Leaving Home
Charlie Poole (March 22, 1892 - May 21, 1931) was an American old time banj… Read Full Bio ↴Charlie Poole (March 22, 1892 - May 21, 1931) was an American old time banjo player, singer, country musician and the leader of the North Carolina Ramblers, a banjo-guitar-fiddle string band that recorded many popular songs between 1925 and 1931.
Charlie was born in Spray, now part of Eden, Rockingham County, in the northern Piedmont region of North Carolina, near the Virginia border.
He learned banjo as a youth. Poole also played baseball, and his three-fingered playing technique was the result of a baseball accident. He bet that he could catch a baseball without a glove. Poole closed his hand too soon, the ball broke his thumb, and resulted in a permanent arch in his right hand.
Poole bought his first good banjo, an Orpheum No. 3 Special, with profits from his moonshine still. Later, he appeared in the 1929 catalog of the Gibson Company, promoting their banjo.
He spent much of his adult life working in textile mills.
Charlie Poole and his brother-in-law, fiddler Posey Rorer - whom he had met in West Virginia in 1917 and whose sister he married - formed a trio with guitarist Norman Woodlieff called the North Carolina Ramblers. The group auditioned in New York for Columbia Records. After landing a contract, they recorded the highly successful "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" on July 27, 1925. This song sold over 102,000 copies at a time when there were estimated to be only 600,000 phonographs in the Southern United States, according to Poole’s biographer and great nephew, Kinney Rorrer. The band was paid $75 for the session, which would be approximately $950.20 in 2011 dollars (Consumer Price Index).
Poole played the banjo. The guitar was played by Norman Woodlief, and later by former railroad engineer Roy Harvey from West Virginia. Fiddlers in various recording sessions were Posey Rorer, Lonnie Austin and Odell Smith.
The North Carolina Ramblers, a banjo-guitar-fiddle trio with Poole's plain-spoken tenor voice in the lead, in great part created the musical templates for two giants: the bluegrass of Bill Monroe and, by extension, the lyrical aspects of the modern country music of Hank Williams. Bill C. Malone, in his important history of country music, "Country Music, U.S.A." says, "The Rambler sound was predictable: a bluesy fiddle lead, backed up by long, flowing, melodic guitar runs and the finger-style banjo picking of Poole. Predictable as it may be, it was nonetheless outstanding. No string band in early country music equalled the Ramblers' controlled, clean, well-patterned sound."
For the next five years, Poole and the Ramblers were a very popular band. The band's distinctive sound remained consistent though several members came and left, including Posey Rorer and Norm Woodlieff. In all, the band recorded over 60 songs for Columbia Records during the 1920s. These hits included: "Sweet Sunny South", "White House Blues", “He Rambled”, and “Take a Drink on Me”.
Poole was essentially a cover artist, who composed few, if any, of his recordings. Nevertheless, his dynamic renditions were popular with a broad audience in the Southeast. He is considered a primary source for old-time music revivalists and aficionados. Songs like "Bill Morgan And His Gal", "Milwaukee Blues", and "Leavin' Home", have been resurrected by banjo players. Poole developed a unique fingerpicking style, a blend of melody, arpeggio, and rhythm (as distinct from clawhammer/frailing and Scruggs' variations).
In addition to being a talented musician, Poole was a fast living and hard drinking man. He packed several lifetimes of hard and fast living into his 39 years. Textile mill worker, semi-pro ballplayer, and hell-raiser supreme, Poole won his place among the giants of American roots music with his pathfinding work on the banjo, and for heading the innovative North Carolina Ramblers. The original Ramblers played around Spray and Leaksville, North Carolina beginning in 1917. In 1925, the recordings they made for Columbia allowed them to escape life in the textile mills.
Poole's life ended after a 13-week drinking bender. He had been invited to Hollywood to play background music for a film. According to some reports, he was disheartened by the slump in record sales due to the Depression. Poole never made it to Hollywood. He died of a heart attack in May 1931.
The ultimate cause of Poole's death is unknown. He suffered heart failure after excessive drinking. After his last bout with drinking, Poole was examined by a local doctor in Eden, who administered an injection of some kind -possibly to bring him down from the alcohol. Poole died after the injection on the table, and there is speculation that the injection may have been a factor in his death.
Poole’s music enjoyed a revival in the 1960s, and his renditions have been rerecorded by numerous artists, such as John Mellencamp with "White House Blues", The Chieftains and Grateful Dead with "Don’t Let the Deal Go Down", Holy Modal Rounders and Hot Tuna with "Hesitation Blues", and Joan Baez with "Sweet Sunny South". His recordings have also appeared on numerous compilations of old-time music. Since 1995, Poole's legacy has been carried on every year in Eden, North Carolina during the month of June when the Piedmont Folk Legacies, Inc, a non-profit organization, hosts the Charlie Poole Music Festival.
Columbia issued a three-CD box set of his music, entitled You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music in 2005. The album, produced by Henry "Hank" Sapoznik, was nominated for three Grammy awards. It chronicles the stompin' sides made for Columbia by Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers between 1925 and 1931, including such important songs as "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (the first country mega-hit), "Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight, Mister?", "Old and Only In the Way" (the title of which was used by Jerry Garcia to name his 1970s bluegrass band with David Grisman, Old and In the Way), and "White House Blues", adapted by John Mellencamp, who in 2004 updated the politically charged lyrics and changed the title to "To Washington". In addition to 43 of Poole's original recordings, the package features performances by other early roots music players and singers, including Fred Van Eps, Arthur Collins, Billy Murray, Floyd Country Ramblers, Uncle Dave Macon and The Red Fox Chasers.
The original liner notes, by Peter Stampfel, state, "Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers recorded an incredible number of songs that are personal favorites of mine. Poole is, in fact, one of the great musicians of the century. No doubt about it." The album's cover art was created by Robert Crumb, the celebrated illustrator and an old-time music afficiando.
Kinney Rorrer penned a biography of Charlie Poole, entitled Ramblin’ Blues: The Life and Songs of Charlie Poole in 1982. Rorrer, a descendant of Poole's fiddler Posey Rorer, is the banjo player for the old-time music group The New North Carolina Ramblers.
Production of a documentary on Poole's life, tentatively titled North Carolina Rambler, was announced in 2007 by producer-director-cinematographer George Goehl. However, no word on the film's progress is available.
A double-CD album paying tribute to Poole was released by singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III in August 2009. The album, entitled High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, features 30 tracks, including new versions of songs originally recorded by Poole, as well as tunes composed by Wainwright and producer Dick Connette on the artist's life and times; it was awarded the Grammy for 'Best Traditional Folk Album' at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Charlie was born in Spray, now part of Eden, Rockingham County, in the northern Piedmont region of North Carolina, near the Virginia border.
He learned banjo as a youth. Poole also played baseball, and his three-fingered playing technique was the result of a baseball accident. He bet that he could catch a baseball without a glove. Poole closed his hand too soon, the ball broke his thumb, and resulted in a permanent arch in his right hand.
Poole bought his first good banjo, an Orpheum No. 3 Special, with profits from his moonshine still. Later, he appeared in the 1929 catalog of the Gibson Company, promoting their banjo.
He spent much of his adult life working in textile mills.
Charlie Poole and his brother-in-law, fiddler Posey Rorer - whom he had met in West Virginia in 1917 and whose sister he married - formed a trio with guitarist Norman Woodlieff called the North Carolina Ramblers. The group auditioned in New York for Columbia Records. After landing a contract, they recorded the highly successful "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" on July 27, 1925. This song sold over 102,000 copies at a time when there were estimated to be only 600,000 phonographs in the Southern United States, according to Poole’s biographer and great nephew, Kinney Rorrer. The band was paid $75 for the session, which would be approximately $950.20 in 2011 dollars (Consumer Price Index).
Poole played the banjo. The guitar was played by Norman Woodlief, and later by former railroad engineer Roy Harvey from West Virginia. Fiddlers in various recording sessions were Posey Rorer, Lonnie Austin and Odell Smith.
The North Carolina Ramblers, a banjo-guitar-fiddle trio with Poole's plain-spoken tenor voice in the lead, in great part created the musical templates for two giants: the bluegrass of Bill Monroe and, by extension, the lyrical aspects of the modern country music of Hank Williams. Bill C. Malone, in his important history of country music, "Country Music, U.S.A." says, "The Rambler sound was predictable: a bluesy fiddle lead, backed up by long, flowing, melodic guitar runs and the finger-style banjo picking of Poole. Predictable as it may be, it was nonetheless outstanding. No string band in early country music equalled the Ramblers' controlled, clean, well-patterned sound."
For the next five years, Poole and the Ramblers were a very popular band. The band's distinctive sound remained consistent though several members came and left, including Posey Rorer and Norm Woodlieff. In all, the band recorded over 60 songs for Columbia Records during the 1920s. These hits included: "Sweet Sunny South", "White House Blues", “He Rambled”, and “Take a Drink on Me”.
Poole was essentially a cover artist, who composed few, if any, of his recordings. Nevertheless, his dynamic renditions were popular with a broad audience in the Southeast. He is considered a primary source for old-time music revivalists and aficionados. Songs like "Bill Morgan And His Gal", "Milwaukee Blues", and "Leavin' Home", have been resurrected by banjo players. Poole developed a unique fingerpicking style, a blend of melody, arpeggio, and rhythm (as distinct from clawhammer/frailing and Scruggs' variations).
In addition to being a talented musician, Poole was a fast living and hard drinking man. He packed several lifetimes of hard and fast living into his 39 years. Textile mill worker, semi-pro ballplayer, and hell-raiser supreme, Poole won his place among the giants of American roots music with his pathfinding work on the banjo, and for heading the innovative North Carolina Ramblers. The original Ramblers played around Spray and Leaksville, North Carolina beginning in 1917. In 1925, the recordings they made for Columbia allowed them to escape life in the textile mills.
Poole's life ended after a 13-week drinking bender. He had been invited to Hollywood to play background music for a film. According to some reports, he was disheartened by the slump in record sales due to the Depression. Poole never made it to Hollywood. He died of a heart attack in May 1931.
The ultimate cause of Poole's death is unknown. He suffered heart failure after excessive drinking. After his last bout with drinking, Poole was examined by a local doctor in Eden, who administered an injection of some kind -possibly to bring him down from the alcohol. Poole died after the injection on the table, and there is speculation that the injection may have been a factor in his death.
Poole’s music enjoyed a revival in the 1960s, and his renditions have been rerecorded by numerous artists, such as John Mellencamp with "White House Blues", The Chieftains and Grateful Dead with "Don’t Let the Deal Go Down", Holy Modal Rounders and Hot Tuna with "Hesitation Blues", and Joan Baez with "Sweet Sunny South". His recordings have also appeared on numerous compilations of old-time music. Since 1995, Poole's legacy has been carried on every year in Eden, North Carolina during the month of June when the Piedmont Folk Legacies, Inc, a non-profit organization, hosts the Charlie Poole Music Festival.
Columbia issued a three-CD box set of his music, entitled You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music in 2005. The album, produced by Henry "Hank" Sapoznik, was nominated for three Grammy awards. It chronicles the stompin' sides made for Columbia by Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers between 1925 and 1931, including such important songs as "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" (the first country mega-hit), "Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight, Mister?", "Old and Only In the Way" (the title of which was used by Jerry Garcia to name his 1970s bluegrass band with David Grisman, Old and In the Way), and "White House Blues", adapted by John Mellencamp, who in 2004 updated the politically charged lyrics and changed the title to "To Washington". In addition to 43 of Poole's original recordings, the package features performances by other early roots music players and singers, including Fred Van Eps, Arthur Collins, Billy Murray, Floyd Country Ramblers, Uncle Dave Macon and The Red Fox Chasers.
The original liner notes, by Peter Stampfel, state, "Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers recorded an incredible number of songs that are personal favorites of mine. Poole is, in fact, one of the great musicians of the century. No doubt about it." The album's cover art was created by Robert Crumb, the celebrated illustrator and an old-time music afficiando.
Kinney Rorrer penned a biography of Charlie Poole, entitled Ramblin’ Blues: The Life and Songs of Charlie Poole in 1982. Rorrer, a descendant of Poole's fiddler Posey Rorer, is the banjo player for the old-time music group The New North Carolina Ramblers.
Production of a documentary on Poole's life, tentatively titled North Carolina Rambler, was announced in 2007 by producer-director-cinematographer George Goehl. However, no word on the film's progress is available.
A double-CD album paying tribute to Poole was released by singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III in August 2009. The album, entitled High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, features 30 tracks, including new versions of songs originally recorded by Poole, as well as tunes composed by Wainwright and producer Dick Connette on the artist's life and times; it was awarded the Grammy for 'Best Traditional Folk Album' at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Leaving Home
Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Leaving Home' by these artists:
Big Scary Stay awake. Life's like a blink of the eye Breathe in.…
Black Drawing Chalks Girl, don′t be afraid if you think I won't go And…
Camylio By the time you read this I'll be Somewhere over thirty…
Charlie Poole Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts, they had a quarrel one…
Charlie Poole & N.C. Ramblers Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts they had a quarrel one…
Cody Fry I've lived a thousand place I've looked for life in spaces a…
Dingus Strangely enough, we'll miss that paradox: A red state repr…
Garden Leaving Home Music by Adriana Rubio, Alexander Ditzend, Pabl…
Jebediah Were you laughed at by your friends And were you…
Katie Armiger I put the locket that you gave me in a…
Love Anchor All my friends are leaving home But I know that you…
Marijonas Mikutavicius Drive my car with all speed Speed not takes the lead Why…
Marty Doc I wanna leave my home Like old fashioned rolling stone I wan…
Nic Jeffrey Take me down the hardest road you know I'm not scared I'm…
Nicke Borg You Can't stand beside me And think you know me I am wais…
Nicke Borg Homeland You Can't stand beside And think you know me I am waistin…
OH!hello I'm covered in what I've done Dripping like sweat, stained l…
Old State A decision too hard to make: Leaving behind my brothers. I…
Phoebe Hunt Leaving Home Phoebe Hunt (BMI), Matt Rollings (BMI) © 2010 …
Sandra Bullet How was I supposed to know? That someday I had to let…
southpost Leaving home to give yourself a better chance Leaving behind…
Spitalfield You smile like I'm insane With my feet on the ground…
T. Mills I love the way home feels and smells, been here…
Teen angst There's nothing left to say Before I go away It's been twent…
The Keepers Five O'clock One Wednesday morning She leaves a note She’s l…
The Mountain Goats we gathered up our worldly goods stole off in the dark…
The New Lost City Ramblers Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts they had a quarrel one…
The Proclaimers East Coast trains run slow And Edinburgh seems cold For eigh…
Underwater Pilots Wasn't it a tranquil place I left I am trustful For nothin…
王嘉儀 (Sophy) 崩裂一角 我會否 仍是我 藏身在逼仄的軀殼 牆壁 暗燈 潛藏著碰撞 失落一剎 氣溫如驟降 習慣收拾一室的慘況 也許…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers:
baltimore fire It was always through a falls by a narrow. That I…
Blue Devil Blues Now I've been all around this whole wide world Down to…
Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Now I've been all around this whole wide world Down to…
Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues Now I've been all around this whole wide world Down to…
Falling By the Wayside A handsome noble-looking man came walking down the street Be…
Goodbye Booze Oh goodbye booze for evermore My boozing days will soon be…
if the river was whiskey If the river was whiskey and I was a duck I'd…
Milwaukee Blues One Tuesday morning and it looked like rain Around the curv…
Ramblin' Blues I've seen the life of old gay Broadway Old Market Street…
Sweet Sixteen I had a Jane a long time ago, she was…
Take A Drink On Me Now, what did you do with the gun in your…
The Letter That Never Came "Is there any mail for me?" Was the question that he…
White House Blues McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled Doc said to McKinley, …
White House Blues (78RPM Version) McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled Doc said to McKinley, "…
Whitehouse Blues McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled Doc said to McKinley, "…
You Ain't Talkin' to Me I went up to a lady's house To bum a bite…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Charlie Poole:
Baltimore Fire It was always through a falls by a narrow. That I…
Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues Now I've been all around this whole wide world Down to…
Falling By the Wayside A handsome noble-looking man came walking down the street Be…
I'm the Man That Rode the Mule 'Round the World She promised to meet me When the clock struck twenty-three …
If the River Was Whiskey If the river was whiskey and I was a duck I'd…
Milwaukee Blues One Tuesday morning and it looked like rain Around the curv…
Ramblin' Blues I've seen the life of old gay Broadway Old Market Street…
Sweet Sixteen I had a Jane a long time ago, she was…
Take a Drink On Me Now, what did you do with the gun in your…
The Letter That Never Came "Is there any mail for me?" Was the question that he…
Took My Gal a-Walkin' I took my gal a-walkin' It was on one Saturday night I…
White House Blues McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled Doc said to McKinley, …
You Ain't Takin' To Me I went up to a lady's house To bum a bite…
You Ain't Talkin' to Me I went up to a lady's house To bum a bite…
You Ain't Talking To Me I went up to a lady's house To bum a bite…
You Aint Talking to Me I went up to a lady's house To bum a bite…
We have lyrics for these tracks by The North Carolina Ramblers:
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@phononut
Classic!
@rattyfingers8621
Goodness Gracious, this is GOOD!!
@Chriswmagic
wen a win a-win a win t' blow the groun is coverd up