- 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
Song
Versions
Candy Man written by [Traditional] English
Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candy Man | Erik Darling | 1958 | |||
Candyman | Ramblin' Jack Elliott | 1961 | |||
Candy Man | Dave Van Ronk | August 1964 | |||
Candy Man | Donovan | October 12, 1965 | |||
Candy Man | Lisa Kindred | 1965 | |||
Candy Man | Mac MacLeod | 1965 | |||
Candy Man | The Rising Sons [US] | February 14, 1966 | |||
Candy Man | The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | February 1967 | |||
Candy Man | Alex Campbell | 1967 | |||
Candy Man | Hamish Imlach | 1967 | |||
Candy Man | Don Partridge | September 1968 | |||
Candy Man | Don Paulin | 1970 | |||
Candy Man | Hot Tuna | 1971 | |||
Candy Man | Roy Bookbinder | 1972 | |||
Candy Man | Reverend Gary Davis | 1973 | Unverified | ||
Candy Man | Jorma Kaukonen | 1985 | |||
Candy Man | Ralph McTell | 1990 | |||
Candy Man | Guy Davis | October 17, 1995 | Unverified | ||
Candy Man | Spike an' Darrell | 1995 | |||
Candy Man | Sheryl Warner and the Southside Homewreckers | March 18, 2008 | Live | ||
Candy Man | Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton | June 9, 2017 | |||
Candyman | Muireann Bradley | December 8, 2023 | Unverified |
Candy Man written by [Traditional] instrumental
Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
i | Candyman | Stefan Grossman with Sunshine Kate | February 1967 | ||
i | Candy Man | John Fahey | 1973 |
Candy Man written by Mississippi John Hurt English
Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candy Man Blues | Mississippi John Hurt | February 1929 | First recording on December 28, 1928 | ||
Candy Man Blues | Backwards Sam Firk | 1968 | |||
Candy Men | Backwards Sam Firk & Delta X | 1969 | |||
Candyman | David Essig | 1975 | |||
Candyman | Dutch Tilders | 1992 | Unverified | ||
Candyman Blues | Ken Hamm | 1998 | |||
Candy Man | Steve & Justin Earle | 2001 | |||
Candy Man | Chris Smither | July 22, 2003 | |||
Candy Man | The Alabama Gravy Soppers | 2003 | |||
Candy Man | John Jackson | June 15, 2010 | Live Released more than 10 years after its recording |
||
Candy Man | Rory Block | June 3, 2013 | |||
Candyman | Catfish Keith | 2017 |
Meakt's Eich Des written by Richard Weihs German (not verified yet)
Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meakt's Eich Des | Richard Weihs | 1983 | Unverified |