Dooley

The Kingston Trio

About Dooley

"Tom Dooley" is a North Carolina folk song based on the 1866 murder of a woman named Laura Foster in Wilkes County, North Carolina, allegedly by Tom Dula. The song is best known today because of a hit version recorded in 1958 by The Kingston Trio. This version was a multi-format hit, which reached #1 in Billboard and the Billboard R&B listing, and appeared in the Cashbox Country Music Top 20. The song was selected as one of the American Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time."Tom Dooley" fits within the wider genre of Appalachian "sweetheart murder ballads". A local poet named Thomas Land wrote a song about the tragedy, titled "Tom Dooley" (which was how Dula's name was pronounced), shortly after Dula was hanged. In the documentary Appalachian Journey (1991), folklorist Alan Lomax describes Frank Proffitt as the "original source" for the song, which was misleading only in that he didn't write it. There are several earlier known recordings, notably one that Grayson and Whitter made in 1929, approximately 10 years before Proffitt cut his own recording. 


Year:
1987
92 
#2

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(One for the money, two for the show, possum up the gum tree, do-si-do!
Dooley was a good old man. He lived beyond the mill. Dooley had two daughters and a forty-gallon still.
One gal watched the boiler, the other watched the spout. Mama corked the bottles and old Dooley fetched them out.

Dooley, slippin' up the hollar. Dooley, tryin' to make a dollar. Dooley, give me a swaller and I'll pay you back some day.
(Repeat last time.)

The revenuers came for him, a-slippin' through the woods but Dooley kept behind them all and never lost his goods.
Dooley was a trader when into town he come. Sugar by the bushel and molasses by the ton.

I remember, very well, the day old Dooley died. The woman folk looked sorry and the men sat around and cried.
Now, Dooley's on the mountain, he lies there, all alone. They put a jug beside him and a barrel for a stone.

I'll pay you back some day. I'll pay you back some day.

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The Kingston Trio

The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds. It rose to international popularity, fueled by unprecedented sales of 33⅓ rpm long-playing record albums (LPs), and helped to alter the direction of popular music in the U.S. more »

4 fans

Written by: M. JAYNE, R. DILLARD

Lyrics © LYNNE GREEN-MELINCOFF D/B/A HOFFMAN HOUSE MUSIC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Historical Context
"Dooley" is a song performed by The Kingston Trio, an American folk and pop music group that managed to blend their music with a healthy dose of mainstream pop.
Song Origin
The song was written by Rod McKuen, a popular American poet and singer, and it was then adapted by The Kingston Trio.
Album
"Dooley" is featured in the album "Goin' Places," which was released in 1961.
Theme
The song narrates the story of a mountain-dwelling moonshiner named Dooley, reflecting the folkloric and storytelling tradition prevalent in many folk songs.
Popularity
The song is one of The Kingston Trio's most famous numbers, loved for its catchy tune and interesting narrative.
Influence
"Dooley" is one specimen of the folk revival movement that The Kingston Trio helped catalyze in the late 1950s and early 1960s in America, contributing to folk music's growing popularity.
Style
This song, like many of The Kingston Trio's hits, uses a lively, uptempo sound that belies the often serious or melancholic matter of the lyrics.
Song Structure
The song follows a classic verse-chorus structure, making it easily memorable and fitted for group sing-a-longs.
Musical Instruments
The song prominently features the use of acoustic guitar and banjo, reflecting the traditional musical accompaniment of folk songs.
Cover Versions
"Dooley" has been covered by other popular country and folk bands, demonstrating its enduring appeal and influence in the genre.
Live Performances
"Dooley" often forms part of The Kingston Trio's concert set lists, reflecting its ongoing popularity among fans.
The Story behind Song
It's often suggested that Dooley' is actually based on Marvin 'Popcorn' Sutton, a legendary Appalachian moonshiner who lived in the same region and era as the fictional Dooley.

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