Salty Dog - Folklorist

“Salty Dog”

Description

Floating verses linked by the words "Honey, let me be your salty dog," e.g. "Pulled the trigger and the gun said go/Shot rung over in Mexico"; "Two old maids lyin' in the bed/One turned over to the other and said/You ain't nothin' but my salty dog."

Notes

A "salty dog" was a sexual partner. - PJS

In bluegrass circles, this is credited to the Morris Brothers, but the Jackson recording seems to eliminate this possibility. - RBW

Several labels independently credit Jackson as the author. - PJS

Cross references

cf. "Rigby Johnson Chandler" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Bottle Up and Go" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Step It Up and Go"
cf. "Take Your Fingers Off It"
cf. "Johnny and Jane" (tune)
cf. "Candy Man" (assorted references)

Recordings

Allen Bros., "A New Salty Dog" (Victor 23514, 1931; Bluebird B-5403, 1934; Montgomery Ward M-4750, c. 1945; RCA Victor 20-2132, 1947; on RCA Victor LPV-552 (LP), GoingDown); "Salty Dog, Hey Hey Hey" (Vocalion 02818, 1934); probably also "Salty Dog Blues" (Columbia 15175-D, 1927)
Bo Carter [pseud. for Bo Chatmon] "Be My Salty Dog" (Bluebird B-7968, 1938)
Jimmie Davis, "Davis' Salty Dog" (Victor 23674, 1932)
Papa Charlie Jackson, "Salty Dog Blues" (Paramount 12236, 1924; Broadway 5001 [as Casey Harris], c. 1930)
McGee Brothers, "Salty Dog Blues" (Vocalion 5150, 1927)
Morris Brothers, "Let Me Be Your Salty Dog" (Bluebird B-7967, c. 1938) "Salty Dog Blues" (RCA Victor 20-1783, 1945)
Paramount Pickers, "Salty Dog" (Paramount 12779/Broadway 5069 [as Broadway Pickers], 1929)
Jimmy Revard Oklahoma Cowboys, "Dirty Dog" (Bluebird B-6992, 1937; rec. 1936)
Clara Smith, "Salty Dog" (Columbia 14143-D, 1926)
Stripling Brothers, "Salty Dog" (Decca 5049, 1934)

References