Down on Penny’s Farm: The Bently Boys
This is on The Anthology of American Folk Music, Disc 2. Not much is known about The Bently Boys, but I did find they recorded this in 1929 for Columbia Records.
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
April 30, 2010 at 12:01 pm
yousendit link:
https://download.yousendit.com/THE1K2V1UzdtUUh2Wmc9PQ
April 30, 2010 at 10:54 pm
lots of quality discussion of this song’s history and influence at
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41872
April 30, 2010 at 11:42 pm
J,
Thanks-so much more than I knew.
May 2, 2010 at 8:24 am
I lost your site somewhere between your moving to wordpress and my moving to a new blog. Glad I’ve found it again.
I love this song. This represents the soul of folk music to me. People with little other means to cope with struggle, finding expression, solace, unity through song.
May 2, 2010 at 10:29 am
C. Josephina,
Well, I’m happy you found me again!
I have always thought the same as you, that music is an outlet for life, for its struggles and joys. This song is that and it is also the basis for so many so many other songs, an essential part of folk music, the passing through generations. According to Harry Smith’s liner notes, the song is a renationalized recasting of an earlier song, Hard Times, and it was also recorded by Gid Tanner and The Skillet Lickers as Tanner’s Farm. The melody and first few lines were borrowed by Bob Dylan for his song Hard Times In New York Town. Dylan also alludes to Penny’s Farm in his 1965 song Maggie’s Farm. The song is adapted and continues.