Johnson Boys

DESCRIPTION: "I hear the Johnson boys a-coming, Singing and a-hollering and shooting off their guns." A list of exploits of the minimally civilized Johnson Boys, who shoot, court, wash, farm, and fiddle in extravagant ways (but don't know how to court)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1922 (Brown)
KEYWORDS: talltale family humorous
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (9 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 338, "Johnson Boys" (2 text plus mention of 2 more)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 338, "Johnson Boys" (2 tunes plus text excerpts)
Warner-TraditionalAmericanFolkSongsFromAnneAndFrankWarnerColl 129, "Johnson Boys" (1 text, 1 tune)
Warner-FolkSongsAndBalladsOfTheEasternSeaboard, p. 5, "Johnson Boys" (1 text)
Lunsford/Stringfield-30And1FolkSongsFromSouthernMountains, p. 56, "Johnson Boys" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gentry/Smith-ASingerAmongSingers, #52, "The Johnson Boys" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Lomax-FolkSongsOfNorthAmerica 115, "Johnson Boys" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 170, "The Johnson Boys" (1 text)
DT, JHNSNBOY* JHNSNBY2*
Roud #6676
RECORDINGS:
Grant Brothers, "Johnson Boys" (Columbia 15460, 1929; rec. 1928)
Al Hopkins & his Buckle Busters [or John Hopkins], "Johnson Boys" (Brunswick 179, 1927)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Johnson Boys" (on NLCR03)
Frank Proffitt, "Johnson Boys" (on Proffitt03, ClassBanj) (on USWarnerColl01)
Guy Wolff, "Johnson Boys" (Piotr-Archive #421, recorded 01/08/2023)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Johnson Boys (II)"
cf. "Aunt Sal's Song (The Man Who Didn't Know How to Court)" (theme)
File: Wa129

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