Folk Heroes- Richard Arnold Beattie Presents Elizabeth Cotten Part 2

After Ice Cream and soda- Libby Cotten returns to the stage at The Denver Folklore Center and declares "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone"

In cooperation with Sound Century Academy, the University of Colorado and The Harry Tuft Collection. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

In literature, folk heroes are legendary or historical figures such as Robin Hood, Paul Bunyan, or John Henry, whose lives and deeds are celebrations in stories, songs, and folklore. They are cultural symbols that bring out the spirit of lumberjacks and laborers and industrial pioneers. None of them are the folks that you will hear on my new show, Folk Heroes. My name is Richard Arnold Beattie, and these are the concerts and interviews of folk in blues heroes on guitar and in songs that were heard somewhere around here, found in storage units, attics, and basements, from Denver, on reels, from Harry Tuft and the Denver Folk Core Center from 1962 through 1977 and sometimes before. Some are dead and some are living. So listen to this labor of love and learn to love them all.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

And she found him.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

Everybody going down the road feeling. I don't wanna be treated this whole way. Goin' down the road feelin' bad. I don't wanna be treated so away. I'm going by the chili window blow Honey baby blow, I'm going where the chili window Goin by the chili window I don't wanna be treated Goin down the road feelin' bad, honey baby blow-day, I'm going down the road feelin' bad Goin down the road feeling bad I don't wanna be treated, heard a whistle blow, honey baby blow the whistle blow-day, heard a whistle Good on it, blow the getting gone blow no more Goin down the road feeling bad Honey baby blow-day, I'm going down the road Going down the road feeling bad I don't wanna be treated once more going down the road Honey baby bladder going down the road Honey baby going down the road feeling bad I don't wanna be treated. And the first time I played it was in uh Coffee House in Washington, DC. And the name of this coffee house was Ontario Coffee House. It's not that now, then something else there now, but that was about four or five years ago. Mississippi John and myself used to he play one week, I played other. So the first time I played this tune, I was writing it then. And I played it at this coffee house. So I decided to name it from that. Then I play with three fingers. I wanna see if I can when my grandchildren was I kept them all with me. I had about six grandchildren with me. And to tell the truth, I think it was eight. The mothers worked and I taking care of the children. And we wrote a song. Shake Sugary. And the way we wrote this song, I was so busy doing the day, I'd never get a chance to play my guitar. So I'd when I'd put the children to bed, I'd go up and play my guitar a little bit. So they began to like that. So and I didn't have any more trouble getting them in the bed. All I'd have to say, up to bed, children, or they're gone. Because they know I was coming and playing the guitar. So, and doing that, we all made a song. Each child put a verse in. And I I can't sing many of the verses, but I can sing two or three of them. And it's uh, you know, you can pawn anything you have in this song. Just keep on pawning your house and everything. So we pawn every everything that we can name. But I can't sing but two or three of the verses because I don't remember them. And you that know it can help, John and we'll all sing together. Well, I have a little song. I think I'm gonna have to put the something on a road. Give me one of those cakes in there. And my good dog. Everything I got on a watch. On a chain on everything in my name. In my face, in my gate dog. I forgot to play once the right video. And I'm also sorry, someone asked me last night that please play fray train before we close out. And I forgot it. So I'll sang it twice tonight. Ain't much better, but I'm gonna try. I have a little song I'm gonna sing. Sang it right, take once or twice. Oh lot of me didn't I shake sugary. Everything I got in pond. I can't go down there. Let's try it to the next one. Everything I got in pond. Little bit better, not look. I palm a watch, I palm a chain, on everything that was in my name. All out of me didn't I shake sugary, everything I got in palm, everything I got in pond. I palm my chairs on my bed. Ain't got nowhere to lay my head. All out of me didn't I shake sugary. Everything I got in palm. Everything I got. Not but two people know that it isn't. Everything I got in. I palm a barn, palm plow, pawn everything I eat, pawn my old cow. Oh lot of me didn't I shake sugary. Everything I got in palm. Everything I got in home. I know something I gon' tell, I'm gonna heaven in a ground peach shell. Oh Lord of me didn't I shake sugary. Everything I got sent on. Everything I got sent on. What else? Oh, I pawn my tobacco, pawn my pipe, pawn everything that was in my sight. Oh lot of me didn't shake sugary. Everything I got on everything I got have a little secret. I ain't gonna tell I'm gonna hell and I ain't gonna all meet then I shake sugary. Everything I got in porn, everything I got in palm on my shoes, on my hat, who never thinks that's wrong now. Oh Lord on me didn't I shake sugary everything I got seen on everything I got in home chew my tobacco, spin my juice, would raise cane, but it ain't a bit of use. Oh lot of meat didn't I shake sugary everything I got in home everything I got in everything I got in Thank you I'm gonna sing this little verse Oh babin ain't no line and it's got one little verse because a lady our neighbor next door told my mother once that I talked back to her and kind of sad. My mother punished me, she wouldn't let me go out to play. And I made a little verse about this lady. I used to sit on my porch and sing it as loud as I could. And she would call up to me and she'd say, sis, that son is a pretty tune. And you know what I've only said, don't you? Miss Mary's about you. It was about her. Miss Mary died and she didn't know about the song My Mother Died. I was afraid to let my mother know that I made this little verse because she'd punch me again. So they both died and didn't know the meanings of it. So I'm still singing it. There's one old woman alone in this town. Keep her telling her lies on me. I wish to my soul that old woman would die. Keep her telling her lie on me, everybody. Oh, baby little la. Oh, baby little baby little lack of little humble baby. Oh, baby little la. Oh, baby little law, baby little la. Everybody come on the same little voice. There is one. Oh mama. In this keep on telling her lies on me. Wish my soul, mama. Keep on telling her lies on me. Oh, baby. There's one more song I wanted to sing before we tuned up. I haven't played ribs and rags for y'all, haven't I? I'm playing with the three fingers now. I used to play the platoon. A message to you, to you like you, recorded in his word. Hallelujah. It is only that you will look look and live. A message full of love. Hallelujah. A message, oh my friend, it is for you. A message from above. Hallelujah. Jesus said it, and I know it is true. Life is offered to you. Hallelujah. Eternal life your soul, your soul shall have. If you'll only look to him. Hallelujah. To Jesus who alone, alone can say. I tell you how I came. Hallelujah. To Jesus and He made, He made me all trusting on His name. Hallelujah. And Jesus, He saved my soul. Look and live, my brother Liv. Look to Jesus now and live. Record it in His Word. Hallelujah. It is only that you look, look and live, record it in His word. Hallelujah. It is only that you look, look and live in the U.S. Father of Glory, I shall sing a story of the Lord who brought me when I get home, when I get home, when I get home, my sorrow will be over when I get home. My sorrow will be over when I get I shall have a crown to wear when I get home. I shall sing a story of the Lord who brought me when I get home. Everybody when I get home when I get home my sorrow will be over when I get when I get home when I get home, my sorrow will be over when I get home. All the darkness will be pace when I get home. Forever, ever guide me till I get home when I get when I get home, my sorrow will be over when I get home. I shall see my Savior's face when I get home. I shall stand before him. Gladly I'll adore him forever to be with him when I get when I get when I get home, my sorrow will be over when I get home when I get home. Where have you been so long? There you get your brand new shoes. You dress you well so far. Got my shoe from a ray road man. Dress from my travel in the room. Where have you been? I'm gonna ask two guitar players to come up and play a song Spanish Flying Dang. We're gonna play together. That's a dick. Then I'm going to the universe in California, then I'm going to that cave, that came in your daughter. And I won't be leaving for home till the twenty-seventh anyway. And I'll go back to Washington. One of the screws must be kind of loose. Mama, yo suck dunning gone. Mama, yo socks dunning gone. Mama, your song dunning gone. Your song gone, Lord has been gone so long. Mama, yo sounds done in gone, yours, and gone. Your sang gone, Lord, it's been gone so long. Mama, your son, dunning gone.

SPEAKER_03 49:57

Fear will go.

SPEAKER_02 50:02

Your sang down lord, gone so long. Farewell, mama I'm gone. We never did this together before. You have made me feel so welcome. You just let me be relaxed and playing for my songs. But there's one more song I wanted to play, but I'm playing for you next time. In the name of the song, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone. I'm sorry, I'm for coming.

SPEAKER_00 56:57

Hey, that's Elizabeth Cotton, a folk hero extraordinaire. At the Denver Folklore Center in 1972, classic photo by Larry Shirke of Libby Cotton sitting in the concert hall. And that's uh that's one that is uh you'll see all around, including at uh Swallow Hill Music Hall. This is Richard Arnold Beattie. So good to go back before my time in Denver and revisit a true inspiration. Next week, we join Harry Tuft in his senior year of college at Dartmouth to bring you everyone's folk hero, Pete Seeger, with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. That's it for this week from Westcliff and Folk Heroes. See ya.