Boggs was born in Norton, Virginia and began working in the coal mines of Appalachia at the age of twelve. At around this time, Boggs became interested in the banjo. As was the case of many musicians and performers of his era, Boggs learned to play the banjo watching and listening to family members and other performers, drawing additional influence from local African American musicians.
Boggs, while playing a traditional-style of play, did not play in the knock-down, sometimes called clawhammer or frailing style, instead employing a three-finger method that involved picking upwards on the strings of the banjo and permitted him to execute crisp single-note runs in a manner similar to that of a fingerstyle guitarist. Nevertheless, Boggs' style should not be confused with the bluegrass style of playing otherwise known as Scruggs style, made famous by Earl Scruggs, which also involves up-picking the banjo strings.
In 1920 Dock Boggs became influenced by blues tunes. He heard music played and sung by African-Americans while working in the coal mines and around the railroads of Appalachia. In 1927 he attended an audition in Bristol, Tennessee with the Brunswick record company. He was offered a contract to record with Brunswick and as a result travelled to New York where he recorded eight sides: "Sugar Baby," "Down Home Blues," "Country Blues," "Sammie Where Have You Been So Long," "Danville Girl," "Pretty Polly," "New Prisoner's Song" and "Hard Luck Blues." After these sessions, Boggs never recorded for Brunswick again.
By 1933, Boggs had given up hope of making a living as a musician. He hocked his banjo and did not play again until the early 1960s when he was re-discovered by Mike Seeger of the New Lost City Ramblers. As a result of his relationship with Seeger, Boggs enjoyed a renaissance of sorts during the Folk Revival, and recorded again.
The Death of Jerry Damron
Dock Boggs Lyrics
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and O.
As he left the Coaldale junctionOn the head end of his train, Thinking not of unseen dangers, Frosty nights or drenchin' rain.
Perhaps his thoughts were of his sweetheartAnd on some earthly paradise, When his car gave indicationsThat it was riding on the ties.
Then he got to safety, To make successful land, Then there comes that old, old story, One misstep or slip of hand.
Far from the darkness came destruction, And the truth we'll never know, Of the feeling's of that train crewUp there on the C.
and O.
Quick the angel cock was opened, But, alas, it came too late, Jerry's soul had departedThrough that far off golden gate.
and O.
Jerry, we miss you and we wonderIf you see the C.
and O.
And your friends that are still mournin' for youWhere the Marrowbone waters flow.
Jerry, we hope you're among the angelsWay up there above the stars, Where there'll be no more worry, Ridin' heavy trains or cars.
Now you're sleeping, gently sleeping, Where the Big Sandy breezes blow, But your memory's still with usUp and down the C.
and O.
And it's just another story, While friends sometimes must part, While your soul has gone to Glory, There remains a broken heart.
In "The Death of Jerry Damron", Dock Boggs recounts the tragic death of Jerry Damron, a train conductor on the Chesapeake and Ohio (C. and O.) Railroad, who met his end on a frosty night on Marrowbone Holler. The song paints a picture of Jerry's journey that evening, as he headed out on the head end of his train, lost in thoughts of his sweetheart and a life beyond the rails. However, as fate would have it, Jerry's car gave indications of riding on the ties, and what followed was a fatal misstep or slip of hand that would end in disaster. The lyrics describe the scene of the accident as one of darkness and destruction, with the train crew left to wonder about the feelings and fate of their fallen comrade.
Boggs' lyrics also convey a profound sense of loss and mourning for Jerry, as well as a hope for his eternal rest in a better place. The tool car passing by, and the boom swinging low, almost seem to represent an elegy for the departed conductor. The song concludes with a somber reminder of the inevitability of parting, while remaining hopeful that sorrow can be transformed into a sense of acceptance and peace.
Line by Line Meaning
In the head of Marrowbone Holler, Where the crystal waters flow, Jerry Damron met disasterUp there on the C. and O.
Jerry Damron faced a tragedy in the Marrowbone Holler where the crystal waters flow on the C. and O.
As he left the Coaldale junctionOn the head end of his train, Thinking not of unseen dangers, Frosty nights or drenchin' rain.
Jerry Damron was not thinking about any danger while moving ahead of his train from Coaldale junction on a frosty night.
Perhaps his thoughts were of his sweetheartAnd on some earthly paradise, When his car gave indicationsThat it was riding on the ties.
Jerry's mind could have been on his sweetheart and some earthly paradise when he discovered that his car was failing.
Then he got to safety, To make successful land, Then there comes that old, old story, One misstep or slip of hand.
Jerry was safe for a moment but in the end, he fell through one misstep or slip of his hand.
Far from the darkness came destruction, And the truth we'll never know, Of the feeling's of that train crewUp there on the C. and O.
Destruction arrived afar from the darkness where Jerry and his train crew were, and the truth concerning their feelings regarding the tragedy remains unknown.
Quick the angel cock was opened, But, alas, it came too late, Jerry's soul had departedThrough that far off golden gate.
The angel cock was opened quickly to recover Jerry, but unfortunately, it was too late; Jerry's soul had already departed for heaven.
Then we see the tool car passingWith the boom a-swinging lowAs if it was mournin' for JerryUp there on the C. and O.
The tool car went by, swinging low like it was mourning for Jerry and the tragedy that happened on the C. and O.
Jerry, we miss you and we wonderIf you see the C. and O. And your friends that are still mournin' for youWhere the Marrowbone waters flow.
Jerry's friends miss him and wonder if he can see them and the C. and O. while they mourn him near the Marrowbone waters.
Jerry, we hope you're among the angelsWay up there above the stars, Where there'll be no more worry, Ridin' heavy trains or cars.
Jerry's friends hope he is among the angels above the stars, where he won't have to worry about riding heavy trains or cars anymore.
Now you're sleeping, gently sleeping, Where the Big Sandy breezes blow, But your memory's still with usUp and down the C. and O.
Jerry is at rest where the Big Sandy breezes flow, but his memory still remains with his friends up and down the C. and O.
And it's just another story, While friends sometimes must part, While your soul has gone to Glory, There remains a broken heart.
Jerry's tragedy is just another story of how friends must sometimes bid farewell, and although his soul has gone to heaven, his friends are left with a broken heart.
Contributed by Gianna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.