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The Cuckoo
Composer: Traditional
Recordings
Bradley Kincaid, 1928
Clarence Ashley, 1929
Kelly Harrell, 193?
Jean Ritchie Singing the Traditional Songs of Her Kentucky Mountain Family, Jean Ritchie, 1952
Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 3: Songs, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley), 1952
Songs of Her Kentucky Mountain Family, Jean Ritchie, 1957
Chicago Mob Scene. A Folk Song Jam Session, Various Artists (Bob March), 1957
Banjo Tunes and Songs, Pete Steele, 1958
American Ballads And Folksongs, Joan O'Bryant, 1958
False True Lovers, Shirley Elizabeth Collins, 1959
Sweet England, Shirley Collins, 1959
Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, 1961
The New Lost City Ramblers, Vol. 4, The New Lost City Ramblers, 1962
Edna Ritchie, Viper Kentucky, Edna Ritchie, 1962
Fleming Brown, Fleming Brown, 1962
Rockin' the Cradle, Judy Mahan, 1962
Joseph Able Trivett, Joseph Able Trivett, 1962
Folk Music of Washington Square, Various Artists (Howard Tarnower), 1962
Old-Time Music at Clarence Ashley's, Vol 2, Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson , 1962
Sunny's Gallery of Folk Ballads, Sunny Schwartz, 1963
This Life I'm Living, Carolyn Hester, 1963
Old Time Music At Newport 1963, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley w/ Doc Watson), 1964
Old Timey Music, The New Lost City Ramblers, 1964
Osborne Brothers, 1964
Holy Modal Rounders, Holy Modal Rounders, 1964
The Folk Box, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley), 1964
Folk Songs, Maxine Sellers, 1964
Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot?, Tom Paley & Peggy Seeger with Claudia Paley, 1964
Hobart Smith, Hobart Smith, 1964
Relax Your Mind, Jim Kweskin, 1965
Traditional Music At Newport, 1964, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Hobart Smith), 1965
Song Will Arise, Peter, Paul and Mary, 1965
Allen-Ward Trio, Allen-Ward Trio, 1965
Folk Go-Go, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson), 1965
Ballads from Deep Gap, Doc Watson, 1967
The Old Timey Rap: American Songs & Instrumentals, Hobart Smith, 1968
Basket Of Light, Pentangle, 1969
Children's Songs From Devon and Cornwall, Cyril Tawney, 1969
Folk Songs of Old Eire, Judy Mayhan, 196?
Tom Rush, Tom Rush , 196?
True Religion, Eric Darling, 196?
Old Traditions, Bill and Jean Davis, 196?
Ballads From Deep Gap, Doc Watson, 1971
Faro Annie, John Renbourne, 1972
Pickin And Singin, Jim McCall, 1972
Out of Love, Hope and Suffering, Frankie Armstrong, 1973
At the Wednesday Night Waltz, Hickory Wind, 1974
Light Shine, Jesse Colin Young, 1974
How to Play Clawhammer Banjo, Peter Feldmann, 1975
Bright Shining Morning, Lou and Sally Killen, 1975
Hard Travelin': Songs by Woody Guthrie and Others, Ramblin' Jack.Elliot, 1977
In Come a Bumblebee: Traditional Songs and Tunes on English Concertina, Various Artists, 1977
High Hills and Mountains, Jean Ritchie, 1979
Times, Marty Harmless With High Ground, 1980
The Old Timey Rap, Hobart Smith, 1981
Oh, Come Along Children and Sing with Me, Johnny Richardson, 1982
Bleecker & MacDougal: The Folk Scene Of The 60s, Various Artists (Tom Paley), 1984
Voices In Bluegrass, The Osborne Brothers, 1985
O Love Is Teasin' (Anglo-American Mountain Balladry), Various Artists (Jean Ritchie), 1985
Nine 'Til Midnight, Robin & Linda Williams, 1985
Southern Light, Mark Nelson, 1986
Hello City Limits, Hugh Moore, 1986
Forked Deer, Dan Gellert and Shoofly, 1986
This-A-Way, That-A-Way, Ella Jenkins, 1989
Rhythms of Childhood, Ella Jenkins, 1989
The Watson Family, Doc Watson, CD only), 1990
Once More, Vols. 1 and 2, The Osborne Brothers, 1991
Old Tom Moore and More, Tom Paley, 1991
The Wheel Of The Year: Thirty Years Of The Armstrong Family, The Armstrong Family, 1992
Close as We Can Get / Nine 'Til Midnight, Robin & Linda Williams, 1992
Walk Right Back: Everly Brothers On Warner Bros, Everly Brothers, 1993
Custer LaRue Sings The Daemon Lover, Custer LaRue with the Baltimore Consort, 1993
The Lark In The Clear Air, The Cambridge Singers, 1993
Original Folkways Recordings of Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley, 1960-1962, Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson, 1994
Heartaches and Harmonies, Box), Everly Brothers, 1994
Mountain Born, Jean Ritchie and Sons, 1995
Dear Companion, Carolyn Hester, 1995
1956-1968, The Osborne Brothers, 1995
The Vanguard Years, Doc Watson, 1995
The Vanguard Years Sampler, Doc Watson, 1995
Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley/Doc Watson), 1996
Mountain Music of Kentucky (CD), Various Artists (Mr. and Mrs. John Sams), 1996
Smithsonian/Folkways American Roots Collection Sampler, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley), 1996
Riverside Folklore Series, Vol. 2: Singing the American Roots, Various Artists (Jean Ritchie), 1996
Live At Newport, Joan Baez, 1997
Behind the Barn Vol. 2, The Krüger Brothers, 1997
The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute, Various Artists (Ella Jenkins), 1998
The Harry Smith Connection - A Live Tribute, Various Artists (Toshi Reagon), 1998
Holy Modal Rounders 1 and 2, Holy Modal Rounders, 1998
Fingerdances For The Dulcimer, Bonnie Carol, 19??
Welcome To Galax, Mike Fenton and The Bill Sky Family, 19??
Kentucky Mountain Songs, Jean Ritchie, 19??
Sings Traditional Songs Of Her Kentucky Mountain Family, Jean Ritchie, 19??
Singing Family Of The Cumberlands, Jean Ritchie, 19??
Folk Go-Go, Various Artists, 19??
The Complete Kelly Harrell, Vol. 2, Kelly Harrell, 19??
Holly Ding, Tom, Brad & Alice, 2000
Reggaebilly, Peter Rowan, 2001
Greenback Dollar: 1929-1933, Clarence Ashley, 2001
Blue Horse, Be Good Tanyas, 2001
Blue Ridge Legacy: The Alan Lomax Portait Series, Hobart Smith, 2001
Songcatcher, Various Artists (Deanna Carler), 2001
Patchworks, Linn Barnes and Allison Hampton, 2002
In the Willow Garden, Acie Cargill, 2002
Classic Mountain Songs, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley), 2002
Songcatcher II: The Tradition That Inspired the Movie, Various Artists (Hobart Smith), 2002
True Vine, Mike Seeger, 2003
Beginner's Guide to Folk Music, Various Artists (Doc Watson), 2003
Smokey Mountain Bluegrass: 24 Traditional Favorites, Various Artists (Red White), 2003
American Folk and Country Music Festival, Various Artists (New Lost_City Ramblers), 2003
Cold Mountain Soundtrack, Various Artists (Riley Baugus and Tim Eriksen), 2003
The Lost Broadcasts: 1968-1972, Pentangle, 2004
The Rose and the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in American Ballads, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley), 2004
In Sacred Trust: The 1963 Fleming Brown Tapes, Hobart Smith, 2005
Live at the Gaslight 1962, Bob Dylan, 2005
Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest (DVD), New Lost City Ramblers/Greenbriar Boys, 2005
July 29, 2006, Asbury Park, NJ, Railroad Earth, 2006
Friends of Old Time Music: The Folk Arrival, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley), 2006
The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited, Various Artists (Eliza Carthy/Richard Thompson), 2006
This World Is Not My Home, Nobody's Darlin', 2007
Movin' On, Gee Gee Kettel & Soluna Samay, 2007
Comanche Boots, Terry And The Pirates, 2008
Muddy Roads, David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, 2013
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean: British Songs in the USA, Various Artists (Clarence Ashley), 2015
Live And In Person: Greenwich Village 1963, Clarence Ashley, 2017
Railroad Earth: live concert recordings
November 11, 2005, Patchogue, NY, Railroad Earth, 2005
November 2, 2007, Philadelphia, PA, Railroad Earth, 2007
December 31, 2008, Portland, OR, Railroad Earth, 2008
November 20, 2009, Boulder, CO, Railroad Earth, 2009
Retrospective 2001-2009, Railroad Earth, 2010
November 25, 2011, Stroudsburg, PA, Railroad Earth, 2011
December 31, 2011, Denver, CO, Railroad Earth, 2011
March 3, 2012, Portland, OR, Railroad Earth, 2012
March 24, 2012, Baltimore, MD, Railroad Earth, 2012
June 1, 2012, Ozark, AR, Railroad Earth, 2012
Aug 4, 2012, Bond, CO, Railroad Earth, 2012
December 30, 2012, Portland, OR, Railroad Earth, 2012
January 18, 2013, Denver, CO, Railroad Earth, 2013
February 7, 2013, Charlottesville, VA, Railroad Earth, 2013
February 14, 2013, Knoxville, TN, Railroad Earth, 2013
March 14, 2013, Buffalo, NY, Railroad Earth, 2013
March 30, 2013, San Francisco, CA, Railroad Earth, 2013
July 9, 2013, Paso Robles, CA, Railroad Earth, 2013
Aug 6, 2013, Richmond, VA, Railroad Earth, 2013
November 30, 2013, Stroudsburg, PA, Railroad Earth, 2013
December 13, 2013, Puerto Morelos, MX, Railroad Earth, 2013
January 9, 2014, Milwaukee, WI, Railroad Earth, 2014
January 21, 2014, Fayetteville, AR, Railroad Earth, 2014
February 6, 2014, Richmond, VA, Railroad Earth, 2014
March 14, 2014, San Francisco, CA, Railroad Earth, 2014
March 22, 2014, Portland, OR, Railroad Earth, 2014
April 4, 2014, Atlanta, GA, Railroad Earth, 2014
April 11, 2014, Cleveland, OH, Railroad Earth, 2014
July 4, 2014, Cincinnati, OH, Railroad Earth, 2014
December 31, 2014, Atlanta, GA, Railroad Earth, 2015
January 15, 2015, Minneapolis, MN, Railroad Earth, 2015
January 22, 2015, Denver, CO, Railroad Earth, 2015
February 13, 2015, Royal Oak, MI, Railroad Earth, 2015
February 21, 2015, Brooklyn, NY, Railroad Earth, 2015
March 15, 2015, Crystal Bay, NV, Railroad Earth, 2015
Notes
Played by Garcia and Nelson at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo on November 10th 1962. Also performed in the 1980's by Robert Hunter. Sometimes occurs on Hunter setlists as Jack Of Diamonds or Rye Whiskey.
This traditional British song has a variety of titles; The Coo-Coo, The Coo-Coo Bird, The Cuckoo Bird, and The Cuckoo Is A Pretty Bird are all used. All forms usually incorporate the text The cuckoo is a pretty bird, she sings as she flies; she brings us glad tidings, and she tells us no lies.
But many variations occur and verses from other songs are often incorporated.
Garcia introduces the version played on 11/10/62 by saying it's a Clarence Ashley song - and the version performed is fairly similar to that given in the New Lost City Ramblers Songbook which originated from Clarence Ashley version;
Oh the cuckoo she'a pretty bird,
She wobbles as she flies,
She don't never holler cuckoo,
'Til the fourth day of July.
Gonna build me log cabin,
On the mountain so high,
So that I can see Willie,
As he goes on by.
Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds,
I know you of old,
You done robbed my poor pockets,
Of my silver and gold.
I've played cards in England,
I've played cards in Spain,
I bet you ten dollars,
I'll beat you again
Oh the cuckoo she'a pretty bird,
She wobbles as she flies,
She don't never holler cuckoo,
'Til the fourth day of July.
Widely collected in Britain and the United States. A good example is given in Sharp's English Folk Songs; O the cuckoo she's a pretty bird,
She singeth as she flies,
She bringeth good tidings,
She telleth no lies.
She sucketh white flowers,
For to keep her voice clear,
And the more she singeth cuckoo
The summer draweth near.
As I was a walking,
And a talking one day,
I met my own true love,
As he came that way.
Oh to meet him was a pleasure,
Though courting was a woe,
For I found him false hearted,
He would kiss me and go.
I wish I were a scholar,
And could handle the pen,
I would write to my lover,
And to all roving men.
I would tell them of the grief and woe,
That attend on their lies,
I would wish them have pity,
On the flower when it dies.
Related songs include The Unconstant Lover (also known as the Forsaken Lover), A Meeting Is A Pleasure, A Walking And A' Talking and On Top Of Old Smokey.
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