“Old Molly Hare”

Description

Fiddle tune with words, often of the form, "Old Molly Hare, What('r) you doin' there?" followed by a reply, e.g. "Sitting in the briarpatch, combing out my hair."

Notes

Joel Chandler Harris quoted the first stanza of this song in "Mr. Rabbit Gorssly Decieves Mr. Fox," published in 1881 in Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings:

Ole Molly Har'.

W'at you doin' dar,

Settin' in de cornder

Smokin' yo seegyar? - RBW

Recordings

• Clayton McMichen & Riley Puckett, "Old Molly Hare" (Columbia 15295-D, 1928; on CrowTold01)
• New Lost City Ramblers, "Old Molly Hair" (on NLCR05)
• Fiddlin' Powers & Family, "Old Molly Hare" (Okeh 45268, 1928; rec. 1927; on Cornshuckers2)
• Riley Puckett, "Old Molly Hair" (Columbia 15295-D, 1928)

References

1. Randolph 277, "Old Molly Hare" (1 short text, 1 tune)
2. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 238-239, "Old Molly Hare" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 277)
3. BrownIII 167, "Old Molly Hare (Mr. Rabbit)" (2 texts plus 4 fragments, 1 excerpt, and mention of 2 more; the "C," "D," and "E" fragments, plus probably "B," are "Old Molly Hare," "I" is "Mister Rabbit"; "A" and "G" mix the two)
4. Lomax-ABFS, pp. 283-284, "Old Mother Hare" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Cohen/Seeger/Wood, pp. 108-109, "Old Molly Hair" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. DT, MOLLHARE
7. Roud #7781
8. BI, R277