Dink's Song (Fare Thee Well) (Traditional)

Sources:

John A. Lomax, Alan Lomax: American Ballads and Folk Songs (first ed. 1934): ... along the Brazos River in Texas ... Dink was one of these women, and twenty-five years ago [1908], after she had downed nearly a quart of gin she sang these blues ...

Wikipedia

Article by Marc Tracy: The Story Behind the Central Song in 'Inside Llewyn Davis'

Sheet Music:

John A. Lomax, Alan Lomax: American Ballads and Folk Songs (first ed. 1934)

Dink's Song

Recordings:

1942 - Libby Holman - Decca - Libby Holman, Josh White

1944 - Josh White - Asch/Stinson

1958 - Harry Belafonte - on: Belafonte Sings the Blues - "Fare Thee Well"

1958 - Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Topic, on: Jack Takes the Floor

1959 - Pete Seeger - Folkways 2322, on: American Favorite Ballads: Volume Three

(1961) - Bob Dylan - Dec. 22, 1961 - Columbia, on: The Bootleg Series 7: No Direction Home (released 2005) - Bob Dylan (v,g)

1960s - Judy Collins - on DVD: Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest (released 2005) - Judy Collins, Pete Seeger

1963 - Steve Addiss - Verve, on: Such Interesting People

1963 - Judi Resnick - Hartford VT - S.&M., on: You've Heard My Voice

1964 - Bob Gibson - Elektra, on: Where I'm Bound

1965 - Catherine McKinnon - on: Voice of an Angel, Vol. 2

1967 - Fred Neil - on: Fred Neil - "Faretheewell (Fred's Tune)"

1968 - The Big 3 - Roulette - Nora's Dove (Dink's Song)"

1978 - Magna Carta - on: Live in Bergen

1994 - Barnes & Hampton, Linn Barne, Allison Hampton - Artifex, on: Moonlight

1999 - Odetta - on: Blues Everywhere I Go

2001 - Appleseed 1046, on: Roger McQuinn: Treasures From the Folk Den (released 2001) - Roger McQuinn, Pete Seeger, Josh White Jr

2003 - Jeff Bukley - Aug. 17, 1993 - NYC - Columbia, on: Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)

2003 - Mary Flower - Bluesette, on: Ragtime Gal

2005 - Joan Baez - Proper, on: Bowery Songs

2005 - Roger McGuinn - April First, on: The Folk Den Project (1995-2005)

2006 - Frank Black - Back Porch, on: Fast Man Raider Man

2007 - Phil Cooper, Kate Early, Margaret Nelson - on: Hearts Return

2007 - Furnace Mountain - Shepherd's Ford, on: Fly the River

2007 - David Massengill - Gadfly, on: Dave on Dave

2007 - Gabriel Rios - Megadisc, on: Angelhead

2008 - Peggy Seeger - Appleseed, on: Bring Me Home

2011 - Molly Gene, Molly Gene One Whoaman Band - CD Baby/Solid Audio, on: Folk Blues and Booze

2013 - Anna McGarrigle, Chaim Tannenbaum, Martha Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright - Nonesuch, on: Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle

2013 - Oscar Isaac - Nonesuch, on: Inside Llewyn Davis

2013 - Oscar Isaac, Marcus Mumford - Nonesuch, on: Inside Llewyn Davis

 

 

Benjamin Britten also made an arrangement of this song


Version in Lomax' American Ballads and Folk Songs

Ef I had wings like Norah's dove
I'd fly up the river to the man I love
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

Ise got a man, an' he's long and tall
Moves his body like a cannon ball
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

One o' dese days, an' it won't be long
Call my name an I'll be gone
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

'Member one night, a-drizzlin' rain
Roun' my heart I felt a pain
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

When I wo' my ap'ons low
Couldn't keep you from my do'
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

Now I wears my ap'ons high
Sca'cely ever see you passin' by
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

Now my ap'on's up to my chin
You pass my do' an' you won' come in
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

Ef I had listened to whut my mama said
I'd be at home in my mama's bed
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

Version Bob Dylan (1961)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

If I had wings like Norah’s Dove
I’d fly the river to the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

I had a man who was long and tall
Moved his body like a cannonball
Fare thee well, my honey fare thee well.

'Member one evening was drizzling rain
And ‘round my heart I felt an aching pain
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Once I wore my apron low
Cannot keep you away from my door
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Now my apron is up to my chin
You pass my door but she never come in
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Mighty river runs muddy and wild
Can’t care the bloody for my unborn child
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Number 9 train won’t do no harm
Number 9 train take my poor baby home
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Fastest man I ever saw
Skipped Missouri on the way to Arkansas
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Version Peggy Seeger and Neill MacColl

If I had wings like Norah's dove
I'd fly upriver to the one I love
Fare ye well, my honey, fare ye well.

I got a man, he's long and tall
He move his body like a cannonball
Fare ye well, my honey, fare ye well.

One of these days and it won't be long
You'll call my name and I'll be gone
Fare ye well, my honey, fare ye well.

I went to the river, sat down and cried,
Heard you singing on the other side
Fare ye well, my honey, fare ye well.

Late last night it was drizzling rain
Round my heart felt an aching pain
Fare ye well, my honey, fare ye well.

Version Oscar Isaac (movie Inside Llewyn Davis)

If I had wings like Norah's dove
I'd fly the river to the one I love
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

The woman I love, she's long and tall,
She moves her body like a cannon ball
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

Early one morning, drizzling rain
And in my heart I felt an aching pain.
Fare thee well, o honey, fare thee well.

One of these morning, it won't be long
You're call my name, and I'll be gone
Fare thee well, o honey, fare, fare thee well.

If I had wings like Norah's dove
I'd fly the river to the one I love
O fare thee well, o honey, fare, fare thee well.

Version Oscar Isaac (movie Inside Llewyn Davis)

If I had wings like Norah's dove
I'd fly the river to the one I love
O fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

If I had a man, he's long and tall,
He moved his body like a cannon ball
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

I remember one evening, pouring rain
In my heart was an aching pain.
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Muddy river runs muddy 'n' wild,
You can't give the body from my unborn child.
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.

Just as sure as the birds flying high above
Life ain't worth living without the one you love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well.