Dink's Song

About Dink's Song

"Dink's Song" (sometimes known as "Fare Thee Well") is an American folk song played by many folk revival musicians such as Pete Seeger, Fred Neil, Bob Dylan and Dave Van Ronk, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Cisco Houston as well as more recent musicians like Jeff Buckley. The song tells the story of a woman deserted by her lover when she needs him the most. The first historical record of the song was by ethnomusicologist John Lomax in 1909, who recorded it as sung by an African American woman called Dink, as she washed her husband's clothes in a tent camp of migratory levee-builders on the bank of the Greater Calhoun Bayou River, a few miles from Houston, Texas and the University of Houston. The first publication of the music was in American Ballads and Folk Songs, edited by Lomax and his son, Alan Lomax, and published by Macmillan in 1934. Josh White recorded the song, as "Fare Thee Well," in 1945. It appeared on his first album, entitled "Songs by Josh White," for Asch Records (A 348). (Asch Records was the predecessor of Folkways Records). Like the rest of the songs on the album, it was performed solo, with guitar. White re-recorded the song at least once later in his career, as "Dink's Blues". It appears on the 1957 Mercury album, "Josh White's Blues" (MG 20203).  more »

Year:

1958

2:37

692 Views

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If I had wings like Noah's dove
I'd fly up the river to the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

If I met your man, who was long and tall
I'd hit his body like a cannon ball
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

One of these days and it won't be long
Call my name and I'll be gone
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

I remember one night, a drizzling rain
Round my heart I felt an achin' pain
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

When I wore my apron low
Couldn't keep you from my do'
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

Now I wear my apron high
Scarcely ever see you passing by
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well

Now my apron's up to my chin
You pass my door and you won't come in
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

If I had listened to what my mama said
I'd be at home in my mama's bed
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

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Pete Seeger

Peter "Pete" Seeger (born May 3, 1919) is an iconic American folk singer. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead Belly's "Goodnight, Irene", which topped the charts for 13 weeks in 1950. Members of The Weavers were blacklisted during the McCarthy Era. In the 1960s, he re-emerged on the public scene as a prominent singer of protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights, and environmental causes. more »

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