John Cherokee

DESCRIPTION: Shanty. Refrain: "Alabama John Cherokee, Way-aye-yah! Alabama John Cherokee." Slave who keeps running away is caught and put on board a ship, from which he escapes again. He's put in chains, and finally starves to death in the hold.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1917
KEYWORDS: shanty slave escape Indians(Am.) ghost
FOUND IN: West Indies
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Colcord-SongsOfAmericanSailormen, p. 103, "John Cherokee" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hugill-ShantiesFromTheSevenSeas, p. 439, "Alabama" (1 text, 1 tune) [AbEd,p. 330]
ADDITIONAL: Captain John Robinson, "Songs of the Chantey Man," a series published July-August 1917 in the periodical _The Bellman_ (Minneapolis, MN, 1906-1919). "John Cherokee" is in Part 3, 7/28/1917.
Roud #4693
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Alabama John Cherokee
NOTES [29 words]: Colcord-SongsOfAmericanSailormen and Hugill-ShantiesFromTheSevenSeas both state this is definitely of Negro origin, probably introduced to seaman by slaves stowing cotton. - SL
File: Hugi439

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