Re: "Brownsville Girl / New Danville Girl"
Brownsville girl with your Brownsville curls,
teeth like pearls shining like the moon above
Brownsville girl, show me all around the world,
Brownsville girl, you're my honey love.
Partly in response to Stephen Scobie, who in his book
"Alias Bob Dylan", asks "Why Danville?":
Ramblin' Jack Elliott sang "Danville Girl" on an album
which also featured Derroll Adams, Eric Weissberg,
etc. I believe it's the same record that also
included "Roving Gambler" and "Freight Train Blues",
which Dylan sang in the early '60s (the latter
appearing on his debut album).
A few lines from "Danville Girl" that show up in some
of Bob's:
I got off in Danville, got stuck on a Danville girl
You can bet your boots she was out of sight, she wore
that Danville curl.
(Danville/Brownsville girl, with your
Danville/Brownsville curl)
Standing on a platform, smoking a cheap cigar.
("Standing in the Doorway": I'm strumming on my gay
guitar, smoking a cheap cigar)
Finally, Ramblin' Jack Elliott also sang "The Wreck of
the Old 97", which includes the line: It's a long,
hard climb from Vicksberg to Danville on a line with a
three-mile grade.
Thanks to Daniel Olson
Regarding Danville Girl,
The song comes from before Rambling Jack:
He was the big Woody copyist before Bob,
and took the song straight from the master.
It can be found on The Asch Recordings vol 2,
on Smithsonian Folkways, of course!
Brian
