Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional
In an episode of Deadcast on Robert Hunter's "Silver Snarling Trumpet", Brigid Meier describes a time when she and Jerry Garcia were sitting up on the hills behind The Chateau and Jerry played 'Go Down Old Hannah' again and again, willing the sun to go down (it's a prison work song, with `Hannah' referring to the sun).
There are no recordings of Jerry singing it. It's been recorded many times - this is a Pete Seeger version:
Won't don't you go down old Hannah
Well, well, well
Don't you rise no more
Don't you rise no more
Won't don't you go down old Hannah
Won't you rise no more
Well if you rise in the morning
Well, well, well
Bring judgement day
Bring judgement day
If you rise in the morning
Bring judgement day
Well I looked at my partner
Well, well, well
He was almost dead
He was almost dead
Well I looked at my partner
He was almost dead
Well I said wake up old dead man
Well, well, well
Help me carry my row
Help me carry my row
Won't you wake up old dead man
Help me carry my row
Well my partner looked around
Well, well, well
This is what he said
This iOS what he said
Well my partner looked up
This is what he said
Well I got a [bed] in this [river]
Well, well, well
Nineteen and ten
Nineteen and ten
Well, driving the women
Like they do the men
Well it seems like everything
Well, well, well
Everything I do
Everything I do
Well it seems like everything
Everything I do is wrong
Well I was a good man
Well, well, well
But they drove me down
But they drove me down
Well I was a good man
But they drove me down
Well if you get lucky
Well, well, well
And make it back home
And make it back home
If you get lucky
And make it back home
[fades out]