Waterboy (song)
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For other uses, see Water boy (disambiguation).
| "Waterboy" / "Water Boy" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Cover of sheet music to a piano version of the "negro convict song" arranged by Avery Robinson for singer Roland Hayes, 1950 | ||
| Song | ||
| Published | 1922 | |
| Genre | Jazz, Folk, Blues | |
| Length | Typically 3-4 mins | |
| Writer(s) | Traditional | |
| Composer(s) | Avery Robinson (arr.) | |
"Waterboy" (a.k.a. "The Water Boy") is an American traditional folk song.
Originally a black prison work song, a jazz arrangement by Avery Robinson[1] popularized "Water Boy" in the 1920s. From 1949 onwards, it has also been performed by many blues and folk artists.
[edit] Versions
- Fats Waller - Fats Waller in London (1922)[3], 1938 (1938)[4]
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- "Waterboy" was recorded by several other jazz singers around this time, including Fats Waller (see below), Earl Hines and John Payne.[5]
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- This version appears on the compilations The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker, The Unknown John Lee Hooker: 1949 Recordings and Jack O' Diamonds: 1949 Recordings.[6]
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- Song: "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain/Water Boy".[7]
"Waterboy" became a song Odetta performed regularly, and it appears on several of her albums. It is also the song she plays in the film No Direction Home, in a TV performance from the 1960s (shown to highlight her influence on Bob Dylan).
- Song: "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain/Water Boy".[7]
- Harry Belafonte and Odetta - Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall (1960)[8]
- Paul Robeson - The Power & the Glory (1991 compilation)[9]
- The Kingston Trio - Stewart Years (2000 compilation)
[edit] External links
[edit] References
Retrieved January 14, 2007 unless stated
- ^ AMG: Avery Robinson > Songs composed by
- ^ Google search First result, although unavailable, links Hayes's 1921 tour to the song
- ^ Fats Waller - In London, AMG
- ^ Fats Waller - 1938, AMG
- ^ Brother Can You Spare a Dime: The Roots Of America, Bestprices.com
- ^ John Lee Hooker - "Water Boy", AMG
- ^ Odetta - "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain/Water Boy", AMG
- ^ Harry Belafonte - Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall, www.akh.se
- ^ Paul Robeson - The Power & the Glory, AMG
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