“Roll On, Buddy (II)”

Description

Assorted verses: "I'm going to the East, Karo" "You'd better quit your rowdy ways/You'll get killed some day" "My home's down in Tennessee." Cho: "Roll on, buddy, roll on...You wouldn't roll so slow/If you know what I know/Yes, roll on, my buddy, roll on"

Notes

This should not be confused with the "Roll On, Buddy" variant of "Take This Hammer"; although it was assembled by Charlie Bowman, who also was involved in assembling "Nine-Pound Hammer" as a delimited song when he was a member of Al Hopkins & his Buckle Busters, this is an entirely separate song. I use "floatingverses" as a keyword mostly because of the "rowdy ways" verse; the rest don't seem to have exact analogues elsewhere. - PJS

Further research shows that the author, Charlie Bowman, was not only familiar with the other "Roll On, Buddy," but held the copyright on that song, having assembled it from traditional fragments in collaboration with Al Hopkins. - PJS

Cross references

• cf. "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms"
• cf. "Rock About My Saro Jane" (tune)
• cf. "Take This Hammer" (chorus -- the "Roll On, Buddy" variant)

Recordings

• Charlie Bowman & his Brothers "Roll On, Buddy" (Columbia 15357-D, 1929; rec. 1928)
• Monroe Bros. "Roll On Buddy" (Bluebird B-6960, 1937)
• Sam & Kirk McGee, "Roll On, Buddy"(on McGeeSmith1)