“Don't Let Your Deal Go Down”

Description

Floating verses: "Been all around this whole round world... Anyplace I hang my hat/Feels like home to me"; "Left my little girl a'crying"; "Where did you get your high-top shoes" Chorus: "Don't let your deal go down/Till your last (g)old dollar is gone"

Notes

The phrase "let your deal go down" refers to the Georgia Skin Game, a card game popular among gamblers in the first half of the 20th century. - PJS

Cross references

Recordings

  • Fiddlin' John Carson, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (OKeh 45096, 1927)
  • Lake Howard, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (Perfect 13151, 1935)
  • Dick Justice, "Old Black Dog" (Brunswick 395, c. 1929)
  • Kessinger Brothers, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (Brunswick 411, 1930)
  • New Lost City Ramblers, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (on NLCR01, NLCRCD1) (NLCR12)
  • W. Lee O'Daniel & the Light Crust Doughboys, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (Vocalion 03471, 1937)
  • Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" (Columbia 15038-D, 1925; on CPoole01, CPoole05); (Columbia 15184-D, 1927)
  • Riley Puckett, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (Columbia 15448-D, 1929) (Bluebird B-6067, 1935)
  • Mike Seeger, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (on MSeeger01)
  • Ernest V. Stoneman, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (OKeh 45054, 1926)
  • Stoneman Family, "The Black Dog Blues" (on Stonemans01)
  • Fields Ward, Glen Smith & Wade Ward, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (on HalfCen1)
  • Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys, "Don't Let the Deal Go Down" (Vocalion 05282, 1939; Columbia 37739, 1947)

References

  1. BrownIII 301, "High-Topped Shoes" (2 texts, both mixed; "A" is mostly "Pretty Little Foot" with verses from "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" while "B" is a hash of "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down," ""More Pretty Girls Than One," "In the Pines," and others)
  2. Cohen/Seeger/Wood, pp. 182-183, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (1 text, 1 tune)
  3. Rorrer, p. 70, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" (1 text)
  4. Darling-NAS, p. 285, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (1 text)
  5. Silber-FSWB, p. 144, "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (1 text)
  6. DT, DEALDOWN*
  7. Roud #4854
  8. BI, CSW182

About

Alternate titles: “Last Gold Dollar”; “High Top Shoes”
Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1925 (recording, Charlie Poole)
Found in: US(SE)