Old Tar River, The

DESCRIPTION: Response lines alternate between "O-eee" and "Lord, Lord, the old Tar River." Leader lines include "Tar river runs black and dirty," "Tar river's going to run tomorrow," "Old Tar river is a healing water," "Old Tar river runs free and easy"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1942 (Parrish-SlaveSongsOfTheGeorgiaSeaIslands)
KEYWORDS: river nonballad shanty
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Parrish-SlaveSongsOfTheGeorgiaSeaIslands 54, pp. 216-217, "Ole Tar River" (1 text, 1 tune)
RECORDINGS:
John Davis and the Georgia Sea Island Singers, "The Old Tar River" (on LomaxCD1713)
NOTES [16 words]: On LomaxCD1713 Davis says this is another song for working heavy timber, "some fifty feet long." - BS
Last updated in version 4.1
File: Parr054

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