You've Been a Good Old Wagon But You've Done Broke Down

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You've Been a Good Old Wagon But You've Done Broke Down is a rag written by Ben Harney (music and lyrics) and John Biller ( arrangement ) and published in 1895 by Greenup Music Co., Louisville. The title is considered one of the earliest ragtime releases.

background

Ben Harney, section of a sheet of music (1896)

Benjamin Robertson Harney (1872–1938) appeared in the early 1890s as a minstrel artist; He wrote Good Old Wagon when he lived in Midlesboro, Kentucky. After his return to Louisville, he was able to convince the local music publisher Greenup to publish the title. John Biller, director of a local theater orchestra, helped Harney with the arrangement and transcription of the number for piano and received an equal share of the copyright. In 1896 the song was published by the major New York music publisher M. Witmark & ​​Sons, which made it known nationwide. The original sheet music for the song You've Been a Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down was written for piano and vocals ; Ben Harney himself recorded his composition in 1925 unaccompanied.

In 1924 the New York Times wrote that Ben Harney "probably did more than anyone else to promote ragtime"; the Time Magazine named him in 1938 to the "Father of Ragtime". In later years, however, it was found that Harney might have borrowed from the older Afro-American folk blues songs Sugar Babe , Sweet Thing and Crawdad Song , which were popular in the Appalachians and which have similarities to Good Old Wagon .

A blues song with a similar title ( You're a Good Old Wagon, But Daddy You've Done Broke Down ) was by Bessie Smith and Stuart Balcom, which Smith recorded for Columbia Records in 1925 . In 1925, songwriter Perry Bradford registered the copyright on Harney's song, which in later years led to a lawsuit for copyright infringement . Harney's composition was covered. a. by Len Spencer (1902), in later years by Dinah Washington and Dave Van Ronk ( Live in Monterey 1998 ).

Notes and individual references

  1. ↑ 1890–1899 Selected Hits and Standards in Songbook
  2. ^ A b Information at the Library of Congress
  3. ^ John E. Kleber The Encyclopedia of Louisville . 2015, p. 369. See also Rudi Blesh : They All Played Ragtime - The True Story of an American Music . 2013
  4. ↑ Appeared on the compilation That Devilin 'Tune - A Jazz History, Vol. 1 (1895-1927) (West Hill Radio Archives - WHRA-6003); see. Discogs
  5. ↑ Feature on You've Been a Good Old Wagon But You've Done Broke Down
  6. ^ Jet, April 20, 1961
  7. ↑ Len Spencer Archives