Candy Man
Traditional
- Written by
- [Traditional]
- Language
- English
- Comments
-
Song often will either be credited as Traditional or to Rev. Gary Davis. The story goes that Rev. Davis learned this song in his teens but wouldn't play the lyrics as he felt they were too sacreligious (the Candy Man was slang for a drug dealer) but at the turn of the century drugs such as cocaine weren't illegal or yet known to be scourges. Mississippi John Hurt altered the lyrics and recorded his version in December 1928. In the early 1960s, many of the folk revivalists spent time with Rev. Davis and he taught them this song and it was popularized by Jack Elliott and Dave Van Ronk. NOTE: SHS has set up Mississippi John Hurt's rendition as an adaptation but it can be argued that it was just an arrangement.
Candy man, (6 times)
I’d give anything in this God-a-mighty world to get my candy man home
Run get the pitcher get the baby some beer, (6 times)
I wisht I was in New Orleans siting on a candy stand
Candy man, Salty dog (3 times)
If I can’t be you loving candy man lemme be your salty dog
Little red light, little green light (3 times)
Gotta step on the red and go on the green stay away from mister in-between - Licensing
- Request a synchronization license