Old Tar River 1840 (Dan Emmett, Joel Sweeney, Mark Weems, Timothy Twiss)

This is probably a much older song than when we have actual written record of it, but it is reported to have been Sweeney's favorite song.

playing and knowing the origin of it; it seems that it was originally played on a 4 string banjo, as you dont really note the top string at all. That's just my mumbo jumbo, though.

"Mr. Sweeney in his favorite song of "Old Tar River, or the Serenade of My Lovely Dinah."

It was sung by the Virginia Minstrels in New York a year later, with the song described: "Old Tar River--or the incidents attending a Coon Hunt." A member of the troupe, Frank Brower, was credited with introducing the playing of the bones onstage during a Fourth of July, 1841, performance in Lynchburg, Virginia, when he accompanied Dan Emmett in the then new song "Tar River"

lyrics:

Ole Tar River

way down yonder in North Carolina
on de banks of de ole tar river

walked straight there from alabama
for to see my old love hannah

coony and a possum fightin in a spring
fought all night until de very next day

when de day broke possum come from de hollar
that ole coon says i guess i done follered

they bit and gnashed to de top of de hill
gnashing and a thrashin both trying to kill

possum siezed coony by de tail
made him wish he was on a rail

hunter come along with his dog
possum cut from a hollow log

coony knows he saw dat man
up de tree he skampered and ran

ole dog watched him belt all around
he found the coon and barked him down

he pawed and gnawed and circled dat tree
ol coony says you cant catch me

now im a dying and i must leave you
and when im gone dont let it grieve you

first through the window then through de do'
lookin for to steal the banjo