The Boss Gives Credit Where Credit Is Due

Guardian Unlimited Arts | | Bruce Springsteen, Manchester Arena
The Boss kicked over his chair and shrieked, as someone clambered up during Old Man Tucker, “the stage has been rushed during a 150-year-old folk song!”

Contrast that to NPR darling Pete Seeger who has taken credit for every American folk song that Woody Guthrie didn’t write. Can anyone imagine the Brits getting blown away by “Old Dan Tucker”? (SAMPLE) Yes, I suppose we can imagine it since they don’t even know the true name of the ancient American tune. It is featured on Bruce Springsteen’s We Shall Overcome The Seeger Sessions!cd

The supposedly original “Old Dan Tucker” (1843), was NOT written by Pete Seeger, but by Daniel Decatur Emmett, 1815-1904, and first sung by the Virginia Minstrels, and surely it must have been sung long before, as every whistle-stop in Virginia claimed at least one town drunk.

I come to town de udder night,
I hear de noise an saw de fight,
De watchman was a runnin roun,
crying 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.

There are four pure renditions to hear in the Max Hunter Collection, sung authentically by true mountain folk.