Up Roanoke and Down the River

DESCRIPTION: Corn-husking song. "Up Roanoke and down the river, Oho, we are 'most done." "Two canoes, and nary paddle. "There is where we run the devils." Jack de Gillam shoots the devils with "blue ball and a pound of powder," and kills them
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1952 (Brown)
KEYWORDS: Devil work
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 205, "Up Roanoke and Down the River" (1 text)
NOTES [40 words]: The first part of this actually sounds like some sort of rafting song, about running a rapids (perhaps a section called "the devil"?). This seems to have suggested the theme of killing the devils. But that's pure speculation on my part. - RBW
File: Br3205

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