The surprising inspiration for Old Joe Clark by Scott Ballard
Every song tells a story, and in today’s Appalachian Moments we discover the surprising inspiration and true meaning of some old time and bluegrass standards (the first of a short series).
The first song mystery we hope to make ring true today include Old Joe Clark.
As with most songs with a person’s name in the title, there appears to be an actual Old Joe Clark or maybe two!
One of the most widely recognized Southern fiddle tunes has its roots in the eastern Kentucky hills of Clay County. Married at 17 years old and in the Civil War by 22 with three kids, Joe Clark was given a discharge for illness in 1862 and returned to farm in Kentucky.
Two years later his wife Betty kicked him out and Joe Clark’s reputation went downhill. He was a bit of a rogue and his friends started making rhymes out of his exploits and maybe embellishing a bit here and there! For example:
Old Joe Clark was married
His wife was ten feet tall
And when her head was in the bed
Her feet were in the hall
Old Joe Clark’s no friend of mine
Treats me like a pup;
Kicks my houn’ dog under the porch
An’ drinks my booze all up.
Speaking of, Joe took up living with several different women and began brewing brandy and moonshine. The consumption of the homemade brew led to fights. Joe shot one neighbor’s arm off and stabbed another neighbor.
An old Appalachian saying is, “I don’t care what you do, just don’t do it near the porch.” Joe Clark didn’t heed that advice as he was shot dead…right off HIS porch in 1886.
Oh, and by the way, he wasn’t really that old, just 47, but the legend lives on.
The song was first sung by Kentucky soldiers in World War I and then was covered by a variety of artists from the Kingston Trio, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, to Bela Fleck.
Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark
Fare the well I say.
He’d foller me a thousand miles
Just to hear my fiddle play.
Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with us, and thanks for liking, commenting and sharing this post!