Lyr Req: Old Wooden Rocker (from Ermina Pincombe)

Subject: Lyr Req: Lyrics for Old Wooden Rocker-not Watson
From: GUEST,Lynn Koch
Date: 18 May 09 - 07:19 PM

I'm transcribing The Old Wooden Rocker as sung by Ermina Pincombe, an Adirondack (NY) singer. I'm finding it very difficult to understand some of her words. This is clearly very different from Doc Watson's version which I found on line. Can anyone help?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD WOODEN ROCKER (Florence Harper)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 May 09 - 11:23 PM

I don't know what Ermina Pincomb sings, but maybe this will help you figure it out:

From the sheet music at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music (Click to download the pdf file):


THE OLD WOODEN ROCKER: A FAMILY SONG
Words and music by Florence Harper
New York: Spear & Dehnhoff, 1878.

1. There it stands, in the corner, with its back to the wall,
The old wooden rocker, so stately and tall!
With naught to disturb it but the duster or broom,
For no one now uses that back parlor room,
Oh! how well I remember in days long gone by,
When we stood by that rocker my sister and I,
And we listen'd to the stories that our grandma would tell,
By that old wooden rocker we all lov'd so well.

CHORUS: As she sat by the fire she would rock, rock, rock,
And we heard but the tick of the old brass clock;
Eighty years had she sat in that chair grim and tall,
In that old wooden rocker that stands by the wall.

2. If this chair could but speak, oh! the tales it could tell,
How poor aged grandpa, in fierce battle fell:
'Neath the stars and the stripes he fought bravely and true,
He cherish'd his freedom, the red, white, and blue!
It could tell of bright days and of dark ones, beside,
Of the day when dear grandma stood forth as a bride;
This is why we all love it this old chair grim and tall,
The old wooden rocker that stands by the wall.

3. But poor grandma is gone, and her stories are done,
Her children have follow'd her, yes, one by one,
They have all gone to meet her "In the sweet by-and-by,"
And all that is left is dear sister and I,
Never more will we hide her gold spec's or her cap;
Never more will we tease her while taking her nap;
Never more will she slumber in that chair grim and tall,
The old wooden rocker that stands by the wall.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD WOODEN ROCKER (from Doc Watson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 May 09 - 11:38 PM

Just for comparison, here are the lyrics from MetroLyrics.com:


THE OLD WOODEN ROCKER
As sung by Doc Watson

1. There it stands by the fire with its back to the wall:
That old wooden rocker, so stately and tall,
With naught to disturb it but dusting of broom,
And no one to use it in that parlor room.

CHORUS: As she sat by the fire, she would rock, rock, rock,
And she heard but the tick of the old grand clock.
Eighty years has she sat in that chair, prim and tall,
That old wooden rocker that stands by the wall.

2. How well I still remember in days that are gone by
How we stood by that rocker, my sister and I,
And we listened to the stories that grandma would tell
As she sat in the rocker that we all loved so well.

3. If the chair could but speak, oh, the tales it would tell!
How my poor aged grandpa, in his battle fell.
Beneath the stars and the stripes, he fought bravely and true.
He cherished his freedom beneath the red white and blue. CHORUS

4. Now grandma is dead; all the stories are done'
All the children have followed her, yes, one by one'
They have all gone to meet her in the sweet by and by,
And all that is left is my sister and I. CHORUS

Subject: ADD Version: The Old Wooden Rocker
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 09 - 01:16 AM

Hi, Lynn-
Am I correct in assuming you're working on the transcription for posting on this website which has the Ermina Pincombe recording of "Old Wooden Rocker"?
Looks like there are lots of wonderful songs to explore there.

Can you post what you have so we can work on a cooperative transcription?

-Joe-

---

This is what I hear, with help from Jim Dixon's transcription of the sheet music.


THE OLD WOODEN ROCKER
As sung by Ermina Pincombe

There's an old wooden rocker, so straight and so tall,
That stands in the parlor, its back to the wall.
With nothing to disturb it but duster or broom,
'Cause no one now uses that back parlor room.

If that old chair could speak, oh! the tales it could tell, (?)
Of how poor aging granddad, in fierce battle fell.
He fought for his country, so staunch and so true,
And cherished for freedom, the red, white, and blue!

It could tell of some dark days, some bright ones, beside,
Of the day when dear old grandma stepped forth as a bride;
Of the years that she rocked in that old chair so grim and tall,
That old wooden rocker that stands in the hall.

Never more will we hide her gold specs and her cap;
Never more will we tease her while taking her nap;
Never more will she rock in that old chair so grim and tall,
In that old wooden rocker with her back by the wall (?).

As she sat by the fire she'd rock, rock, rock,
And we heard but the tick of that old brass clock;
Never more will she rock in that old chair so grim and tall,
In that old wooden rocker that stands in the hall.


Note the question marks - I don't know what I hear in those two places.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics for Old Wooden Rocker-not Watson
From: r.padgett
Date: 20 May 09 - 03:23 AM

Right well believe it or not this is a Yorkshire song too!!

The song can be found on www.yorkshirefolksong.net as it was collected as one of the songs in the repertoire of Frank Hinchliffe of Sheffield and is now sung by his son.

I also sing the song with some minor changes

The song was sourced back for the YG by Hazel (nutty on mudcat) a year a two ago to Florence Harper

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics for Old Wooden Rocker-not Watson
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 09 - 01:03 PM

We had another thread on this song, but I can't make it appear:
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81933&messages=11

Maybe it was one that was lost in our 2005 crash.

I found it intact at archive.org:
http://web.archive.org/web/20051002133402/http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=81933

Mostly the same information from the same people, so I guess I won't post it again.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lyrics for Old Wooden Rocker-not Watson
From: r.padgett
Date: 21 May 09 - 05:00 AM

Anyone who cares to check the Doc Watson song and compare the narrative with the Music originally written by Florence will see that part of the verses are missing

The basic tune is in tact in Doc Watson's version however Frank Hinchliffe's version is the full text per Florence's original song.

This is important as I would not wish Frank to be accused of getting this from a Doc Watson recording!! God forbid

The mystery is of course, still where diid he get of from?

Answers on a postcard
Ray Padgett Barnsley Sth Yorks UK


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Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD WOODEN ROCKER (Florence Harper)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Jun 05 - 01:15 PM

From the sheet music at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music.

THE OLD WOODEN ROCKER
Words and music by Florence Harper, 1878.

1. There it stands in the corner with its back to the wall,
The old wooden rocker, so stately and tall,
With naught to disturb it but duster and broom,
For no one now uses that back parlor room.
Oh! how well I remember in days long gone by
When we stood by that rocker, my sister and I,
And we listened to the stories that our grandma would tell
By that old wooden rocker we all loved so well.

CHORUS: As she sat by the fire, she would rock, rock, rock,
And we heard but the tick of the old brass clock.
Eighty years had she sat in that chair grim and tall,
In that old wooden rocker that stands by the wall.

2. If this chair could but speak, oh! the tales it could tell,
How poor aged grandpa, in fierce battle fell.
'Neath the stars and the stripes, he fought bravely and true.
He cherished his freedom, the red, white, and blue!
It could tell of bright days and of dark ones beside,
Of the day when dear grandma stood forth as a bride.
This is why we all love it, this old chair grim and tall,
The old wooden rocker that stands by the wall. CHORUS

3. But poor grandma is gone and her stories are done.
Her children have followed her, yes, one by one.
They have all gone to meet her "in the sweet by and by,"
And all that is left is dear sister and I.
Never more will we hide her gold spec's or her cap.
Never more will we tease her while taking her nap.
Never more will she slumber in that chair grim and tall,
The old wooden rocker that stands by the wall. CHORUS


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Old Wooden Rocker
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 12 Jun 05 - 02:29 PM

From Frank Hinchliffe, but slightly changed by me:

For it stands in the corner with its back to the wall
The old wooden rocker so stately and tall
with nothing to disturb it but the duster and broom
For nobody uses the back parlour room
O how well I remember in days gone by
How we'd sit by the fire dear sister and I
And listen to the stories that our grandma did tell
In the old woodedn rocker we all love so well

Chorus

For we'd sit by the fire and we'd rock rock rock
While listening to the ticking of the old brass clock
80 years had she slumbered in that chair prim and small
In the old wooden rocker that stands by the wall

If that chair it could speak O what stories it could tell
How poor old grandpa in fierce battle fell
Neath the Stars and the Stripes he fought bravely and true
In harmony we cherish the red white and blue
It could tell of those days hy and grand ones beside
When good old grandma went forth as a bride
That is why we all love it for the stories it could tell
The old wooden rocker we all love so well

Now poor grandma is dead and her troubles they are gone
Her children they have have left us yes one by one
They've all gone to greet her in that sweet by and by
They've all gone and left but dear sister and I
O never more shall we steal her old specs or her cap
Never more shall we tease her when she's taking her nap
Never more shall we listen to the stories she did tell
In the old wooden rocker we all love so well

Ray Padgett


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Old Wooden Rocker
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 12 Jun 05 - 02:35 PM

NB
slightly wrong in my singing ~

i do sing "For she'd sit by teh fire and she'd rock rock rock,"
not WE'd sit by the fire

Also I have changed:

80 years had she slumbered in that chair PRIM and SMALL, refering to the little grandma, rather than GRIM and Tall refering to the rocking chair!
Ray


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This is what I posted in 2005 on mudcat

I Think this is what Joe Offer had asked me to do, if not let me know further

Thanks

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Wooden Rocker (from Ermina Pincombe)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 07:55 PM

I got to meet and sit in on a Jam session with Mrs. Pincombe earlier this summer at the TAUNY in Canton, NY. She and her son were there. They were just the nicest folks, and made me feel quite welcome.

And MAN, can she play guitar!

She is truly an Adirondack treasure.

Bill G.
From the High Flats in Parishville NY

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Wooden Rocker (from Ermina Pincombe)
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 08:36 PM

I was at that jam session as well. In fact, I recorded a good bit of it. What instrument were you playing Bill, and did you get to the concert the next night at the Edwards Opera House?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Wooden Rocker (from Ermina Pincombe)
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 08:40 PM

More on Ermina here: Ermina Pincombe

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Wooden Rocker (from Ermina Pincombe)
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 12:20 PM

There's a rather nice recording of the song by Chubby Parker (recorded in 1930) on Chubby Parker and His Old Time Banjo BACM 244.
He's the guy that sang "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O" on Harry Smith's Folkways Anthology.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Wooden Rocker (from Ermina Pincombe)
From: r.padgett
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 12:44 PM

Just listened to Ermina, lovely!

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Wooden Rocker (from Ermina Pincombe)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 08:17 AM

A little late in responding, but I was playing guitar and strumstick, and I did not go to the concert afterwards. I was also at the session at the Kendrew Grange Hall for her birthday last year!

Ciao!

Bill G
Parishville, NY USA