Search

Written by
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.
Licensing
Request a synchronization license

Meta

Added by mduval32323

Versions

written by English