I Got Mine

DESCRIPTION: The singer gets into all sorts of scrapes, getting out in some manner while maintaining "I got mine." Example: The police raid a craps game in which the singer is involved. He grabs the pot and successfully makes off.
AUTHOR: John Queen and Charles Cartwell
EARLIEST DATE: 1901 (recording, Collins & Natus)
KEYWORDS: gambling chickens robbery trial escape trick
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 52, "I Got Mine" (1 text)
Gilbert-LostChords, p. 243, "I Got Mine" (1 partial text)
DT, IGOTMINE
Roud #7852
RECORDINGS:
Chris Bouchillon, "I Got Mine" (Columbia 15317-D, 1928)
Fiddlin' John Carson, "I Got Mine" (OKeh 40119, 1924)
The Four Aces, "I Got Mine" (BB-7548/Montgomery Ward M-7723, 1938)
Mississippi John Hurt, "I Got Mine" (on MJHurt05)
Bill Chitwood & Bud Landress, "I Got Mine" (Brunswick 2810/Silvertone 3049, c. 1925; rec. 1924)
[Arthur] Collins & [Joseph] Natus, "I Got Mine" (CYL: Edison 7889, 1901) (Monarch [Victor] 1297, 1902) (Climax [Columbia] 597, 1902; on Protobilly)
Fleming & Townsend, "Yes, I Got Mine" (Victor 23676, 1932)
Jenkins Family, "I Got Mine" (OKeh 40247, 1924)
John McGhee, "I Got Mine" (Gennett 6403, 1928)
Peg Moreland, "I Got Mine" (Victor 23510, 1930)
Jesse Oakley ,"I Got Mine" (Supertone 9256, 1928)
Frank Stokes "I Got Mine" (Victor V-38512, 1929; rec. 1928; on GoodForWhatAilsYou, Protobilly)
Gid Tanner & his Skillet Lickers, "I Got Mine" (Columbia 15134-D, 1927; rec. 1926)
Unknown baritone & tenor [probably Collins and Natus] "I Got Mine" (CYL: Standard 597, c. 1901) [this is probably from the same recording session as their Climax record]
NOTES [122 words]: The Digital Tradition footnotes claim that this is from McNeil's Southern Folk Ballads. This is incorrect; I have not been able to discover the source of the DT version. - RBW
Perhaps the DT transcription came from the Carson recording? Or, more likely, from one of the several revival performances of the song, such as Roy Bookbinder's. - PJS
Brown's text seems to be a racist version of the original (or other texts are cleaned up); the singer devotes his efforts to cheating "coons." - RBW
Looking at the sheet music on the American Memory website makes it clear that the other texts were cleaned up; this was originally a "coon song." It was recorded by a duo that was probably Collins & Natus, who specialized in "coon songs." - PJS
Last updated in version 5.1
File: Gil243

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography