Songs From the Susan Anne

Songs From the Susan Anne reflects on summers in the family cabin in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah.  Evening entertainment consisted of card and board games and sitting around the living room singing songs by the light of the fireplace. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

You're listening to Acoustic Avenue. This is Ted Crouch, your host in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, with co-producer Joe Little in Calgary, Alberta. On Acoustic Avenue, we recognize with respect and gratitude that these lands where we live, work, and make our music remain home to a number of indigenous nations and people. We acknowledge this land out of respect for the indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Over the years, Joe and I have had numerous conversations about our musical influences. One of my favorite stories of his is when he was a small child spending summers at the family cabin called the Susan Ann. Named after his two great-grandmothers, the cabin was located next to the Smith and Morehouse Creek in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Now, understand that this was a different place and at a very different time. On the way to the cabin, you would pick up a couple of blocks of ice for the ice box, no refrigerator. Your bathroom was water from the creek for bathing and an outhouse for your other business. You got your drinking water by dragging a couple of old milk cans down to a natural spring and filling them by hand. The cooking and the only heat source for the cabin was done on a cast-iron, coal-burning stove in the kitchen. There was no cable, no internet, no cell phones or wireless, and radio and television transmissions that couldn't penetrate the mountains. The result of all of this was that Joe and his family had to make their own entertainment. During the day, this would involve playing with his cousins in the grove on the other side of the creek, or fishing, or swimming in the swimming hole that had been conveniently created by a fallen log across the creek. Or they would venture to their swimming pond located just up the road. If you want to see what it looked like. Feel free to sing along. Here it is, Gene Audrey with on top of old smoky, followed by the Osborne brothers singing rainbow. And the Sons of the Pioneers joined the program with Dumbledore and Tumbleweed before welcoming Mo Bandy to the mic. And his rendition of When it's springtime in the Rockies. We end this first set on today's show songs from the Susan Ann with Get Along, Little Dogies, from the Kingston Trio.

SPEAKER_27 3:03

Hello there, boys and girls. This is your old friend Gene Audrey. I'm going to sing an old Kentucky mountain song that I think you all like. On top of old Smokey, all covered with snow. I lost my true lover. For according so slow. For according's a pleasure, and parting is greed. A thief he will rob you and take what you have. But a false-hearted lover will lead you to the grave. She'll hug you and kiss you and tell you more lies than cross ties on a railroad. Our stars in the skies. I'll go back to old Smokey all covered with snow where I lost my true lover for a cordon so slow.

SPEAKER_12 5:42

What do you eat for my mom?

SPEAKER_01 6:13

What do you think about the crazy things?

SPEAKER_15 9:14

Keep rolling off.

SPEAKER_05 10:20

Once again I'll say I love you while the birds sing all the day when it's spring time in the rockies. In the rockies far away, the twilight shadows deepen into night view. I sit alone beside the cheery party. Flowers with their colors all aflame. Oh I long to be back in the rockies. I'll wait until the springtime comes again. When it's spring time in the rock, I'm coming back to you, little sweet heart of the mountains with your bonny eyes abloom. Once again I'll say I love you while the birds sing all the day when it's springtime in the rockies in the rockies far away.

SPEAKER_24 12:33

As I was out walking one morning for pleasure, spied a cow puncher ridin' along. His hat was thrown back and his furs were a jingling. And as he approached, he was singin' the song.

unknown 12:54

It's your misfortune in nine amount.

SPEAKER_24 13:02

You know that while we'll be on you It's early in the spring when we round up the dogie, we mark 'em and brand em and bob off their tails. Round up the horses, load up the chuck wagon, and send the dogies out on the launch trail.

unknown 13:31

I oh, get on, you little doggy. It's your miss marching on a mouth.

SPEAKER_24 13:43

You know that wild will be on you. Your mother was raised way down in Texas where the gems hidden the candles grow, we'll feed you upon prickly perch oil, and then send you open to whole I don't home. You know that wild will be your new home.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

This is Acoustic Avenue. These songs in our next set collectively represent different aspects of American culture, history, and musical traditions. They are all classic American folk songs that have made significant contributions to the North American music industry and culture in various ways. By the light of the silvery moon, by the old military spirit of exploration and the allure of the American wilderness.

SPEAKER_25 18:06

Someone's in the kitchen with dinner. Someone's in the kitchen I know. Someone's in the kitchen with dinner strumming on that old banjo and singing.

SPEAKER_06 19:22

Deep in the heart of Texas. The prairie sky is wide and high. Deep in the heart of Texas reminds me of the one I love. Deep in the heart of Texas. Along the trail, beep in the heart of Texas, the rabbit's rush, around the crush, beep in the heart of Texas, the cowboys cry, Ippy, aye. Beep in the heart of Texas, the dog is ball. Beep in the heart of Texas.

SPEAKER_19 21:30

We'll become in so by the silvering boom I the silvering blue. I was both to my brutal. Your silvery beams will bring up beats will become the limbs By the silvery moon By the light, not the dark, but the light of the silvery moon, not the sun, but the moon. I walk a spoon, not night, but spoon to my honey and wool stoom.

unknown 22:35

Honey moon, not the sun but the moon keep the shining in June, not July but June.

SPEAKER_14 22:44

Your silvery beams will bring love priests, will be collected soul by the silvery My darling, I am dreaming of the days gone by when you and I were sweethearts in the summer Your hair has turned to silver, the gold has faded to but still I will remember where I found where I with your trust in all that you love you was excited.

SPEAKER_11 26:25

Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you I bound across the Yanando, I love your daughter, oh you roll and river, oh Shannando, I love your daughter away, I bound away across the wide for seven years I've been a rover for seven years I've been a rover away I've found a way cross the wide Missouri.

SPEAKER_00 28:22

This is Acoustic Avenue. The songs we have been playing today have historic relevance and enduring popularity in North American folk music. This can be attributed to their ability to capture the essence of American culture and history and sentiment while maintaining a timeless quality that continues to resonate with audiences today. Many of these songs have memorable and easily singable melodies that make them enjoyable to perform and listen to, ensuring their continued popularity. They often touch on universal themes like homes of freedom, love, and autalogy, making them relatable to people across generations. Here is show me the way to go home. Buffalo girls, only dog. Don't fence me in. And we end the set with shine on harvest moon.

SPEAKER_16 29:17

When I'm happy, when I'm happy, singing all the while. When I've been out on the spree, toddling down the street with this little melody. Everyone I greet, show me the way to go home. I'm tired and I wanna go to bed. I had a little drink about an hour ago, and it went right to my head. Wherever I may roll on land or sea or fall, you can always hear me singing this song. Show me the way to go. Miss Fitzsimmons went in swimming early one summer morning. She took a dip and she heard a rip. She knew her suit was torn. She stayed till the change of tide took the water out. When no longer she could hide, she began to shout. Show me the way to go home. I'm tired and I wanna go to bed. I had a little drink about an hour ago, and it went right to my head. Wherever I may roam, I land or see our foam. You can always hear me singin' this song. Show me the way to go. Don't tell me the way to go.

SPEAKER_18 31:52

Show me the way to go.

SPEAKER_21 33:00

Come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight. Come out tonight, up a little girl, what to come out the night, come out the night, come out the night. Uh a little girl, what to come out the light, dance by the lad of the moon. Oh, bubble girl, what to come out of my life, come out the night, oh, come out the night, but a little girl once come out the light and dance by the lad of the moon.

SPEAKER_08 34:38

I have to be a solid dog. Yeah, I gotta get out of the dog. We don't get to put a free dog. I have to be a solid dog. I have to be a solid dog.

SPEAKER_07 36:41

Oh, give me land lots of land under starry skies above. Don't fence me in. Let me ride through the wide open country that I love. Don't fence me in. Let me be by myself in the evening breeze. Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees. Send me off forever, but I ask you, please. Don't fence me in, just turn me loose. Let me straddle my old saddle underneath the western sky. All my coyus, let me wander over yonder till I see the mountain rise. I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences. Gaze at the moon until I lose my senses. I can't look at hobbles, and I can't stand fences. Don't fence me in.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

Refused to shine. There's a kick, well, man, fake.

SPEAKER_00 42:22

As we noted during the introduction to this program, these stories and songs were from a different place at a very different time. I can imagine my friend Joe and his family gathering for summers in the water and singing and playing these songs with a soprano ukulele as their musical accompaniment. Thanks for sharing, Joe. And I suppose this means that one of our future shows will feature some stories and songs from my youthful experience in summers and canoeing at Camp Wongo. Many of the songs shared with you today have been passed down through generations and preserving their place in the folk music tradition and ensuring they are learned and performed by new generations of musicians to take us home from our wonderful day of music, songs, and singing out from the Susan Ann. We leave you with some more old-time favorites. Here is John Brown's body, little brown jug. Oh my darling Clementine, back in the saddle again and ending today's show is Happy Trace.

SPEAKER_22 43:28

John Brown's body lies a moan in the grave. John Brown's body lies a morning in the grave. John Brown's body lies a moan in the grave.

SPEAKER_26 46:29

Me and my wife live all alone in the little brown hut we call our own. She likes coffee, I like tea. We're as happy as we can be. Ha ha ha, Pee-ee-hee, the little brown jug, don't I love thee? The little brown jug, don't I love thee? When I go out on the farm, the little brown jug in under my arm, sled it down in the shade of a tree. The little brown jug, don't I love thee? Ha ha ha. The little brown jug, don't I love thee? The little brown jug, don't I love thee? Me and my wife and the stump failed off. Crossed the creek on a hickory law. My wife fell in and stuck in the mud. But I held to my little brown jug.

unknown 47:28

Ha ha ha.

SPEAKER_26 47:35

The little brown jug, don't I love thee? Me and my wife went out on a farm, a little brown jug, and under my arm, my foot slipped and I fell. I busted the little brown jug all to pieces. Ha ha ha ha. You and me, the little brown jug, don't I love thee? Ha ha ha ha. The little brown jug, don't I love thee?

SPEAKER_03 48:15

Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling, Clementine, you are lost and gone forever. Dreadful sorrow, Clementine in a cabin, in a canyon, excavating for a mine, dwelled the mine of forty-niner and his daughter Clementine. Yes, I loved her, how I loved her, though her shoes were number nine, herring boxes with autopsies, sandals were for Clementine. Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine, you are lost and gone forever. Dreadful sorrow, Clementine Drove the horses to the water every morning just at nine, did her foot against the splinter, fell into the foaming ground, ruby lips above the water, blowing bubbles soft and fine. But alas I was no swimmer, so I lost my clementine. Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling clementine, you are lost and gone forever. Dreadful sorrow, clementine, you are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorrow, clementine.

SPEAKER_27 50:31

Out where a friend is a friend where the longhorn cattle feed on the lowly chips, and weep in the saddle again, riding the range once more, totin my old forty-four, where you sleep out every night, and the only law is right back in the saddle again. Whoopee tie, I oh rocking to and fro, back in the saddle again. Whoopee tie, I yeah, I go my way back in the saddle again. Out where a friend is a friend where the long horn cattle feed on the lonely gemson weep, back in the saddle again, riding the range once more, totin my old forty-four, where you sleep out every night, and the only lawyers right back in the saddle again, whoopy tie, I o rocking to and fro, back in the saddle again, whoopy tie, I a go my way, back in the saddle again, happy trails to you until we walk again, happy trails to you keeps milent until then who cares about the cloud we're together.

SPEAKER_13 53:17

Just sing a song and bring the sunny way. Happy trails to you. Some trails are happy ones I'd pray. Happy friends to you again, happy friends to you smile Who cares about the clouds if we're together? Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather, happy friends to you Hill we meet Happy Fries to you, here we meet you very much for listening to Coast Dick Avenue.

SPEAKER_00 55:24

Until next week, this is Ted Crouch signing off, and on behalf of Joe Little, from our hearts into yours, stay safe and love the ones you're with. Peace. Coach Joe.

SPEAKER_04 57:42

And let me prove it with us.