“The Grey Goose”

Description

"Last Monday morning, Lord, Lord, Lord... My daddy went a-hunting... for de grey goose." The goose is found and killed; it takes six weeks to fall, and six weeks to pluck, and six weeks to cook... It cannot be cut, and comes back to life and flies away

Notes

Paul Stamler writes, "[This song and 'Home, Happy Home'] are so close that it might be better to call [the latter] an Alternate Title." I have no knowledge of "Home, Happy Home." Anyone know more? - RBW

"Home, Happy Home" was collected, almost certainly from white informants, by Garry Harrison in southern Illinois, probably in the 1970s. - PJS

John Greenway sees this as similar to "Cutty Wren." Once again, I don't see it. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "The Derby Ram" (theme)
• cf. "The Sucking Pig" (theme)
• cf. "The Worderful Crocodile" (theme)
• cf. "T'Owd Yowe wi' One Horn" (theme)
• cf. "Home, Happy Home"

Recordings

• James "Iron Head" Baker, "The Grey Goose" (AFS 207B, 1933) (AFS 205 A3, 1934; on LC03)
• Augustus "Track Horse" Haggerty & group, "The Grey Goose" (AFS 223 A2, 1933)
• Lead Belly, "The Grey Goose" (on GrowOn2)
• Pete Seeger, "Gray Goose" (on PeteSeeger05); "Grey Goose" (on PeteSeeger08, PeteSeegerCD02)
• Washington "Lightnin'," "The Gray Goose" (AFS 182 A, 1933)

References

1. Lomax-FSUSA 5, "The Grey Goose" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Lomax-ABFS, pp. 242-243, "De Grey Goose" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 907-908, "The Grey Goose" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Greenway-AFP, pp. 109-110, "Grey Goose" (1 text)
5. Silber-FSWB, p. 403, "The Gray Goose" (1 text)
6. DT, GRAYGOOS
7. Roud #11684
8. BI, LxU005