RG - Posted - 07/07/2022:  21:36:26

This has always been one of my favorite Rosko Halcomb (Roscoe Holcomb) songs, his playing varies with each version, but his voice... THAT voice, remains constant, each time a tour de force performance. I always approach playing his songs with trepidation because the force of old-time nature that was Rosko is so intimidating to reproduce, but this song is a classic and a lot of fun to play, so here goes, my two finger thumb lead version of Rosko's "Single Girl."



This is a old-time standard (or was), oft recorded, the tale of a poor woman who laments the fact that her married life of toil is a far cry from the carefree fun of her single life.  Although times have changed, I think a lot of folks (female OR male) can relate. As ubiquitous as this song is, the history behind it is murky to say the least... I found no references to the songs origins in my online searching. I did find a reference that the song dated back to "before 1850", but nothing beyond that except that it dated to 1907 according to H.M. Belden's (editor) Ballads Songs Collected By Missouri Folklore Society originally published in 1940.  Some sources say it's origins lie in the old English poem "The Wife's Lament" dating from circa 1650, and famed Ozark folklorist Vance Randolph collected the song as "The Married Woman's Lament." Rosko told John Cohen that he thought he was playing the Carter Family song "Single Girl, Married Girl" until John played the record for Rosko and he realized that "that ain't it." So I guess we can start there.



The song itself seems to be pretty common in Kentucky, but the first recorded versions seem to originate in Virginia, with the before mentioned Carter Family version (it's just Sara and Maybelle on the recording, A.P. was off buying a tire for their car for the return trip home) recorded in 1927 during the famed Bristol Tennessee recording sessions conducted by Ralph Peer for Victor, considered by many to be the birth of country music.  But that's another story...

Of course Bristol is at the intersection of Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, so the musical cross-pollination between those regions is well known.  But, plot twist... Kelly Harrell recorded the song in 1925, 2 years before the Carter Family recording, as "I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again", and THIS is pretty close to Rosko's version... as is the Vernon Dalhart recording for Gennett Records from the same year, an obvious cover of the Harrell version recorded in January of 1925 (Dalhart's was recorded in July).  Dalhart is a quite interesting story in recorded music, but again, a tale for another time.

So if Rosko thought he was playing the Carter Family tune, but Kelly Harrell, a pioneer "Hillbilly" recording artist (who recorded with the likes of Carson Robison and Posey Rorrer of Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers fame) recorded it 2 years prior, then where did Rosko "get" the song?  An old time mystery perhaps, but the song seemed to be pretty well established in the region by then, Frank and Anne Warner recording Frank Proffitt singing it in 1939 (his NC up-picking style is absolutely amazing on this recording), and a highly commercialized version of it, also from 1939 from Lulu Belle and Scotty.  Other favorite versions come from Doc Watson, Cousin Emmy (playing a GREAT rapping version of the song from 1956), and of course, the one and only Rosko Halcomb (Roscoe Holcomb) from his original folkways record by John Cohen.  If anyone can add to the history of the tune, please comment!

I first heard this close to fifty years ago, and always kept it in my head, and have played it for years, but when I listened to Roscoe's recordings, my version is quite different I think... so who knows what actually is going on, but I play the song two finger thumb lead style in open D (like Rosko) f#DF#AD out of an "F" chord shape starting at the 7th fret. You just have to play around with the notes to pick them up, but you can grab them all from that position, and of course use that low open "D" string like Rosko does.  I sliced my right thumb pretty good in my shop right before I recorded this, so the bandage on my thumb got in the way on a few clunkers, sorry about that - haha.

Anyway, give this one a try, it's funny and poignant at the same time, but it is a bonafide old-time standard no matter how you play it.  Enjoy!

Edited by - RG on 07/09/2022 11:32:31

Single Girl

 

Mtngoat - Posted - 07/08/2022:  08:31:37

RG, great write-up and picking. Nothing beats Roscoe's two finger styling but I like Cousin Emmy's approach too.

janolov - Posted - 07/08/2022:  08:46:17

Thanks for a good choice, interesting tune and a good write-up

When I was young in the late 60's I heard Peggy Seeger: youtube.com/watch?v=d_3lZ9bHeO8, and it is the version that is still in my backbone (I never found  Roscoe's version until the 2000's).

RG - Posted - 07/08/2022:  18:04:17

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Originally posted by Mtngoat

RG, great write-up and picking. Nothing beats Roscoe's two finger styling but I like Cousin Emmy's approach too.

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Thank you, sure appreciate the kind words.

Yes!  Cousin Emmy's version has always been a favorite of mine!  I thought she was a fantastic player, I don't think she ever really got the recognition she deserved. Classic Kentucky rapping.  She's buried in Newhall CA, the town I grew up in, and she was a real music pioneer, she negotiated with the record labels she was with to keep the copyrights for all of her songs, no easy feat for ANYONE in the music business of the 40's/50's/60's.  The only other artist I know who was able to do that that early was Buck Owens.

RG - Posted - 07/08/2022:  18:05:33

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Originally posted by janolov

Thanks for a good choice, interesting tune and a good write-up

When I was young in the late 60's I heard Peggy Seeger: youtube.com/watch?v=d_3lZ9bHeO8, and it is the version that is still in my backbone (I never found  Roscoe's version until the 2000's).

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Thanks Jan, sure appreciate it!  That's a great version, and I've always loved Peggy Seeger's vocals, so good!

UncleClawhammer - Posted - 07/08/2022:  21:26:39

Interesting coincidence... I've actually finally started working out a version of this inspired by Roscoe's playing in D tuning after years of wanting to. It's not quite ready, so here's an old recording in regular G tuning, inspired by Roscoe, but not a replication of his playing (or singing).

I Wish I Was a Single Girl, Again

 

RG - Posted - 07/08/2022:  21:52:28

quote:

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Originally posted by UncleClawhammer

Interesting coincidence... I've actually finally started working out a version of this inspired by Roscoe's playing in D tuning after years of wanting to. It's not quite ready, so here's an old recording in regular G tuning, inspired by Roscoe, but not a replication of his playing (or singing).

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That's a real nice version Matthew, enjoyed that!

JanetB - Posted - 07/09/2022:  16:38:28

Nice picking, gentlemen, and nice write-up, RG!  I chose Cousin Emmy's version to learn from because I like the clawhammer solo.  Her lyrics are pretty sad ones.  The tuning ended up in open C: gCGCE.

I Wish I was a Single Girl, Again (CH) tab

 

JanetB - Posted - 07/09/2022:  17:08:01

I had to re-record upon realizing I had the lyrics a bit off.  Peaches aren't dishes, are they.  Hearing lyrics often gives me trouble.  I like to see them in writing, which solves the problem easily.  Once I see them, I can actually hear them. The instrument so many times drowns out the singer, something a banjo can do easily -- our own mistake when we play and record.  Plus we don't enunciate enough when we sing (or speak, for that matter).  There's mumbling and syllable slurring. I always say that, but actually I know I'm a bit hard of hearing, too. :)

I Wish I was a Single Girl, Again

 

RG - Posted - 07/10/2022:  11:21:14

quote:

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Originally posted by JanetB

I had to re-record upon realizing I had the lyrics a bit off.  Peaches aren't dishes, are they.  Hearing lyrics often gives me trouble.  I like to see them in writing, which solves the problem easily.  Once I see them, I can actually hear them. The instrument so many times drowns out the singer, something a banjo can do easily -- our own mistake when we play and record.  Plus we don't enunciate enough when we sing (or speak, for that matter).  There's mumbling and syllable slurring. I always say that, but actually I know I'm a bit hard of hearing, too. :)

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Love your version Janet (as always), very nicely played & sung!!!

UncleClawhammer - Posted - 07/13/2022:  10:15:53

Here's an abbreviated version more similar to Roscoe's, though still in G tuning rather than D.

Single Girl (fragment)