- Frankie and Johnny (song)
"Frankie and Johnny" (sometimes spelled "Frankie and Johnnie"; also known as "Frankie and Albert" or just "Frankie") is a traditional American popular song. It tells the story of a woman, Frankie, who finds that her man Johnny was "making love to" another woman and shoots him dead. Frankie is then arrested; in some versions of the song she is also executed.
History
The first published version of the music to "Frankie and Johnny" appeared in 1904, credited to and
copyright ed by Hughie Cannon, thecomposer of "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey "; the piece, a variant version of whosemelody is sung today, was titled "He Done Me Wrong" and subtitled "Death of Bill Bailey". [Fuld, p. 234.]Another variant of the melody, with words and music credited to Frank and Bert Leighton, appeared in 1908 under the title "Bill You Done Me Wrong"; this song was republished in 1912 as "Frankie and Johnny", this time with the words that appear in modern folk variations::Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts:They had a quarrel one day,:Johnny he vowed that he would leave her:Said he was going away,:He's never coming home, "etc."Also::Frankie took aim with her forty-four,:Five times with a rooty-toot-toot.The 1912 "Frankie and Johnny" by the Leighton Brothers and Shields also identifies "Nellie Bly" as the new girl to which Johnny has given his heart.
What has come to be the traditional version of the melody was also published in 1912, as the chorus to the song "You're My Baby", whose music is attributed to Nat. D. Ayer. [Fuld, p. 234.]
The familiar "Frankie and Johnny were lovers" lyrics first appeared (as "Frankie and Albert") in "On the Trail of Negro Folksongs" by Dorothy Scarborough, published in 1925; a similar version with the "Frankie and Johnny" names appeared in 1927 in
Carl Sandburg 's "The American Songbag". [Fuld, p. 235.]Several students of
folk music have asserted that the song long predates the earliest published versions; according toLeonard Feather in his " [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Music/PopularMusic/Jazz/~~/dmlldz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5NTMyMDAwOA= Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz] " [Leonard Feather and & Gitler, editors (2007). "The Biographical encyclopedia of jazz." New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN13 9780195320008, ISBN10 019532000X.] it was sung at theSiege of Vicksburg (1863) during theAmerican Civil War [ [http://nfo.net/usa/melodya.html MELODY LANE SONGS - (PAGE 1) - 1840 - 1960 ] ] and Sandburg said it was widespread before 1888, whileJohn Jacob Niles reported that it emerged before 1830. [, [http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/LI03.html Traditional Ballad Index] .] The fact, however, that the familiar version does not appear in print before 1925 is "strange indeed for such an allegedly old and well-known song", according to music historian James J. Fuld, who suggests that it "is not so ancient as some of the folk-song writers would have one believe." [Fuld, pp. 233, 235.]It has been suggested that the song was inspired, or its details influenced, by one or more actual murders. One of these took place in
St. Louis, Missouri , onOctober 15 1899 , when Frankie Baker, a 22-year-old dancer, stabbed (or shot) her 17-year-old lover Allen "Al" Britt, who was having a relationship with a woman named Alice Pryor. Britt died of his wounds two days later. ["St. Louis Post Dispatch ",October 19 ,1899 , cited in [http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/LI03.html Traditional Ballad Index] ; [http://bluegrassmessengers.com/master/frankie1.html Bluegrass Messengers] .] On trial, Baker claimed that Britt had attacked her with a knife and that she acted inself-defense ; she was acquitted and died in a Portlandmental institution in 1952. [ [http://www.perfessorbill.com/pbmidi10.shtml#frankieandjohnny "Perfesser" Bill Edwards] . This account is the one narrated byGarrison Keillor in "A Prairie Home Companion " when that radio program aired from St. Louis for the weekend of2008 July 19 -20.]The song has also been linked to Frances Silver, convicted in 1832 of murdering her husband Charles Silver in
Burke County, North Carolina . Unlike Frankie Baker, Silver was executed. [ [http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/LI03.html Traditional Ballad Index] ; [http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncburke/PDYoung.htm The Untold Story of Frances Silver: A Different Perspective] .]Lyrics
Since "Frankie and Johnny" is a traditional song there is no single definitive version of the lyrics. Several versions were collected by
Robert Winslow Gordon . Therefrain common to most versions is: "He was her man, but he was doing her wrong." The name of the song's "other woman" varies, Alice orNellie Bly being the most usual ones. The gunshot that kills Johnny is often depicted by theonomatopoeia "rooty toot toot." Many versions open with thequatrain : "Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts/Lordy, how they could love/They vowed to love one another/Underneath the stars above." Another common opening is:"Frankie was a good girl/everybody knows/she paid a hundred dollars/for Al's one suit of clothes." A common conclusion is: "This story has no moral/This story has no end/This story only goes to show/That there ain't no good in men."Recordings
At least 256 different recordings of "Frankie and Johnny" have been made since the early 20th century. Singers including
Lead Belly ,Johnny Cash ,Sam Cooke ,Lonnie Donegan ,Bob Dylan ,Mississippi John Hurt ,Joe and Eddie , Jack Johnson, Taj Mahal,Charlie Patton ,Charlie Poole ,Jerry Lee Lewis ,Elvis Presley , Jimmie Rodgers,Gene Vincent ,Fats Waller , Van Morrison, Michael Pappas,Brook Benton andStevie Wonder have performed it in a variety of musical idioms. As ajazz standard it has also been recorded by numerousjazz bands and instrumentalists includingLouis Armstrong ,Count Basie ,Bunny Berigan ,Dave Brubeck ,Duke Ellington andBenny Goodman .Champion Jack Dupree set his version inNew Orleans on "Rampart and Dumaine".Films
The basic story of Frankie and Johnny has been the inspiration for several
feature film s, including "Her Man" (1930, starringHelen Twelvetrees ), "Frankie and Johnnie" (1936, starringHelen Morgan ), and "Frankie and Johnny" (1966, starringElvis Presley ).Terrence McNally wrote a 1987 play, "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune ", which was adapted for the screen in a 1991 film starringAl Pacino andMichelle Pfeiffer .Mae West sings the song in her 1933 Paramount film, "She Done Him Wrong", which takes its title from the refrain, substituting genders.The climax of the 2006
Robert Altman film "A Prairie Home Companion" is a rendition of "Frankie and Johnny" byLindsay Lohan with quasi-improvisatory lyrics written byGarrison Keillor .The tune is usually used in animated cartoons (especially the "
Merrie Melodies " cartoons by Warner Bros.) as the theme or motif for a meretricious or zaftig woman. The song was the basis of a 1951 UPAanimated cartoon , "Rooty Toot Toot ", directed byJohn Hubley . It was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Short Subject.Other media
Daniel Clowes drew acomics adaptation of a somewhat explicit version of the song's lyrics. It is included in the collection "Twentieth Century Eightball ".E. E. Cummings used a version of "Frankie and Johnny" (spelling the latter name "Johnie") as the centerpiece for his 1927 play "Him".The radio series "Suspense" did a dramatization of the lyrics on
1952 May 5 with singerDinah Shore as Frankie. The script was subsequently produced on1957 February 3 with singerMargaret Whiting .The radio program "A Prairie Home Companion", broadcast from Saint Louis in
2008 July , included a version of the song ("cf." note "infra" onGarrison Keillor ). See also the "External Link" "infra" on "A Prairie Home Companion" (movie).References
*James J. Fuld, "The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular and Folk", 3rd Edition (New York: Dover, 1985).
Notes
ee also
*
Stagger Lee External links
* [http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/LI03.html "Frankie and Albert
[ Laws I3] "] , Traditional Ballad Index.
* [http://www.perfessorbill.com/pbmidi10.shtml#frankieandjohnny "Frankie and Johnny, or You'll Miss Me in the Days to Come"] , "Perfesser" Bill Edwards.
* [http://www.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/andersonfrankie1257.html A version of "Frankie and Johnny" sung by B. F. Anderson.]
*
* [http://aprairiehomecompanionmovie.com/ The movie "A Prairie Home Companion" featured a rendition sung by Lindsay Lohan, lyrics by Garrison Keillor]
* [http://bluegrassmessengers.com/fiddle.html At "F", history and lyrics of 10 versions of the song] (Lead Belly, Charlie Poole, Jimmie Rodgers, Jack Dupree, etc.)
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