Today’s post was written by Paul.
Paul and Pap Blairsville, Georgia
The duet I’m sharing of me and Pap is even older than the last two that I posted. As you can probably tell by my voice, I was only around 16 years old when we recorded this.
When I was little, Pap would sit around and sometimes sing bits and pieces of the old song “Columbus Stockade Blues.” I had never heard anyone else sing it, so our version turned out quite a bit different than anyone else’s.
Maybe around 10 years after this recording was the first time I heard anyone else sing the song, and it happened to be Willie Nelson singing it on Austin City Limits. Willie’s version, however, was decidedly western swing, so it was almost like a different song in terms of its rhythm and melody.
In the late 90’s, the great Doc Watson put out this song, playing with his grandson, Richard. Though the basic approach was the same, they did the song in a minor, which was nice. The first time I heard their recording of the song, I loved everything except the last line that Doc sang, which was “Lord, I’ve got the walkin’ blues.” When I heard it, I thought, “what?” That line seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the song and to come out of nowhere. By then, though, I knew Doc well enough to know that there had to be some reason for singing that line.
I figured he was making some kind of musical allusion or reference that was just lost on me. As I was uploading mine and Pap’s version, I researched the song just enough to find the original version by Darby and Tarlton, and there it was… For whatever reason, they sang that line to end the song. That line still seems badly out of place, but it’s still a great song!
I like this picture of Pap and me at the dinner table. In those days, we had no air conditioning, hence me being shirtless. I can tell that the bowl in front of Pap has slaw in it, and I see a bottle of ketchup, so I’m assuming we were having either fish or steak and fries. I see one of Pap’s Bibles on the dryer behind me. The only thing I don’t like in the photo is the excuse for a mustache coming out on my upper lip! 🙂 But overall, I love the photo because I can tell we’re having a good time. Somewhere, there’s a picture taken just a moment before or after this one, and I’m doing bunny ears behind his head.
As far as the recording of us singing the song, it isn’t bad, despite my voice being kind of weak and pitchy. The strings on the Dove sound like they hadn’t been changed in months and months, but the picking, which I think was mostly improvised, is interesting. I almost never play both the verse and chorus of a song when the song isn’t an instrumental. When I first started picking, I loved to cross pick everything that I could, which means lots of rolling on 3 strings with a pick. Because I couldn’t keep as many strings going at once as my Uncle Henry, who picked with his fingers, cross picking seemed like the next best thing.
My memory first told me that we had recorded this in my bedroom, but that can’t be right because at the beginning, I can hear Granny dropping silverware into the sink and/or silverware drawer, so we must have recorded this in the living room, like the previous two uploads. I could be wrong, but I think this was recorded on a two-track cassette with only two mics, one for Pap and one for me, with that one mic catching both the vocal and guitar for each.
I’ve thought a time or two of playing a tennis tournament in Columbus, GA, but I’m not certain that I’ve ever been there or been through it. I should go someday, just because of this song. 🙂 I might ask a few strangers to direct me to the stockade, just to see their reactions.
This song features a similar idea to “You are My Sunshine,” which is the idea of dreaming of being with your sweetheart then waking up to the harsh reality of being alone. “Columbus Stockade Blues” was recorded 12 years before “You are My Sunshine.” The word “stockade” itself hints at the song being very old. When’s the last time you heard someone refer to prison as the stockade? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this duet. I’ll upload some more from these cassette recordings each week, Lord willing. Thanks!
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
I haven’t heard this song in so long, brought back memories of my Mom and Dad singing it. Dad would sing Bluegrass style hitting those very high notes when called for, Mom would sing in bass and play the guitar.
I really enjoyed the singing and the guitar playing in this posting.
Paul, how precious to have all those videos of your Pap! Your loving attention & support to Granny is noticed & appreciated. Being near Grannys age, I know she is blessed to have her children live so close to her.
Another enjoyable first time hearing number for me~ Keep doing these. You and Pap are nice looking, talented singers/musicians!! TY for sharing, Paul… love the picking~~
Beautiful!!!
Enjoyed the video on You Tube. Love hearing about the history of the song.
Oh, I love y’all’s version, Paul! That was some fine pickin and the harmony was so mellow! The way y’all played it is how I’ve always heard at jams all my life. (I’m 84)!
Thanks for sharing this Paul. Something about it makes it one of the more endearing recordings of y’all that I’ve heard. Maybe it has to do with the simplicity or maybe it’s the photo of a 40 something Pap with a teen-age you. I’ve written this to Tipper, awhile back now, but how wise and lucky you folks are to have the video/audio recordings of your loved ones. I wish I had done the same.
What a great duet! It has been a long time since I’ve heard a prison referred to as the stockade. Y’all did a really fine job as always. Thanks for sharing the memories and I love the smiles on both of your faces. Happy times. Have a wonderful Sunday!!
One of my favorite things about Paul’s music posts is the little details he adds in about what was going on at the time of the recording/photograph/etc (the slaw, the ketchup, granny dropping silverware). It really adds something special to the details of singing/playing the songs. And Paul is so knowledgeable about the music history, it’s really interesting.
Jimmie Davis copywrote and recorded Columbus Stockade Blues back in the 50’s if I’m not mistaken. I heard it long before I ever heard of Doc Watson or Willie Nelson. I liked Jimmie Davis back then so its probably his version I first learned.
Nice post! Thanks Paul
Back in 1967 I went to jump school at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. When we parachuted out of those C-119s we landed in Phenix, Alabama which, despite being across the state line was really the red light district for young soldiers flooding the place. Crime was so high there that General Patton famously threatened to send his tanks in if another of his soldiers was killed or beat up. Another reason Columbus needed its “stockade” was because the Army did not establish its own prison (they let the locals lot ’em up and use them as slave labor) until an enterprising Kansas Senator arranged for the first and our only military prison to be built beside the fort in his hometown of Leavenworth, the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, better known in military history as the “Castle”. Here are two links that give the deeper roots of Columbia Stockade Blues:
https://davidneale.eu/elvis/csb/behind-the-bars.html
https://www.columbusstate.edu/archives/findingaids/mc328.php
Enjoyed this song! Have a wonderful Blessed Sunday everyone!
I can’t tell you how glad I am that you uploaded this. This is one of the songs that I grew up hearing my daddy sing around the house so often. He isn’t a very good singer really, but he never let that stop him. I’ve often wanted to ask you if you were familiar with this song, and I guess now I have the answer. This is one of the songs that I routinely find myself walking around the house singing. it’s usually this one or Jim Reeves’ He’ll have to go”. That’s another good one.
Paul, you always give such wonderful background to your songs & memories of the times when you and Pap made beautiful music together. Thanks for these song series that you are producing.
I haven’t seen anything about Ira;s weight, length, number of teeth or which instrument he will be playing
The first thing women want to know around here when someone has a baby is how big was it -how much did it weigh and how long, then they want to know it’s hair color. I was wondering why no one had ask this. Maybe they have and I missed it. I hope everyone realizes I was teasing the women when I wrote this.
I truly enjoy this song! You and Pap do a good job on it as I like the blues way of it! Thank you for sharing. God bless you and yours
I always enjoy listening to Pap and Paul singing any songs. One of my few joys now is listening to them sing the great old time hymns. I especially like seeing them sitting in the den, it reminds me of my father in law and one of his friends sitting in his den and singing.
This is more for yesterday, but has nothing to do with the size of watermelons or cantaloupes. I want to tell and brag about my Granddaddy Kirby, Conrad Kirby, Uncle Con to most folks. In the late 50’s and early 60’s while I was a young boy, he would have a combined 1 acre or more field of Charleston Gray watermelons and cantaloupes, probably Edisto or Rocky Ford. In the hot summer time when the Black chain gang would be working on the road in front of his old country home he would get the guards to give the men a break and let them sit under the shade of four large oak trees in his front yard. He would draw up buckets of cold well water for the men and give them watermelons and cantaloupes to eat. His two favorite songs to sing were Angle Band and A Beautiful Life. He lived his life by trying to follow these words in Beautiful Life “each day I do a golden deed by helping those that are in need.” Each morning when doing his chores he would sing these two songs and depending on the weather would get down on his knees and pray in the hall of the barn or at at a large above ground rock behind the barn. I have flowers planted around this rock and keep the ground around it clean in honor of him. I call it Grandaddy’s pray rock.
Now that IS so mething to brag about! and how touching.
Jesus taught if we give so much as a cup of water,we have done it unto Him and to remember the poor for they shall always be with us and don’t forget those in prison and do unto others as we would have them do unto us(the golden rule)seems he covered all those bases.
Watermelons, cantaloupe, water..
sooo good! especially to those,weary souls on a hot day.
He was being the hands and feet of Jesus on earth to those prisoners and that ID something to honor! and to keep in remembrance. He set a fine example.
My daddy and brothers used to sing this song “way down in Columbus Georgia” but didn’t know it was Columbus Stockade Blues. Granny is the one most likely to hear the word stockade watching John Wayne army movies.
I noticed in the picture that Pap carried pens and probably a small tablet in his shirt pocket. My dad did the same thing!
Everyone have a wonderful Sunday.
Thanks for the peak back at you and Pap singing and picking. Even though your voice was not mature yet, the blend of yours and Pap’s voices just blend beautifully to me. I also liked hearing the sounds of the guitar as you picked individual strings. Awesome! God bless ya all and keep on keeping on!
That’s a toe tapping song! Paul you and Pap sure made some good sounding songs together. I always enjoy hearing y’all’s songs. Thank you for sharing. Happy Sunday!
What a wonderful memory, picture, playing and singing. And, thanks for sharing some of your memories. Already we are in April and moving right along…only 8ish months til Christmas. Aren’t you happy that I shared that thought. Praying for Granny and you guys. Also, what is the new Grandson’s name?
Glenda-thank you! It is Ira 🙂
My Dad & Uncle Euan used to sing this one. Dad’s guitar runs and pickin’ style were almost identical to yours! Good memories!