"Blue Yodel no. 8, Mule Skinner Blues" (a.k.a. "Muleskinner Blues", and "Muleskinner's Blues") is a classic country song written by Jimmie Rodgers. The song was first recorded by Rodgers in 1930 and has been recorded by many artists since then, acquiring the de facto title "Mule Skinner Blues" after Rodgers named it "Blue Yodel #8" (one of his Blue Yodels).
"George Vaughn", a pseudonym for songwriter George Vaughn Horton, is sometimes listed as co-author. Horton wrote the lyrics for "New Mule Skinner Blues", Bill Monroe's second recorded version of the song.[3]
The song was discussed in the Ken Burns 2019 documentary miniseries Country Music and Jimmie Rodgers' rendition was on the soundtrack album for the series.
Structure
The song tells the tale of a down-on-his-luck mule skinner, approaching "the Captain", looking for work ("Good Morning, Captain." / "Good morning, Shine." / "Do you need another muleskinner on your new mud line?"). He boasts of his skills: "I can pop my 'nitials on a mule's behind" and hopes for "a dollar and a half a day". He directs the water boy to "bring some water round". The term "Mule Skinner", slang for muleteer, is a driver of mules, and has nothing to do with removing the animal's hide.
Tom Dickson's "Labor Blues"
The first verse of the song is similar to Tom Dickson's 1928 recording "Labor Blues" in which the exchange is clearly between a white boss and an African-American worker who is quitting the job, not applying for it:
It’s "good mornin’ Captain", ‘e said "good mornin’ Shine",
Said "good mornin’ Captain", said "good mornin’ Shine".
"T’ain’t nuthin’ the matter, Captain, but I just ain’t gwine.
"I don’t mind workin’, Captain, from sun to sun,
I don’t mind workin’, Captain, from sun to sun.
But I want my money, Captain, when pay-day come."
"Captain" was a traditional term for the white boss; "Shine" is a derogatory expression for "African-American". Dickson was black. After the narrator rebels and quits because he is not being paid, he turns his attention to his "Mississippi gal" and the remaining lyrics concern their romance. In this 12-bar blues recording, muleskinning is not mentioned, and the remaining Dickson lyrics differ from Rodgers', whose other Blue Yodels also used verses previously recorded by Blues musicians, such as Blind Lemon Jefferson.
Roy Acuff recorded the song in 1939; his version was released in 1940.[4]
Bill Monroe performed the song for his November 25, 1939 debut on the Grand Ole Opry. The performance can be found on the MCA compilation Music of Bill Monroe From 1936-1994 (1994).[4][5]
1940s
The song was Monroe's first solo studio recording. Recorded on October 7, 1940, for RCA Victor, the song became a hit and one of Monroe's signature tunes.[4]
Monroe re-recorded the song in 1950 as "New Mule Skinner Blues" in his first session for Decca, with new lyrics written by George Vaughn Horton (credited as "George Vaughn"). Monroe apparently never sang the song with Horton's lyrics in concert.[3]
Joe D. Gibson (Jody Gibson) recorded a souped up version titled "Good Morning Captain" on tetra Records which served as a model for The Fendermen.
1960s
The Fendermen - Mule Skinner Blues (Soma Records, 1960) This Madison, Wisconsin-based duo reached #5 on the Billboard charts with their version, featuring abbreviated lyrics and strong Fender electric guitar instrumentation. This version is arguably the most widely circulated of recent versions of the song, due to its Billboard chart performance and its subsequent prolific appearances on novelty song collections.
A novelty version of the song, "Batskinner" by Robin & The Batmen (Sara 6612, 1966), was inspired by both The Fendermen version of "Mule Skinner Blues" and the popular Batman television series. ("Good morning, Commissioner!")
Dolly Parton - The Best Of Dolly Parton (1970) This 1970 recording of the song reached #3 on the U.S. country charts, and earned Parton a Grammy nomination. (Parton and Bill Monroe would later perform the song together on the 1978 CBS television special Fifty Years of Country Music.)
Jerry Reed - Georgia Sunshine (1971) Chet Atkins plays on the right channel and takes one guitar solo.
Levi's used a variation of this song for its blue jeans commercial using stop motion animation, around 1972. Lyrics included: "Good Morning, World! Good Morning to you! I'm Wearing my Levi's, Le-hee-hee-hee-vis!"
Muleskinner - Muleskinner (1973) This bluegrass supergroup were named after and led off their only studio album with the song.
The Brothers Four - Released as "Muleskinner" on the compilation album Folk Classics: Roots of American Folk Music (Columbia Records, 1989). This version is arranged by Stuart Gotz; it primarily uses a western show tune style and includes some bluegrass-like elements.
^Stranger Than You Think (CD liner notes). The Vibro Champs. Ultramodern Records/Sci-Fi Western. 1996.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
