This tune was originally a North American traditional song. The lyrics are thought to be inspired by the 19th century Kentucky mountaineer Joseph Clark and versions have been recorded by the likes of Woody Guthrie, Cowan Powers and the Kingston Trio.
Many verses have been added over the years and the tune has grown hugely in popularity over the years at all kinds of sessions and dances. Here’s one version of the lyrics:
Old Joe Clark, he had a house;
Fifteen storeys high
And every storey in that house
Was filled with chicken pie
Chorus:
Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark
Fare thee well, I’m bound
Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark
Goodbye Betsy Brown
I went down to Old Joe’s house
He invited me to supper
I stubbed my toe on the table leg
And stuck my nose in the butter (Chorus)
Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat
She would neither sing nor pray
Stuck her head in a buttermilk jar
And washed her sins away (Chorus)
Old Joe Clark he had a mule
His name was Morgan Brown
And every tooth in that mule’s head
Was sixteen inches ‘round (Chorus)
Old Joe Clark, he had a house;
Fifteen storeys high
And every storey in that house
Was filled with chicken pie
Chorus:
Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark
Fare thee well, I’m bound
Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark
Goodbye Betsy Brown
I went down to Old Joe’s house
He invited me to supper
I stubbed my toe on the table leg
And stuck my nose in the butter (Chorus)
Old Joe Clark had a yellow cat
She would neither sing nor pray
Stuck her head in a buttermilk jar
And washed her sins away (Chorus)
Old Joe Clark he had a mule
His name was Morgan Brown
And every tooth in that mule’s head
Was sixteen inches ‘round (Chorus)
The tune is in A mixolydian – which is A major with a hint of minor (due to the G being natural).
I specialise more in Irish fiddle playing, so my version certainly has something of an Irish accent. But, when I play American tunes like this, I always use a lot of double stops and slides, which seems to suit the tunes. This is another tune that I learned early on in my fiddle learning, which I seem to enjoy increasingly the more I play it.