“Louisiana Lowlands”

Description

Pompey Snow has "a good stiff glass of rum. So they buried him in the lowlands ...." "The fire bells are ringing boys, ... The steamer she is left behind ... so they ...." "This little boy had an augu-er that bored two holes at once ... so they ...."

Supplemental text

Louisiana Lowlands
  Complete text(s)

          *** A ***

From Helen Creighton, Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia, #129, pp. 278-279.
"Words and music contributed by Prof. A. McMechan.... As sung by Robert
Haddow in Knox College, Toronto, circa 1883.)

Way down Louisiana, boys, not many years ago,
There lived a coloured gentleman whose name was Pompey Snow.
This Pompey Snow he started to have a little fun,
And first he thought he'd refresh himself with a good stiff glass of rum.

      Chorus
  So they buried him in the Lowlands, Lowlands
  In the Louisiana Lowlands, low.
  In the Louisiana Lowlands, Lowlands,
  In the Louisiana Lowlands, Lowlands,

The fire-bells are ringing, boys, there is a fire in town;
The hook-and-ladder company is first upon the ground;
The Phoenix she is ready, the volunteers are here,
The steamer she is left behind, and without her engineer.  Cho.

This little boy had an augu-er that bored two holes at once,
This little boy had an augu-er that bored two holes at once,
And some were shuffling cards, and some were rattling dice --
This little boy turned his head around and he blew out all the lights. Cho.

Notes

Creighton-NovaScotia may be all floating verses and fragments.

Its first verse, chorus and tunes are derived from the anonymous 1859 minstrel song "In the Louisiana Lowlands" which has nothing but form and, vaguely, melody to relate it to the "Golden Vanity"(see Public Domain Music site Music from 1800-1860). [It also reminds me a bit of songs like "Uncle Ned" and "Pompey Squash." - RBW]

[The third verse,] "Some were playing cards .." is either from "The Golden Vanity" or some other parody. The [second] verse beginning "The fire-bells are ringing, boys, there is a fire in town" ... is suggested by "The Fire-Bells are Ringing!" (1877) by Henry Clay Work (Source: Public Domain Music site Henry Clay Work (1832-1884))

The "original" "Louisiana Lowlands" air may be found at: LOCSheet, sm1881 03225, "Then Sing Louisiana Lowlands," unknown (New Orleans), 1881 (tune)

If "The Fire-Bells are Ringing!" or "In the Louisiana Lowlands" are ever reported in tradition they should be treated as separate songs from this one. - BS

Cross references

• cf. "The Golden Vanity" [Child 286] (chorus and verse beginning "Some were playing cards and some were playing dice" base for parody)
• cf. "A Boy He Had an Auger" (another parody of "The Golden Vanity" verse beginning "Some were playing cards and some were playing dice")
• cf. "The Fire-Bells are Ringing!" (see notes)
• cf. "In the Louisiana Lowlands" (see notes)

References

1. Creighton-NovaScotia 129, "Louisiana Lowlands" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. ST CrNS129 (Full)
3. Roud #1830
4. BI, CrNS129