Show #28: JUDY HENSKE
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MEL BERNAM (ANNOUNCER): Here is Radio New York’s Folk Music Worldwide. A program devoted to the best in folk music throughout the world. Showcasing the top performers and authorities in the field. Now your host for Folk Music Worldwide, Alan Wasser.

ALAN WASSER (HOST): Hello again and welcome to Folk Music Worldwide. With us today in our studios is Judy Henske. I asked her a little while ago how I should identify her, and she said, "A tall, fast, young folk singer."

JUDY HENSKE (GUEST): Yes, Alan. That's right.

ALAN: Let's do a sample of your music Judy before we get into talking. How about, "I Know You Rider".

[Song performance: "I Know You Rider," Judy Henske]

Lyrics:

I know you rider
Gonna miss me when I'm gone.
I know you rider
Gonna miss me when I'm gone.

Gonna miss your sweet loving woman rolling in your arms.
Well, the sun gonna shine on my back door someday.
I said, the sun's gonna shine on my back door someday
And the wind from the river's gonna blow my blues away.
It takes a red-headed man make a long time woman feel bad.
It takes a red-headed man make a long time woman feel bad.
Oh it makes me remember about that long slow rolling I had.

I know you rider
Gonna miss me when I'm gone.
I know you rider
Gonna miss me when I'm gone.
Gonna miss your sweet loving woman rolling in your arms.

(end of music)

ALAN: "I Know You Rider", Judy Henske. Judy, how would you describe your style?

JUDY HENSKE: Well, it used to be just getting up on the stage and opening my mouth and singing as loud as I could, and moving around as much as I could. Just jumping up and down, and turning my back to the people, just kind of a, just very loud and bluesy I guess is what it is.

ALAN: Do you play for laughs at all as well as great music?

JUDY HENSKE: Oh yeah, most of what I do now as a matter of fact, I sing a couple of serious songs in my shows, but I've found that satire is very successful, so I'm doing a lot of satire.

ALAN: Let's get a very short picture of your background. Where are you from, how'd you get into this?

JUDY HENSKE: Well, I'm from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

ALAN: Which is where?

JUDY HENSKE: That's in Wisconsin. It's 12 miles from Bloomer.

ALAN: I'm sure everyone knows where Bloomer, Wisconsin is.

JUDY HENSKE: And so, it isn't a very big town, there isn't very much to do there, or anything. But that's where I'm from. I guess that's why I left because there wasn't that much to do.

And I got into folk music, I was expelled from a couple of colleges. I finally wound up at Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio, where I learned how to play the banjo. And I left there and went to Philadelphia and from then to San Diego to the Zen Coffeehouse and Motorcycle Repair Shop which is really where I started.

ALAN: The Zen Coffee Shop and Motorcycle Repair Shop?

JUDY HENSKE: No, Zen Coffeehouse and Motorcycle Repair Shop. And I started singing there and that's where my career began. Yes, that's where it is. That's what happened.

ALAN: What's happening here, by the way, is Judy Henske is having a little visual conversation with our engineer, Luis Uncal. Judy, Buckeye Jim, how would you describe that song?

JUDY HENSKE: Well, that's an old song that was first recorded I believe by Mr. Burl Ives, who everybody I think is familiar with.

I heard it first, not by him but by a fellow who's name is Kit Snow, who's a 12 string guitar player and a singer, but entirely non-commercial type singer, so he isn't heard very much. I guess he was on the Theo Bikel show, may I say that name?

ALAN: Yes, that's a domestic radio station.

JUDY HENSKE: He was on the Theo Bikel Show and I heard him do it on that show. And I changed the arrangement around, and changed the words, and that's the song that came out of it.

ALAN: All right, let's hear what came out of it, on "Buckeye Jim" by Judy Henske.

[Song Performance: "Buckeye Jim", Judy Henske]

Lyrics:

Way up yonder above the moon
Bluejay nest and a silver spoon,
Buckeye Jim can't go weave and spin.
Can't go, Buckeye Jim,
Buckeye Jim.

Way up yonder above the sky
Blue jay nest in a green bird's eye,
Buckeye Jim can't go, weave and spin.
Can't go, Buckeye Jim,
Buckeye Jim.

There'll be an end to grief and pain
A warm bright sky beyond the rain.
You don't have wings so you can't fly,
But you can dream it if you try

Buckeye Jim Can't go, weave and spin
Can't go, Buckeye Jim
Buckeye Jim

But in paradise the white birds sing,
Touch your face with tender wings.
Buckeye Jim you'll go, weave and spin,
You'll go, Buckeye Jim.
Buckeye Jim,
Buckeye Jim.

(end of music)

ALAN: Judy, where does that song come from?

JUDY HENSKE: Well, "Buckeye Jim" is a southern folk song. An old traditional, southern lullaby is what it is. I Know You Rider is also southern.

ALAN: Incidentally, we never talked about I Know You Rider, can you give us something on the background on that? That's the first song we played.

JUDY HENSKE: I'll tell you something, the first time I heard it, it was when Jerry, my fiance sitting over there in the chair, sang it to me and said, "Hey, this would be a good song for you to sing." And I think originally it was on a Bonnie Dobson album. And I think also originally that Brownie McGhee was the one who's responsible for that song.

You know, of Sonny and Brownie. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. And I think that's about all I can say about it. I rewrote some of the lyrics again on it and also took it as an up-tune instead of a blues which it was originally.

I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone. You know like, real slow. But I took it as an up-tune instead.

ALAN: Well, except for the changes then, I Know You Rider and Buckeye Jim are both traditional songs.

JUDY HENSKE: That's right.

ALAN: Do you do any modern folk music?

Judy: Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, my second album, the title song from it is a fairly modern folk song, very modern as a matter of fact. It was just written last year by Mr. Billy Edd Wheeler. The name of it is High Flying Bird.

ALAN: Well after that lead in, the obvious thing to do is play "High Flying Bird" by Judy Henske.

JUDY HENSKE: Hooray!

[Song Performance: "High Flying Bird", Judy Henske]

Lyrics:

There's a high flying bird way up in the sky,
And I wonder does he look down as he flies on by.
Oh, he's riding on the air so easy in the sky,
But Lord look at me here
I'm rooted like a tree here
I got the sit down, can't cry, oh Lord I'm gonna die blues.

Now the sun comes along
Oh Lord, it lights up the day
And when he gets tired he slides on over the way
Oh, it's East to the West he is gone every day
But Lord, look at me here
Well I'm rooted like a tree here
Oh I got those sit down, can't cry, oh Lord I'm gonna die blues

Now I had a man he had he lived in a mine
Now he never saw the sun but Lord he never stopped trying.
Then one day my man up and died,
I said my man up and died.
Oh yeah, my man up and died.
Well, he wanted to fly and the only way to fly was to die.

There's a high flying bird way up in the sky,
And I wonder does he look down as he flies on by
Riding on the air so easy in the sky.
But Lord, look at me
Well I'm rooted like a tree here
I got the sit down, can't cry, oh Lord, I'm gonna die blues.

Oh Lord, I'm gonna die
Oh Lord, I'm gonna die

(end of music)

ALAN: High Flying Bird by Judy Henske.

JUDY HENSKE: Sounds like the Maharajah of Magador at the end. I never realized what I did at the end there. Ah!

ALAN: Ah?

JUDY HENSKE: Yeah, as soon as I hear my records again, I think I could have done it better, that's all.

ALAN: Well, I'll give you another chance with another song right after this break for a commercial, and then we'll be back with Judy Henske on Folk Music Worldwide.

(pause for commercial)

All right, this is Alan Wasser again back on Folk Music Worldwide. Before we go back to Judy Henske, let me just make another short pitch for letters. It's the only way we have of knowing how many people are out there listening. Of course there's no rating services around the world.

If you've got any suggestions, comments, you want a QSL card, you just want to say hello, just want to tell us you listen, write in to me, Alan Wasser, or to the show, Folk Music Worldwide, Radio New York Worldwide, New York 19, New York, U.S.A.

Okay, back to Judy Henske. Judy, let's say here's Charlotte Town, where does that song come from?

JUDY HENSKE: That's kind of interesting. It's really a song called Scarlet Town as a matter of fact. And they said that "This is ridiculous." They said that they couldn't play it on the air. They were thinking of it for a single, a radio single.

They said that somebody might think a bad thing about it, but it really means Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Or Baton Rouge, whichever way you prefer. But that's what Scarlet Town was, so they said, "Well, change it to Charlotte Town and then nobody will even know," or something which is kind of ridiculous.

ALAN: Well, now that our listeners know...

JUDY HENSKE: There, ladies and gentlemen. Now you know.

ALAN: Now that we've let our listeners in, here's "Charlotte Town", what used to be Scarlet Town, by Judy Henske.

[Song Performance: "Charlotte Town", Judy Henske]

Lyrics:

Charlotte town is burning down
Goodbye and a bye bye
Burning down to the ground
A goodbye Liza Jane

Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye and a bye bye
Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye Liza Jane

Now Liza Jane had a dress of red
Goodbye and a bye bye
Queen of hearts or so its said
Goodbye Liza Jane

Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye and a bye bye
Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye Liza Jane

Liza Jane had eyes of blue
Goodbye and a bye bye
Stole all my money and my good man too
Goodbye Liza Jane

Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye and a bye bye
Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye Liza Jane

Liza Jane had a glance of green
Goodbye and a bye bye
Meanest gal you've ever seen
Goodbye Liza Jane

Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye and a bye bye
Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye Liza Jane

Liza Jane had a soul of black
Goodbye and a bye bye
She's run away and she won't come back
Good riddance Liza Jane

Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye and a bye bye
Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye Liza Jane

Charlotte town is burning down
Goodbye and a bye bye
Burning down to the ground
Goodbye Liza Jane

Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye and a bye bye
Ain't you mighty sorry
Goodbye Liza Jane

(end of music)

ALAN: "Charlotte Town" by Judy Henske. Judy all the songs we've had so far have been American songs. Do you do any songs from overseas?

JUDY HENSKE: I do an old English murder ballad called "Love Henry".

ALAN: An old English murder ballad?

JUDY HENSKE: That's it.

ALAN: What makes it a murder ballad?

JUDY HENSKE: Because the lady in the song murders her lover and stuffs him into the well when she finds out he's been going around with somebody else.

ALAN: Well, that sounds like just a charming song to end the show on. Here's "Love Henry" with Judy Henske.

[Song performance: "Love Henry", Judy Henske]

Lyrics:

Come in, Come in, my Love Henry, stay with me this night.
And you shall have both candle and coal, my fire burning bright.
Oh, oh, oh, my fire burning bright.

Well, I won't come in, I can't come in, I won't come in at all.
There's a lady ten times fairer than you waiting in Lord Barnett's Hall.
And then he bended o're her snow white pillow,
Give her a kiss so sweet
She drew her penknife in her hand, wounded him full deep.
Oh, oh, oh, she wounded him full deep.

And then she picked him up by his long yellow hair
Also by his feet
She threw him in her cool, draw well full 50 fathoms deep.

Lie there, lie there, Love Henry, then she cried,
I know you will not swim
That lady ten times fairer than me will never see you again.
Oh, oh, oh, she'll never see you again.

Lie down, fly down, you pretty little bird.
Light upon my knee.
Oh no, a girl who'd kill her own heart's love
Might hurt a little bird like me.

If I had my arrow in my hand,
Bow on a tuneful string,
I'd shoot a dart straight through your heart,
You'd no longer sing.
Oh, oh, oh, and you'd no longer sing.

Come in, come in, my Love Henry, stay with me this night.
And you shall have both candle and coal, my fire burning bright.
Oh oh oh my fire burning bright.

(end of music)

ALAN: "Love Henry" by Judy Henske. Judy, in case any of our listeners want to get any of your albums, who publishes them and what are the titles?

JUDY HENSKE: Oh, Electra Records is my label. The titles are "Judy Henske" is the first one, which is sort of easy, and the other one is "High Flying Bird Judy Henske".

ALAN: All right, Judy, we're flat out of time. Thank you very much for coming in. It's certainly been a wild show.

JUDY HENSKE: Thank you very much. And it's been wild for me too.

ALAN: All right. This has been Alan Wasser on Folk Music Worldwide.

MEL BERNAM (ANNOUNCER): This has been Folk Music Worldwide. Devoted to the best in folk music throughout the world. Spotlighting top performers and authorities in the field. If you have any suggestions, requests, or comments, why not write in to Folk Music Worldwide, Radio New York, WRUL, New York City, 19, U.S.A.

This has been a Music Worldwide Presentation of Radio New York Worldwide.

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