Lyrics:
Sent my brown jug downtown
Sent my brown jug downtown
Sent my brown jug downtown
So early in the morning
It came back so round and brown
It came back so round and brown
It came back so round and brown
So early in the morning
Railroad, steamboat, river, and canoe
Lost my true love, whatever shall I do?
Let her go, go, go, let her go, go, go
Now she’s gone on the raging canal
Now she’s gone, gone, gone, now she’s gone, gone, gone
Now she’s gone on the raging canal
Sent my brown jug downtown
Sent my brown jug downtown
Sent my brown jug downtown
So early in the morning
It came back with a waltz-around
It came back with a waltz-around
It came back with a waltz-around
So early in the morning
Railroad, steamboat, river, and canoe
Lost my true love, whatever shall I do?
Let her go, go, go, let her go, go, go
Now she’s gone on the raging canal
Now she’s gone, gone, gone, now she’s gone, gone, gone
Now she’s gone on the raging canal
Additional Verses
Collected by Cornelia Bowman from the singing of Mrs. Beth Winstead of Evansville, AR on 1/13/1960. (Ozark Folksong Collection Reel 336, Item 7)
A little more dough, boys, little more dough
A little more dough, boys, a little more dough
A little more dough, boys, little more dough
So early in the morning
Lyrics Collected by Goldy M. Hamilton (1914)
Collected by Goldy M. Hamilton from from students and published in her 1914 article “The Play-Party in Northeast Missouri” (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 27)
“Little Brown Jug”
Sent my brown jug down town
Sent my brown jug down town
Sent my brown jug down town
So early in the morning
It came back with a waltz around
It came back with a waltz around
It came back with a waltz around
So early in the morning
They keep good whiskey down in town
They keep good whiskey down in town
They keep good whiskey down in town
So early in the morning
If you don’t watch out, it will get you down
If you don’t watch out, it will get you down
If you don’t watch out, it will get you down
So early in the morning
Ain’t she sweet, my honey-o
Ain’t she sweet, my honey-o
Ain’t she sweet, my honey-o
So early in the morning
Alcohol will get you down
Alcohol will get you down
Alcohol will get you down
So early in the morning
Whiskey will turn you round and round
Whiskey will turn you round and round
Whiskey will turn you round and round
So early in the morning
Take the cork and throw it down
Take the cork and throw it down
Take the cork and throw it down
So early in the morning
Lyrics Collected by R. E. Dudley & L. W. Payne, Jr. (1916)
From the writing of R. E. Dudley and L. W. Payne, Jr in their article “Texas Play-Party Songs and Games“, which was published in Round the Levee in 1916. No melodies are provided.
“Brown Jug”
Sent my brown jug down town
Sent my brown jug down town
Sent my brown jug down town
Early in the mornin’
It came back with a waltz around
It came back with a waltz around
It came back with a waltz around
Filled with apple brandy
Big taters grow in sandy land
Big taters grow in sandy land
Big taters grow in sandy land
Way down in Alabam’
Sift that meal and save the bran
Sift that meal and save the bran
Sift that meal and save the bran
Ladies, fare you well
This song follows, which is known by either it’s first or last lines:
Railroad, steamboat, river and canal
I lost my true love in the raging canal
Oh, she’s gone-gone-gone
Oh, she’s gone-gone-gone
Oh, she’s gone to the last fare you well
Lyrics Collected by Vance Randolph (1929)
Collected by Vance Randolph from the singing of Mr. Allen Woods of Pack, Missouri and published in 1929 in his article “The Ozark Play-Party” (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 42)
“The Brown Jug”
I sent my brown jug down t’ town
I sent my brown jug down t’ town
I sent my brown jug down t’ town
Tral de al de ay
Hit come back all flounced around
Hit come back all flounced around
Hit come back all flounced around
Tral de al de ay
Lyrics Collected by Slayden W. Douthitt (1930)
Originally published in a 1930 issue of Letters, a publication for student writers at the University of Kentucky. The words have been published and preserved by Berea College Special Collections & Archives project, Play-Party Games in Graves & Carlisle Counties, KY.
“Brown Jug”
Take that brown jug down town
Take that brown jug down town
Take that brown jug down town
Early in the mornin’
Then come back an’ waltz aroun’
Then come back an’ waltz aroun’
Then come back an’ waltz aroun’
Early in the mornin’
Swap her off fer a bounce-aroun’
Swap her off fer a bounce-aroun’
Swap her off fer a bounce-aroun’
Early in the mornin’
(Each of the foregoing songs may be repeated several times)
Lyrics Collected by B. A. Botkin (1937)
Collected by Benjamin Albert Botkin and published in his 1937 book, The American Play-Party Song.
“(Little) Brown Jug”
A-B.
From the singing of Prof. Kenneth C. Kaufman of Norman, Cleveland Co, OK in East Custer Co.
Sent my brown jug down to town (3x)
To get some lager beer
It came back so round and brown (3x)
Full of lager beer
C.
From the singing of Willis Goetzinger of Beaver, Beaver Co, who learned it from Orlan Bell of Gray, Beaver Co.,
Sent my brown jug down to town (3x)
So early in the morning
It came back with a waltz around (3x)
So early in the morning
Swing your lady do-se-do (3x)
So early in the morning
Directions: All form circle and join hands. Durin the first stanza circle to the left. During the second stanza circle to the right. During the third stanza swing with a dance hold.
D.
From the singing of Florette McNeese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co, who learned it from her pupils, which adds the following chorus onto C.
Railroad, steamboat, river and canal
Lost my true love on the raging canal
Do, si, ladies, bow, wow (3x)
So early in the morning
Oh, she’s gone, gone, gone
Let her go, go, go
Oh, she’s gone, gone, gone
Gone o’er the raging canal
E.
From the singing of Glenn A. Roe of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co. in Frederick, Tillman Co.
Took my brown jug down town (3x)
Fal-da-ral-de-ray
It came back with a bounce around (3x)
Fal-da-ral-de-ray
F. (Additional Stanzas)
From Tephia Folsom of Atoka, Atoka Co. from Ed. Butler, Atoka
Fiddler’s drunk and he can’t play
So early in the morning
From Zelma Oliver of Norman, Cleveland Co, from Eugene Nolen, Norman.
I’m my mamma’s darling child (3x)
Early in the morning
From Cora Frances Starritt of Ada, Pontotoc Co.
Do see, ladies, round and round (3x)
So early in the morning
Variant: Bounce Around
From Mrs. L. D. Ames’ article “The Missouri Play-Party” (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 24, 1911). The verse melody is shared with “Raging Canal”, but the chorus differs greatly, giving dance instructions.
We come here to bounce around
We come here to bounce around
We come here to bounce around
Tra, la, la, la
Ladies, do si do
Gents, you know
Swing to the right
And then to the left
And all promenade
Just us four to bounce around
Just us four to bounce around
Just us four to bounce around
Tra, la, la, la
Ladies, do si do
Gents, you know
Swing to the right
And then to the left
And all promenade
• More Recordings •
About the Song:
“Sent My Brown Jug Downtown”, also simply called “(Little) Brown Jug” is a play-party that dates back to 1911 under the title “Bounce Around” by Mrs. L. D. Ames in her article “The Missouri Play-Party” (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 24). According to Willis Goetzinger of Beaver, Beaver Co, OK in Benjamin Albert Botkin’s 1937 book The American Play-Party Song, the game would be played by joining hands in a circle. The circle rotates to the left during the first stanza, switches to the right for the second stanza, and swings with a dance hold for the third stanza.
Play-parties were an important part of childrens’ social lives in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Guy Logsdon and Jeff Place note in the liner notes for Pete Seeger’s American Favorite Folk Ballads, Vol. 5 (2007 reissue) that “There were and are religious people who did and do not believe in the use of musical instruments; the fiddle was the ‘devil’s instrument,’ and dancing was a sin.” Children would typically only make contact at the hands or elbows and no instrumentation would be used.
Many versions of this play-party have been collected across the United States with many variations in the chorus form, ranging from no chorus at all to dance instructions to the “raging canal” refrain used here. The verse melody is similar to other play-parties like “Skip to My Lou”. The “raging canal” refrain, according to Prof. Kenneth C. Kaufman of the University of Oklahoma, is “an old college song” (ibid). However, no published sources are given for this claim. Botkin has the refrain categorized both as a part of “Little Brown Jug” (see D.) and as a separate song.
According to Leona Ball’s article, “The Play Party in Idaho” (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 44, 1931), “Brown Jug” would often be followed by “General Price”, “in which the women form the inner ring and the men the outer.
The play party is often linked to the 1869 minstrel song “The Little Brown Jug”, written by Joseph Eastburn Winner. However, there is little similarity beyond the title. While sources don’t ever list both versions as the same piece, they are often cross-referenced. Botkin does this in The American Play-Party Song, as does Vance Randolph in his article “The Ozark Play-Party” (Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 42, 1929), where he refers to the minstrel song as the “ordinary” version. Randolph continues by saying it may be linked to “Bounce Around”, but gives no throughlines for development so far from its proposed source material.
Other titles include: Sent My Brown Jug Downtown, Play Party
Parent Song: Railroad (and) Steamboat, (Little) Brown Jug
Variants: Yonder Comes a Sucker (Jim Reeves), Bounce Around
Related Songs: Coffee Grows On A White Oak Tree (*some verses shared*), Coming Through the Rye (*shares a melody*)
Learned from the playing of Pete Seeger or American Frontier Ballads, simply titled “Play Party”.
Questions I still have:
What lyrics are published in Marsh’s Selection, or, Singing for the Million, pp. 83-88?