On a Monday: lyrics? origin?

[Gerry Myerson]

I'm looking for the lyrics to "On a Monday." Part of it goes something
like this:

On a Monday, I was arrested
On a Tuesday, I went to jail
On a Wednesday, my trial was attested
On a Thursday, wouldn't nobody go my bail

I have it on a recording by Leadbelly but that doesn't make it any
easier to get the lyrics. It doesn't seem to be in Rise Up Singing,
Folksinger's Workbook, or Digital Tradition. I know Arlo Guthrie
recorded it on one of the with-Pete-Seeger albums.

If anyone has the words handy, or a pointer to same, it would be
much appreciated.

Did the song originate with Leadbelly?

Gerry Myerson (ge...@mpce.mq.edu.au)

[Paul J. Stamler]

Gerry Myerson <NoJun...@this.address> wrote:

: If anyone has the words handy, or a pointer to same, it would be
: much appreciated.

: Did the song originate with Leadbelly?

The Leadbelly Songbook (Oak Publications, 1962) says, "Words and Music by
Huddie Ledbetter, Collected and Adapted by John Lomax and Alan Lomax".
Arlo's recording simply credits "Huddie Ledbetter". However, Lead Belly
often sang songs that were traditional, and collectors assumed he had
written them, so it's hard to tell. In his notes, Lead Belly said, "In
slavery times, they had so many ways of sayin' about the man, he didn't
know what it was all about." Which gives no further information, one way
or 'tother.

On a Monday. Monday I was arrested
On a Tuesday, locked up in jail

On a Wednesday, my trial was attested

On a Thursday, nobody wouldn't go my bail
(ch.) Well, it's all, almost done (3x)
And I ain't gonna ring them yellow women's door bells.

Take these stripes, stripes from around my shoulders
Take these chains, chains from around my legs
Lord, these stripes, stripes don't worry me
But these chains, chains is 'bout to kill me dead.
(ch.)

On a Saturday me and my baby went a-walkin'
On a Sunday she knocked me outdoors
On a Monday we were sittin' down a-talkin'
On a Tuesday she had pawned all of my clothes.
(ch.)

[secret muse]

the "on a monday" lyric is a very old,floating one.in the 1920s
it was used by Julius Daniels(99 year blues) and must be older.

pvc
--
"the blues ain't no cause for jumpin'...
- the blues is just by itself." -SON HOUSE
http://www.megasaver.com/page2/ad4.html

[SLHinton17]

Gerry Myerson wrote:

>If anyone has the words handy, or a pointer to same, it would be
>much appreciated.

*******************
Josh White made a recording of this song back in the late 940's. I still have
the 78 rpm album of 10" disks, but can't locate it at the moment. As I
remember the words, they went like this:

Well, on a Monday, Monday I was arrested.
And on a Tuesday, Tuesday I was tried.
On a Wednesday, Wednesday I was sentenced,
And on a Thursday, Thursday chain-gang bound.

If I can only make June, July and August (3x)
I'll be a man, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, I'll be a man.

Oh, Eloisa, she got a [manicubaleezer] (3x)
(I never understood that word)
Above her knees, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, between her legs.

Eloisa, she took sick this morning. (3x)
The poor child died, Lawd,Lawd, Lawd, the poor child died.

Well, ain't you glad that, glad that she had good religion?(3x)
She's heaven-bound, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, she's heaven-bound.

Cap'n, did you hear 'bout, all your men are gonna leave you? (3x)
Come next pay-day, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, come next pay-day,

Sam Hinton
La Jolla, CA

[ol...@ohsu.edu]

I first heard it by Leadbelly, I think it was on the Library of Congress
recordings.

CU
Erik

In article <19971113145...@ladder01.news.aol.com> slhin...@aol.com
(SLHinton17) writes:>From: slhin...@aol.com (SLHinton17)
>Subject: Re: On a Monday: lyrics? origin?
>Date: 13 Nov 1997 14:58:24 GMT

[VoodooElec]

>Josh White made a recording of this song back in the late 940's.

WOW! Thomas Edison will be shocked...