"Blue Yodel no. 8, Mule Skinner Blues" (a.k.a. "Muleskinner Blues", and "Muleskinner's Blues") is a classic

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

song written by

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...

. The song was first recorded by Rodgers in 1930 and has been recorded by many artists since then, acquiring the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' 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 George Vaughn Horton (born Broad Top, Pennsylvania, June 5, 1911; died New Port Richey, Florida, February 29, 1988) was an American songwriter and performer. Usually credited as "Vaughn Horton" or "George Vaughn", he wrote or contributed to the s ...

, is sometimes listed as co-author. Horton wrote the lyrics for "New Mule Skinner Blues",

Bill Monroe William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre take ...

's second recorded version of the song.

Structure

The song tells the tale of a down-on-his-luck

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two pos ...

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 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 African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "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 Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

gal" and the remaining lyrics concern their romance. In this

12-bar blues The 12-bar blues (or blues changes) is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly based on ...

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 Lemon Henry "Blind Lemon" Jefferson (September 24, 1893 – December 19, 1929)Some sources indicate Jefferson was born on October 26, 1894. was an American blues and gospel singer-songwriter and musician. He was one of the most popular blues sing ...

Versions of "Muleskinner Blues"

;1930s *Rodgers' original version was a

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

. *

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...

recorded the song in 1939; his version was released in 1940. *

performed the song for his November 25, 1939 debut on the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

. The performance can be found on the MCA compilation ''Music of Bill Monroe From 1936-1994'' (1994). ;1940s * The song was Monroe's first solo studio recording. Recorded on October 7, 1940, for

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

, the song became a hit and one of Monroe's signature tunes. *

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

recorded the song in 1944 for Asch Recordings, which can be found on ''Muleskinner Blues: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 2'', and on ''Original Folk: Best of Woody Guthrie'' (Music Club Deluxe, 2008). ;1950s *Monroe re-recorded the song in 1950 as "New Mule Skinner Blues" in his first session for

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

, with new lyrics written by George Vaughn Horton (credited as "George Vaughn"). Monroe apparently never sang the song with Horton's lyrics in concert. *

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...

- ''

Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues ''Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues'' is the debut solo album by American folk singer Odetta. It was released in November 1956 by Tradition Records. Like much of Odetta's early work, ''Ballads and Blues'' combines traditional songs (e.g. spirituals ...

'' (1956) *

Lonnie Donegan Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the "King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scotl ...

- ''Lonnie Donegan Live, 1957'' [] *

Ramblin' Jack Elliott Ramblin' Jack Elliott (born Elliot Charles Adnopoz; August 1, 1931) is an American folk singer and songwriter. Life and career Elliott was born in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, United States, the son of Florence (Rieger) and Abraham Adnopoz, a ...

- ''Jack Takes the Floor'' (1958) *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 The Fendermen were an American rockabilly duo, composed of Jim Sundquist and Phil Humphrey, active in the early 1960s. Jim Sundquist (lead guitarist; born James D. Sundquist, November 26, 1937, Niagara, Wisconsin; later settled in Minnesota) and ...

- ''Mule Skinner Blues'' ( Soma Records,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

)
This

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

-based duo reached #5 on the

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

with their version, featuring abbreviated

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...

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. *

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

performed his rendition as "Muleskinner" on track seven of his Midnight Special album released in 1962. *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

made this song part of his live performance at the Finjan Club, Montreal, Canada in July 1962. *

Grandpa Jones Louis Marshall Jones (October 20, 1913 – February 19, 1998), known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.McCall, Michael; ...

- "Muleskinner Blues" recorded some point in the 60's. *

David Wiffen David Wiffen (born 11 March 1942) is an English-Canadian folk singer-songwriter. Two of his songs, "Driving Wheel" and "More Often Than Not", have become cover standards. Early life Wiffen was born in Redhill, Surrey, England.

- ''David Wiffen At The Bunkhouse Coffeehouse, Vancouver BC'' (1965) *The Wildwood Boys, a bluegrass band featuring

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

, Robert Hunter and David Nelson, played the song as part of their live repertoire in 1963. *

Jose Feliciano Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...

- "Mule Skinner Blues" (

RCA Victor Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

, 1964) * The Streaplers - "Mule Skinner Blues" 1964 (Swedish group) * A novelty version of the song, "Batskinner" by Robin & The Batmen (Sara 6612, 1966), was inspired by both

version of "Mule Skinner Blues" and the popular ''Batman'' television series. ("Good morning, Commissioner!") *

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...

- ''

Same Train, a Different Time ''Same Train, A Different Time'' (subtitled ''Merle Haggard Sings the Great Songs of Jimmie Rodgers'') is the ninth studio album by United States, American country music artist Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers (American band), The Strangers, r ...

'' (1969) ;1970s *

- '' Johnny Cash Show'' (1971) Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Norman Blake and Randy Scruggs on The Johnny Cash Show, January 6, 1971. *

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

- '' 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 The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nomination. (Parton and Bill Monroe would later perform the song together on the 1978 CBS television special ''Fifty Years of Country Music''.) *

Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...

- ''Georgia Sunshine'' (1971)

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...

plays on the right channel and takes one guitar solo. *

Stompin' Tom Connors Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC (February 9, 1936 – March 6, 2013) was a Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter. Focusing his career exclusively on his native Canada, he is credited with writing more than 300 songs and has rele ...

- ''Live at the Horseshoe'' (1971) *

Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, now known as Flash Cadillac, is an American retro rock 'n' roll band known for their appearance as the band "Herby and the Heartbeats" in the 1973 film '' American Graffiti'' and a 1975 episode of ''Happy Day ...

- ''Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids'', Released as " Muleskinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)" (1972) *

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...

- ''Playin' Favorites'' (1973) *

- ''Solo'' (1976) * Kingfish - '' Live N Kickin'' (1977) *

Rose Maddox Roselea Arbana "Rose" MaddoxMany sources give her birth name as Brogdon. This is an error. She was recorded, with her birth family, as Rose Maddox in the 1940 US Census, and other sources report her second husband's name as Brogdon. (August 1 ...

w/Mark O'Connor (lead gtr) & Jeff Thorn - (1978) http://picosong.com/4kF/ *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 A muleskinner or mule skinner is a muleteer or mule-driver. The word may also refer to: * Muleskinner, the mascot of St. John's Military School, Kansas, U.S. * ''Muleskinner'', an alternate title for the album '' Jack Takes the Floor'' by Ramblin' ...

- ''Muleskinner'' (1973) This bluegrass supergroup were named after and led off their only studio album with the song. *

Old & In the Way Old & In the Way was a bluegrass group formed in 1973. It was composed of Peter Rowan (guitar, vocals), Vassar Clements (fiddle), Jerry Garcia (banjo, vocals), David Grisman (mandolin, vocals), and John Kahn (string bass). When the group was fo ...

- ''Breakdown'' (recorded 1973, released 1997) * Dennis Bruderer - (1977) 45rpm on Little Richie #1032 b/w "Shake Hands With A Fool" ;1980s *

Tony Rice David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020), known professionally as Tony Rice, was an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and a ...

- ''Cold On The Shoulder'' (1984) *

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...

- '' Stay Sick'' (1989) *

The Brothers Four The Brothers Four is an American folk singing group, founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington, and known for their 1960 hit song "Greenfields." History Bob Flick, John Paine, Mike Kirkland, and Dick Foley met at the University of Washington, wher ...

- Released as "Muleskinner" on the compilation album ''Folk Classics: Roots of American Folk Music'' (

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

, 1989). This version is arranged by Stuart Gotz; it primarily uses a western show tune style and includes some bluegrass-like elements. ;1990s *

- ''

Stay Sick! ''Stay Sick!'' is the fourth studio album (and ninth overall) by the American rock music, rock band the Cramps. It was released on February 12, 1990, by Enigma Records, recorded at Music Grinder in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, self-produced ...

'' (1990) *

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

- ''

How Long Has This Been Going On "How Long Has This Been Going On?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, for the musical ''Funny Face'' in 1927. History According to Ira Gershwin in his book ''Lyrics on Several Occasions'', after the premiere of ...

'' (1996) (2009 CD reissue bonus track) ;2000s *

- ''The Skiffle Sessions'' (2000) and ''

Live at Austin City Limits Festival ''Live at Austin City Limits Festival'' by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison is a limited edition live album recorded from the Austin City Limits Festival concert at which he was the first night headliner on 15 September 2006. It has ...

'' (2007) *

Scott H. Biram Scott H. Biram aka The Dirty Old One Man Band (born April 4, 1974) is an American blues, punk blues, punk, country, heavy metal musician, record producer, and ordained minister. He is primarily known as one of the prominent musicians of the o ...

- ''The Dirty Old One Man Band'' (2005) *

Rhonda Vincent Rhonda Lea Vincent (born July 13, 1962) is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Vincent's music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanned more than four de ...

- Ragin' Live (

Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...

, 2005) ;2010s * Marcus Singletary - ''Sings Country Music Standards'' (2013) *

Melinda Schneider Melinda Schneider (born Melinda-Jane Bean; 7 October 1971) is an Australian country music singer and songwriter and radio host. Schneider has been performing since she was three and sang with her mother, the renowned yodelling country artist Mar ...

and

Beccy Cole Beccy Cole (born Rebecca Diane Thompson, 27 October 1972), also known as Beccy Sturtzel, Rebecca Diane Albeck and Bec O'Donovan, is an Australian country music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has released ten studio albums, wi ...

covered the song on their album ''

Great Women of Country ''Great Women of Country'' is the studio album by Australian country music singers Melinda Schneider and Beccy Cole. It was released through Universal Music Australia in 7 November 2014 and peaked at number 9 on the ARIA Charts. Background The ...

'' (2014). * Cluster Sisters - Cluster Sisters (

Som Livre Som Livre (Portuguese for "''Free Sound''") is a Brazilian record company that was founded in 1969 in order to commercialize its soap opera soundtracks. It later expanded to recording studio albums. Today, Som Livre is Brazil's largest domestic l ...

, 2015) *Sore Points recorded and performed the song on X-Files SE11E03 (2018)

Charting versions

References

{{authority control Songs about occupations 1930 songs 1931 singles 1941 singles Jimmie Rodgers songs Dolly Parton songs Odetta songs Lonnie Donegan songs The Fendermen songs Woody Guthrie songs Van Morrison songs RCA Records singles Songs written by George Vaughn Horton Songs written by Jimmie Rodgers