his side.(Lomax 262)

Chorus:


 * So, git outa de way for old Dan Tucker,
 * He's come too late to git his supper.
 * Supper's over and breakfast cookin',
 * Old Dan Tucker standin' lookin'.

Michigan, 1920::


 * Here's old Dan, he comes to town;
 * He swings the ladies round and round.
 * He swings one east, he swings one west,
 * He swings with the one he loves the best.

Pineville, Missouri, 4 June 1927:


 * Old Dan Tucker down in town,
 * Swingin' the ladies all around,
 * First to the right an' then to the left,
 * An' then to the one that you love best.


 * Chorus:


 * Git out of the way for old Dan Tucker,
 * He's too late to git his supper,
 * Supper's over an' breakfast a-cookin',
 * An' old Dan Tucker standin' a-lookin'.


 * Chorus


 * Old Dan Tucker down in town,
 * A-ridin' a foat an' a leadin' a hound.
 * The hound give a howl an' the goat give a jump,
 * An' throwed Old Dan a-straddle of a stump.


 * Chorus


 * Old Dan Tucker he got drunk,
 * Fell in the fire an' kicked out a chunk,
 * Fire coal got in Dan's old shoe,
 * Oh my golly how the ashes flew!


 * Chorus

Bentonville, Arkansas, 21 November 1935:


 * Old Dan Tucker is a fine old man,
 * Washing his face in the fryin' pan,
 * Combed his hair with a wagon wheel,
 * An' died with a toothache in his heel!

Rolla, Missouri, 5 April 1938:


 * I went to town the other night,
 * I heard the noise and I saw the fight,
 * The watchman was a-running round,
 * Cryin Old Dan Tucker's come to town!


 * Old Dan he worked in the cotton field,
 * He got a stone bruise on his heel,
 * He left the field and went through the woods
 * To the little pond where the fishin's good


 * Old Dan he went down to the mill
 * To get some meal to put in the swill,
 * The miller he swore by the point of his knife,
 * He never seen such a man in his life.


 * And now old Dan is a done gone sucker,
 * And never will go home to his supper,
 * Old Dan he has had his last ride,
 * And the banjo's buried by his side.

Australia:


 * Old Danny Tucker was a dirty old man,
 * He washed his face in the frying pan,
 * Combed his hair with the leg of a chair,
 * Died with a toothache in his hair.

Miscellaneous stanzas, source unknown:


 * Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man
 * He washed his face in a frying pan
 * He combed his hair with a wagon wheel
 * And died with a toothache in his heel.


 * Chorus:


 * So get out of the way for old Dan Tucker
 * He's too late to get his supper
 * Supper's over and dinner's cookin'
 * Old Dan Tucker just stand there lookin'.


 * I come to town the other night
 * I heard the noise and saw the fight
 * The watchman was a-runnin' round
 * Crying "Old Dan Tucker's come to town."


 * Old Dan Tucker is a nice old man
 * He used to ride our darby ram
 * He sent him whizzing down the hill
 * If he hadn't got up, he'd lay there still.


 * Old Dan begun in early life
 * To play the banjo and the fife
 * He played the children all to sleep
 * And then into his bunk he'd creep.

Reed Springs, Missouri, 1847:


 * Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man,
 * Washed his face in a fryin' pan,
 * Combed his head with a hickory stick,
 * Layed down to die with a limber prick.


 * Old Dan Tucker down in town,
 * A-lookin' up an' a lookin' down,
 * Huntin' a grass-widder for to fuck,
 * Poor old Dan didn't have no luck.

Benton County, Arkansas, c. 1910s:


 * Old Dan Tucker was a fine old soul,
 * Buckskin belly and a rubber ass-hole,
 * Swallowed a barrel of cider down
 * And then he shit all over town.

Alternate chorus from San Francisco, c. 1955:


 * Git out the way for Old Dan Tucker,
 * He's too late to git his supper,
 * Supper's over an' the dishes are washed,
 * Nothin's left but a piece of squa-ash.