Old Dan Tucker

"Old Dan Tucker"
"Old Dan Tucker" was first published in 1843. Sheet music editions from that year, such as this one from Charles H. Keith of Boston,  Play (help·info) name no composer.
Written by	Usually attributed to Daniel Decatur Emmett
Published	1843
Language	English
Form	Minstrel

Original artist	Virginia Minstrels

"Old Dan Tucker", also known as "Ole Dan Tucker", "Dan Tucker", and other variants, is a popular American song. Its origins remain obscure; the tune may have come from oral tradition, and the words may have been written by songwriter and performer Dan Emmett. The blackface troupe the Virginia Minstrels popularized "Old Dan Tucker" in 1843, and it quickly became a minstrel hit, behind only "Miss Lucy Long" and "Mary Blane" in popularity during the antebellum period. "Old Dan Tucker" entered the folk vernacular around the same time. Today it is a bluegrass and country music standard.

The first sheet music edition of "Old Dan Tucker", published in 1843, is a song of boasts and nonsense in the vein of previous minstrel hits such as "Jump Jim Crow" and "Gumbo Chaff". In exaggerated Black Vernacular English, the lyrics tell of Dan Tucker's exploits in a strange town, where he fights, gets drunk, overeats, and breaks other social taboos. Minstrel troupes freely added and removed verses, and folk singers have since added hundreds more. Parodies and political versions are also known.

The song falls into the idiom of previous minstrel music, relying on rhythm and text declamation as its primary motivation. Its melody is simple and the harmony little developed. Nevertheless, contemporary critics found the song more pleasant than previous minstrel fare. Musicologist Dale Cockrell argues that the song represents a transition between early minstrel music and the more European-style songs of minstrelsy's later years.

Source: Wikipedia

Old Dan Tucker

Published in 1843 by Dan Emmett (the author of “Dixie”), who also claimed authorship, “Old Dan Tucker” may have evolved from a popular slaves song about a part-time minister who lived near Elberton, Georgia.  The song was popular around both Northern and Southern campfires.

Lyrics:

Now Old Dan Tuker was a mighty good man
Washed his face in a fryin' pan
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel
And died with a toothache in his heal

Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
Your're to late to get your supper
Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
You're to late to get your supper

Now Old Dan Tucker come to town
Ridin' a billy goat, leadin' a hound
The hound dog barked and billy goat
jumped
And landed old Tucker on a stump

Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
Your're to late to get your supper
Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
You're to late to get your supper

Now Old Dan Tuckergot drunk and fell
In the fire and kicked up holy hell
A red-hot coal got in his shoe
An oh my Lord the ashes flew

Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
Your're to late to get your supper
Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
You're to late to get your supper

(backround Bruce yells Charlie)

Now Old Dan Tucker come to town
Swinging them ladies all round
First to the right and then to the left
Then to the gal that he loved best

Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
Your're to late to get your supper
Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
You're to late to get your supper

Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
Your're to late to get your supper
Get out the way, Old Dan Tucker
You're to late to get your supper

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Source: youtube.com