RATTLESNAKE SONG #2
(SPRINGFIELD MOUNTAIN)
Sung by: Zona Everett
Recorded in Oxley, AR 8/20/59

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Oh, it was one eeda-lida-meeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-worning,
Bright and ceeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-wear,
That Johnny went out in the meeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weadow
For to meeda-wida-weeda-wida-wow.

Well, he had not meeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weeda-wida-wowed
More than halfway across the feeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wield,
'Til along come a rattle come a sneeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weeda-wida-wake,
And bit him on the heeda-wida-weeda-wida-weel.

He fell right deeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-wown,
Upon the geeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-wound,
And he shut both eeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weeda-wida eyes,
And he looked all a-reeda-rida-reeda-rida-round.

"Oh, Daddy deeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-wear,
Go tell my geeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wwida-wal
That I must deeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida- . . .
I know I ceeda-wida-weeda-wida-wail."

That good old deeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-wad
That boy the needa-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wose,
And then come Seeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weeda-wida-wal,
Without her sheeda-wida-weeda-wida-wose.

"Oh, Johnny, deeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-wear,
Why did you seeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-woe?
. . . meeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weadow,
For to meeda-wida-weeda-wida-wo?"

"Oh, Sally, deeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-
      wida-weeda-wida-wear,
Don't you kneeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wow,
When the grass gets reeda-rida-reeda-rida-ripe,
It has to be meeda-wida-weeda-wida-wowed."

Come, all young meeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wen,
And shed a teeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wear,
For this young meeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wan,
He died right heeda-wida-weeda-wida-were.

Come all young meeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-
      weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wen
And warning teeda-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-wake,
And never . . . beeta-wida-weeda-wida-weeda-wida-whip,
By a rattle come steeda-wida-weeda-wida-wake.

(Wolf: "That was a fast version of the rattlesnake song, sung by Mrs. Everett.")

Also found in Randolph, Vol. III, #424, "Springfield Mountain"; Brown, Vol. II, #208, "Springfield Mountain"; Belden, p. 299, "Springfield Mountain."

All Songs Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., unless otherwise noted

The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection
Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas
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