“Johnny Walk Along to Hilo”
Description
Shanty, with chorus, "Johnny walk along to Hilo, Oh, poor old man, Oh, wake her, oh, shake, her, Oh, wake that gal with the blue dress on!" The verses usually consist of a scattering of lines from assorted Black and minstrel songs
Notes
Doerflinger says of this song that it was "doubtless invented by colored shellbacks, but [was] just as popular with whites" -- and indeed, Doerflinger's version is in white dialect while Lomax has a Black text. Even more interestingly, they don't have any lyrics in common except the chorus -- Doerflinger's only lyric is from "Uncle Ned," which the Lomax version does not quote. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "Uncle Ned" (floating lyrics)
Recordings
- Pete Seeger, "Johnny Come Down to Hilo" (on PeteSeeger04)
References
- Doerflinger, p. 72, "Johnny Walk Along to Hilo" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Colcord, p. 102, "Johnny Come Down to Hilo" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Hugill, pp. 266-268, "Johnny Come Down to Hilo," "The Gal With the Blue Dress" (3 texts, 3 tunes) [AbEd, pp. 196-197]
- Sharp-EFC, XVI, p. 19, "O Johnny Come to Hilo" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Lomax-ABFS, pp. 483-485, "Johnny Come Down to Hilo" (1 text, 1 tune)
- DT, JOHNHILO*
- Roud #650
- BI, Doe072a