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Audio Recording You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down The Wagon

You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down

About this Item

Title

  • You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down

Other Title

  • The Wagon

Names

  • Gordon, Robert Winslow (Recordist)
  • Harney, Benjamin Robertson (Singer)
  • Harney, Benjamin Robertson (Composer)

Created / Published

  • 1978

Headings

  • -  Ragtime music
  • -  Pennsylvania
  • -  Songs--United States
  • -  sound recording
  • -  United States of America -- Pennsylvania

Genre

  • sound recording

Notes

  • -  General: This is thought to be the first published ragtime song, published in 1895. The original sheet music was written for piano and voice.
  • -  General: A blues song with a similar title, "You're a Good Old Wagon, But Daddy You've Done Broke Down," was written by Bessie Smith and Stuart Balcom, recorded by Columbia Records, 1925.
  • -  Harney states at the end of the recording (not included in this presentation) "This is absolutely the first song published in ragtime; the first song ever written in ragtime. The idea was conceived by Ben Harney, in Louisville, Kentucky."
  • -  Source: This song was published on the Library of Congress long playing record, "Folk-Songs of America: The Robert Winslow Gordon Collection," in 1978, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Archive of Folk Culture..
  • -  Abstract: Composer Ben Harney sings his song, "You've Been a Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down," without accompaniment. Recorded by Robert Winslow Gordon, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (probably in Harney's home), ca. 1925.

Medium

  • 1 cylinder.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • AFC 1928/002: AFS 19009 (Gordon Cyl. G24, misc. 37)

Source Collection

  • The Library of Congress Celebrates the Songs of America

Repository

  • american folklife center

Digital Id

Online Format

  • audio

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: Library of Congress

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Gordon, Robert Winslow, Benjamin Robertson Harney, and Benjamin Robertson Harney. You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down. 1978. Audio. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/ihas.200196487/.

APA citation style:

Gordon, R. W., Harney, B. R. & Harney, B. R. (1978) You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down. [Audio] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/ihas.200196487/.

MLA citation style:

Gordon, Robert Winslow, Benjamin Robertson Harney, and Benjamin Robertson Harney. You've Been A Good Old Wagon, But You've Done Broke Down. 1978. Audio. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/ihas.200196487/>.