Whipoorwill

[Jonathan Peck]

I've been noticing how often the whippoorwill is mentioned in song lyrics. How many songs that have whippowill in the title or in the lyrics can we as a group name? What is it about this bird that is so common in the bluegrass genre?

[earthsave]

It's haunting and lonesome call in the night. It becons the beginning of spring around these parts. The First Whippoorwill (2nd line below) is about his woman says she is gonna leave him come springtime

These two lines come to mind.

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, he sounds to blue to fly...

She said she'd be gone, When I heard that first Whippoorwill.

[entau]

how about a whole album -

Qaltz of the Whipporwhill - Joe Weed-

a great album of all acoutsic music - heavy on the mando

all the tunes melodies are based on actual field recordings of bird songs.

with David Grisman and Todd Phillips

but is it bluegrass?

[mandopete]

Funny you should mention it...I wrote a song called Whipoorwill Come A Singing years ago and we recorded it on our first demo project. I used to always get a laugh when I would introduce the song as I don't believe we have any whipoorwills here in the state of Washington.

[Fred Keller]

One of my favorite Monroe intros (and a great song to boot): The First Whippoorwill

[Bernie Daniel]

Johathan Peck: I've been noticing how often the whippoorwill is mentioned in song lyrics. How many songs that have whippowill in the title or in the lyrics can we as a group name? What is it about this bird that is so common in the bluegrass genre?

Tell me about it!

I heard 5 songs with "Whip-poor-will" in the tune in less than 90 minutes once on Bluegrass Junction.

The general answer to your question is lack of imagination on the part of song writers! #Maybe.

Maybe they would not be so keen on envolking the name of Caprimulgus vociferus if they knew it was both a goatsucker and a night jar to boot (look it up if you don't believe me). #

In fact in large sections of the sunny south the whip-poor-will is never ever even present --nada -- and they'd have a better chance at hearing a chuck-will's-widow Caprimugus carolinesis.

Now the phrase "...and I heard the last chuck-will's-widow as I put her in the ground" might might not sound so cool eh?

But (and you can take this to the bank) that bird is a goat sucker too -- and be best part is its also a night jar.

Take my word for it-- or not I don't care. #I don't write songs anyway.

But here's the worst part.

All those guys from Texas who write about it hearing it should really be ashamed.

'Cause they're playing with ya. #Why? #Because the whip-poor-will never goes there -- at all -- that's why.

Here is the good news -- in Texas they have two other goat suckers they could use: the poor-will, Phalaenoptilus nuttalli, and the common night hawk, Chordeiles minor - but they have ignored both. #For shame!

Why not send bluegrass song writers to ornithology classes? Then they would know that there are more bird species than mourning doves, bluebirds (there are three species) and whip-poor-wills.

Now aren't you sorry you asked? #

[Jonathan Peck]

Wow, I heard a rumor that the Caprimulgus vociferus have retained Johnny Cochran to represent them in a class action suit It would seem that they feel that the whippoorwill is their intellectual property and that their trade marked name should not be used for commercial purposes or financial gain.

[powercat]

Wow, I heard a rumor that the Caprimulgus vociferus have retained Johnny Cochran to represent them in a class action suit It would seem that they feel that the whippoorwill is their intellectual property and that their trade marked name should not be used for commercial purposes or financial gain.

Wow, looks like the birds will lose, as Cochran is dead (March 30, 2005).

[des mando]

we have whiporwills in iowa our property has somewhat of an infestation its been fun when city folks visit and hear them for the first time, they like to sit on the roof and go off at each other [the birds ]. folks always ask what the heck is that i always answer banshees they wont attack if you stay on the deck and keep pickin, pretty cool sound but loud !

[Bernie Daniel]

des mando: we have whiporwills in iowa our property

You must be in south central or southern Iowa then?

I would like to see a poll some time of how many bluegrass or country song writers would actually know a whip-poor-will from a Goldfinch! #

Not that it matters much of course.

I guess besides the overworked whip-poor-wills, bluebirds, and mourning doves -- the other "birds of bluegrass" are mocking birds and "red birds" (properly called northern cardinals), and then maybe meadowlarks. #And of course "eagles" -- but we have two eagle species in the lower 48(USA).

What birds did I leave out?

[allenhopkins]

I guess besides the overworked whip-poor-wills, bluebirds, and mourning doves -- the other "birds of bluegrass" are mocking birds and "red birds" (properly called northern cardinals), and then maybe meadowlarks. And of course "eagles" -- but we have two eagle species in the lower 48(USA).

What birds did I leave out?

Cuckoos -- The Cuckoo, When You Hear Them Cuckoos Hollerin'
Wild Geese -- Never See My Home Again
Ducks -- Rye Whiskey
Snowbirds -- Snowbird, what else?
Quail -- Black Waters
Sparrows/Swallows -- Fair and Tender Ladies
Whippoorwills again -- Cora Is Gone
Owls -- Crow Black Chicken, When You Hear Them Cuckoos Hollerin'

And of course, chickens -- too numerous to mention!

[Bernie Daniel]

Allen, Good additions!

Yeah I had thought about the cuckoos but could not remember them again when I did the post -- now do you think it refers to the Yellow-billed cuckoo or the Black-billed? #Their songs and call notes are different! #Of course the Greater Road Runner is a cuckoo too.

I like the sound of "cuckoo too" that should be in a bd song.

Also Peter Rowan had song with wild geese "... I hear wild geese once again" on his "Blue Grass Boy" CD.

Ducks, quail, and swallows -- I thought there were songs with them but could not think of them -- you have a good knowledge of bg songs obviously.

There is some song with a raven right -- what about crows and jays?

[allenhopkins]

Not bluegrass, but old-time:
Crow -- Story That the Crow Told Me
And of course Jaybird is a fiddle tune.

A whole aviary of birds in the folk song Woody Knows Nothin':

Woody knows nothin' but peckin' on the bough,
How 'bout the sky of blue?
Never knew, 'til I met you, what love O love could do, do,
Love O love could do.

Blue jay pulled a four-horse plow,
Sparrow, why can't you?
"'Cause my legs is little and long, might get broke in two, two,
Might get broke in two."

Red-bird sittin' on a sycamore limb,
Singin' out his soul;
Big black snake crawled up that tree, swallowed that poor boy whole, whole
Swallowed that poor boy whole.

I'm just a poor little country boy,
Money have I none,
But there is silver in the moon, gold in the morning sun O sun,
Gold in the morning sun.

-- from a '60's Erik Darling recording.

[entau]

allen hopkins - I had that eric darling on vinyl -
folkways I think

some good stuff on there - especially the 12 string guitar stuff
I even like his banjo playing

black eyed susy was a good one
interesting frankie and johnny there

but what was that tune where - "your furniture's gonna leave you on the next train...."

or something like that

[Fred Keller]

I got another old time song chock full of birds (and one mammal)

Hi said the little leatherwing bat
I'll tell you the reason that
The reason that I fly by night
Is cause I lost my heart's delight

Hi de di de (and so forth for the chorus)

Hi said the red bird sitting on a fence
Once I had a handsome wench
She got saucy and from me fled
And ever since my head's been red

Hi said the robin as he flew
Once I loved a young gal too
She got saucy and wanted to go
And I got a new string for my bow

Hi said the bluebird as he flew
Instead of one gal I had two
If one wouldn't love me the other one would
Now don't you think my notion's good?

Hoot said the owl with his head so white
A lonesome day and a lonesome night
Thought I heard a pretty gal say
Court all night and sleep all day

Oh no said the turtledove
That's no way to gain your love
If you'd gain your heart's delight
Keep her awake both day and night.

[allenhopkins]

but what was that tune where - "your furniture's gonna leave you on the next train...."

or something like that

St. John's River, I think:

Baby, can you hear me,
All your furniture's goin' to leave you, yes, yes,
On the next payday.
And nary a cent will I be a giver...

Baby, can you hear me,
Your sweetie's goin' to leave you, yes, yes,
On the next payday.

Baby, can you hear me,
Your sweetie's goin' to ride the Caribou
Down the St. John's River.

The album was True Religion, I think, which was the bottle-neck guitar piece I saw Erik Darling perform with the Weavers, 1961 or '62. He was from Canandaigua NY, in my neck of the woods, and was a member of some of the most important groups of the "folk revival" -- the Tarriers, the Weavers, and the Rooftop Singers. I still can hear him singing Gus Cannon's Walk Right In, one of the last big acoustic hits before the Beatles swept it all away (leaving a few of us washed up on the shore, and still playing those songs 40 years later).

[entau]

yes- true religion

thanks - didn't know he was from Canandaigua

beautiful town

stopped by the lake a few weeks back on my way from Niagra


ever hear of Emily James Putnam Smith ?

[Landgrass]

What about Turkeys? Thems birds.

[Fred Keller]

Turkey in the straw. Not a song, but still...

[Bernie Daniel]

I suppose I could take a shot at answering the original question -- what is it about the whipp-poor-will that causes it to get into county song so much?

I will suggest two things: #1) The whip-poor-will is distributed over a wide band of the mid south, where many of the first BG/country song writers lived and its definately a rural bird;

Summer Range of the Whip-poor-will

2) as well, the whip-poor-will is a night singer esp. in the early evening/twilight hours -- so rural folks -- finally home from a hard days work and relaxing on the porch in the evening after supper often hear it and so it is a reminder of home. #

At least I think that is where Hank was coming form. #

Many of the modern day song writers are probably urban folks who might not know the call of a whip-poor-will from a bobcat -- and so I think for them "the whip-poor-will" is a handy word to invoke the feeling of country/ sad/melancholy/"the old home place" etc., and all of the above so they stick it in there.

I am a bird song devotee -- I have long (since 10 years old) studied North American bird songs and I know the songs and calls of about 400 birds (btw that is not too big of a deal -- a few years ago a friend of mine who knew over 3000 bird songs will killed in a plane crash in S. America and many bird experts know over a 1000 songs and calls).

So I have surveyed birds for many govenment agencies in the springs and summers for well over 20 years -- that is why the original question was kind of interesting for me in the first place! #

BTW another famous night singer in the breeding season is the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos).

[allenhopkins]

ever hear of Emily James Putnam Smith ?

No, I haven't -- tell me about her.

[entau]

allen - no mando connection with Emily James-

my wife had a past life regression session ( what ever that is) and the name Emily James Putnam Smith came out and some other stuff
turns out there was a such a person who died in the early 20th century who was Dean of Bard College-
Emily grew up in Canandaigua -

we found pictures of her and the likeness to my wife is uncanny - chilling even -

there is no known physical relation-

so she is always looking for local info -

just thought I would take a stab

[entau]

allen - no mando connection with Emily James-

my wife had a past life regression session ( what ever that is) and the name Emily James Putnam Smith came out and some other stuff
turns out there was a such a person who died in the early 20th century who was Dean of Bard College-
Emily grew up in Canandaigua -

we found pictures of her and the likeness to my wife is uncanny - chilling even -

there is no known physical relation-

so she is always looking for local info -

just thought I would take a stab

[G'DAE]

How about Blackbird singing on the edge of Night.....
Beatles. I know, far cry from Bluegrass..
Bob.

[cooper4205]

another non-bluegrass mention of the "whipoorwhill" is in Daniel & the Sacred Harp by the Band.



Then Daniel took the harp and went high on the hill,
And he blew across the meadow like a whippoorwhill.
He played out his heart just the time to pass,
But as he looked to the ground, he noticed no shadow did he cast.