Mule Skinner Blues
1930 classic country song written by Jimmie Rodgers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1930 classic country song written by Jimmie Rodgers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Blue Yodel no. 8, Mule Skinner Blues" (a.k.a. "Muleskinner Blues", and "Muleskinner's Blues") is a classic country song written by Jimmie Rodgers. The song was first recorded by Rodgers in 1930 and has been recorded by many artists since then, acquiring the de facto title "Mule Skinner Blues" after Rodgers named it "Blue Yodel #8" (one of his Blue Yodels).
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2016) |
| "Blue Yodel no. 8 Mule Skinner Blues" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Jimmie Rodgers | |
| B-side | Jimmie’s Mean Mama Blues[1] |
| Published | February 13, 1931 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc., New York[2] |
| Released | February 6, 1931 |
| Recorded | July 11, 1930[1] |
| Studio | Hollywood Recording Studios, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, California[1] |
| Genre | Hillbilly (Country) Country blues |
| Length | 2:50 |
| Label | Victor 23503[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Jimmie Rodgers |
| Alternative cover | |
Record label from Bill Monroe's version, 1946 | |
| Alternative cover | |
 Cover of the Fendermen's version, 1960 | |
"George Vaughn", a pseudonym for songwriter George Vaughn Horton, is sometimes listed as co-author. Horton wrote the lyrics for "New Mule Skinner Blues", Bill Monroe's second recorded version of the song.[3]
The song was discussed in the Ken Burns 2019 documentary miniseries Country Music and Jimmie Rodgers' rendition was on the soundtrack album for the series.
The song tells the tale of a down-on-his-luck mule skinner, approaching "the Captain", looking for work ("Good Morning, Captain." / "Good morning, Shine." / "Do you need another muleskinner on your new mud line?"). He boasts of his skills: "I can pop my 'nitials on a mule's behind" and hopes for "a dollar and a half a day". He directs the water boy to "bring some water round". The term "Mule Skinner", slang for muleteer, is a driver of mules, and has nothing to do with removing the animal's hide.
The first verse of the song is similar to Tom Dickson's 1928 recording "Labor Blues" in which the exchange is clearly between a white boss and an African-American worker who is quitting the job, not applying for it:
"Captain" was a traditional term for the white boss; "Shine" is a derogatory expression for "African-American". Dickson was black. After the narrator rebels and quits because he is not being paid, he turns his attention to his "Mississippi gal" and the remaining lyrics concern their romance. In this 12-bar blues recording, muleskinning is not mentioned, and the remaining Dickson lyrics differ from Rodgers', whose other Blue Yodels also used verses previously recorded by Blues musicians, such as Blind Lemon Jefferson.
| "Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Dolly Parton | ||||
| from the album The Best of Dolly Parton | ||||
| B-side | "More Than Their Share" | |||
| Released | June 1970 | |||
| Recorded | May 4, 1970 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B, Nashville | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:10 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor 47-9863 | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Bob Ferguson | |||
| Dolly Parton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Release date |
Artist | Chart Positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. C&W | U.S. | CAN C&W | U.K. | |||
| 1960 | The Fendermen | 16[8] | 5[9] | — | 32[10] | |
| 1970 | Dolly Parton | 3 | — | 4 | — | |
| 1976 | Jerry Palmer | — | — | 3 | — | |
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