Hop De Dooden Doo (Injun Rubber Overcoat).

Comment by Ian Bell on May 28, 2012 at 5:51pm

Thanks for that Carl. It's great weird tune - and an even better weird song. Sally in the kitchen shelling the peas is a line that floats around a fair bit. Often "her long black hair is hanging down to her knees"

Comment by Carl Anderton on May 28, 2012 at 8:58pm

Thanks for the comment Ian.  A number of things strike me about this tune, starting with the title-- very similar to the more popular "Hoop De Dooden Do," or Rattlesnake Jig.  Clarke Buehling notice a similarity with "Oh, What's the Matter, Suse-Ann" from Rice, and I tried to incorporate some licks from that tune, with more or less success.

Comment by Silas Tackitt on May 28, 2012 at 11:13pm

I did not know there were words to that song.  Thought it was just a weird instrumental from Briggs with a beat I rather like to play.

Comment by Carl Anderton on May 29, 2012 at 5:19am

The BBI is a somewhat mysterious tutor-- like our genre in general there is still much to explore and learn.

Comment by Tim Twiss on May 29, 2012 at 7:48am

I still think almost every tune in Briggs' has a root tune somewhere. This one one I had not thought of yet. Nice one Carl. Anybody ever find something resembling Sebastopol Breakdown? I was quite pleased when I found the first part of Congo Prince Jig in Howe's Omnibus. And then, Cracovienne Quickstep...a direct lift that became Ehtiopian Cracovienne.  

Comment by Bob Winans on May 29, 2012 at 10:13am

Thanks for uncovering this nifty set of lyrics for this tune, Carl. I hope those watching it notice that you have played a little bit with anticipating the beat in this tune, especially when you play the B part of tune as on instrumental break. I will be discussing this issue in my presentation on Sunday morning, as well as the idea of incorporating licks from other versions of a tune.

Comment by Silas Tackitt on May 29, 2012 at 1:37pm

I looked for the sheet music last night to read those lyrics.  I typed them down as best as my old eyes allowed.

Susy in de kitchen, Hop de dooden do ;
Susy in de kitchen, Hop de dooden do ;
Susy in de kitchen, shelling out de peas ;
Massa in de parlor, tasting ob de cheese.

CHORUS :

What's de matter Susy?  What's de matter, my dear?
What's de matter, Susy? Oh, I'se gwine to leave you now.
Play upon de fiddle, come play upon de drum ;
Play upon de banjo, Susy can't you come?
 
De big dog bow wow, Hop de dooden do ;
De big dog bow wow, Hop de dooden do.
De big dog he bow wow, watchin' at de gate ;
He smell de meat a fryin', and den he couldn't wait.
 
What's de matter Susy, & etc.
Come play upon de fiddle, & etc.
 
De old hoss he kick high, Hop de dooden doo ;
De old hoss he kick high, Hop de dooden doo.
De old hoss he kick high, Standin in de stable ;
Old mass try to ketch him, but found he wasn't able.
 
What's de matter Susy, & etc.
Come play upon de fiddle, & etc.
 
De hen flew in de garden, Hop de dooden do ;
De hen flew in de garden, Hop de dooden do.
De hen flew in de garden, massa try to ketch him ;
He fell again de lampost, and den he didn't fetch him.
 
What's de matter Susy, & etc.
Come play upon de fiddle, & etc.

Link to sheet music : http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=sm1820&fileName=sm2...

Comment by Carl Anderton on May 29, 2012 at 8:39pm

You called me out, Silas.  I mixed up the verses, dropped some, and mangled some.  I usually concentrate more on the accompaniment, and butcher the vocal all the time.

The verse with the phrase "Injun Rubber Overcoat" I put first 'cause that's the Briggs name of the song; it can be found in songsheet version here:  http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?amss:2:./temp/~ammem_2CKr::

Come to think of it, that's why I kept singing "Hop de doodle do," I couldn't figure out why I got that mixed up.  Playing and singing music is hard,  man. 

Comment by Carl Anderton on May 29, 2012 at 8:41pm

LYRICS

Link failed, here is the songsheet version from LOC American Memory.

HOP DE DOODLE DOO.

Oh--de India Rubber Overcoat, 
Hop de doodle doo, 
De India Rubber Overcoat, 
Hop de doodle doo. 
De India Rubber Overcoat, 'lasses candy shoes, 
Nigger on de telegraph trying to read de news.

CHORUS.

Oh, what's de matter Susey, 
Oh, what's de matter my dear, 
Oh, what's de matter, Susey 
I--am gwine to leave you here.

Oh,--Simon had a son born, 
Hop de doodle doo, 
Simon had a son born, 
Hop de doodle doo. 
Simon had a son born, an thought it was a daughter, 
A yalla gal, a Georgia gal, a big bug in de water.

Oh, what's de matter, &c.

Oh,--Massa gib me Johnny cake, 
Hop de doodle doo. 
Massa gib me Johnny cake, Massa gib me bread 
Dinah kissed me three times, and killed dis nigger dead.

Oh, what's de matter, &c.

Oh,--de old mare she kicked high, 
Hop de doodle doo, 
De old mare she kicked high, 
Hop de doodle doo. 
De old mare she kicked high, de cows began to prance, 
De old sow whistled a jig for de pigs to dance.

Oh, what's de matter, &c.

THOMAS G, DOYLE, 
BOOKSELLER, STATIONER AND SONG PUBLISHER, 
No. 297 N. GAY STREET, BALTIMORE.

Comment by Silas Tackitt on May 29, 2012 at 9:34pm

Okay, so now there are two different sets of lyrics for a song which I thought had none.  It's such a weird sounding tune with an unusual beat, I had thought it was a straight instrumental.  Nope.  Hop de dooden do.

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