Breedloves's Folk Songs

DARLING COREY

DARLING COREY

“Darlin’ Cory” is a well-known folk song about a banjo-picking, moonshine-making
mountain woman. The first known recording of it was by Clarence Gill as “Little Corey”
on 6 January 1927, but it was rejected by the record company and never released. A few
months later, folk singer Buell Kazee recorded it as “Darling Cora” on 20 April 1927.
Later the same year, it was recorded by B. F. Shelton as “Darlin’ Cora” on 29 July 1927.
Other early recordings are “Little Lulie” by Dick Justice (1929) and “Darling Corey”
(released as a single) by the Monroe Brothers in 1936. Burl Ives recorded it on 28 May
1941 for his debut album Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger”. Since then, many
artists have recorded it: Roscoe Holcomb, Doc Watson, Bruce Hornsby, The Weavers,
Crooked Still, Bill Monroe, Harry Belafonte (as “Darlin’ Cora,” attributed to Fred
Brooks), , Pete Seeger, Kingston Trio and a high-energy electric version by Tao
RodriguezSeeger (grandson of Pete Seeger).
Wake up wake up darling Corey
What makes you sleep so sound
The revenue officers are coming
They’re gonna tear your still house down
Well the first time I seen darling Corey
She was sitting on the banks of the sea
Had a forty-four around her body
And a banjo on her knee
Go away go away darling Corey
Quit hanging around my bed
Your liquor has ruined my body
Pretty women gone to my head
Dig a hole dig a hole in the meadow
Dig a hole in the cold cold ground
Dig a hole dig a hole in the meadow
Gonna lay darling Corey down
Can’t you hear those bluebirds a singing
Don’t you hear that mournful sound
They’re preaching darling Corey’s funeral
In some lonesome graveyard ground
Wake up wake up Darlin Corey
And go get me my gun
I ain’t no man for fightin’
But I’ll die before I run

One thought on “DARLING COREY

Leave a Reply