Red Rocking Chair-The most versatile banjo song! 

We play Red Rockin' Chair regularly at jams, and in this video I'm playing the traditional jam version. There are a lot of versions of this song, and honestly, I love them all. It can be played in different ways; fast, slow, fingerpicked, clawhammer, in minor keys, modal, and major keys, and the song still comes across even though it will sound totally different. This song is sometimes called Sugarbabe, Sugarbaby, Red Apple Juice, and Red Rocking Chair. The lyrics are beautiful poetry and evoke images of a person having trouble with their partner/lover. I love Dock Boggs version of this tune, which was where I first heard it on his 1927 recording, and I'll include a link to that below. Also a recording of a video I made with my band a couple years back. Thanks for watching!
Banjo is in Standard G Tuning
gDGBD
Link to my Clawhammer book with tab for Red Rocking Chair
www.etsy.com/s...
Dock Boggs 2 finger style version of the song:
• Dock Boggs - "Sugar Ba...
My band's slow version of this song. Dubl Handi (We are now called the Wild Goats)
• Dubl Handi 'Red Rockin...
Cool fast version from Luke Abbott
• Red Rocking Chair - Lu...
LYRICS: (Some of them, there are a lot!)
Red Rockin’ Chair
Major key
Traditional
C G G
Oh I’ve done all I can do,
C G G Em
Oh I’ve done all I can do, just to make peace with you
G G Em
Got me no sugarbaby now
G D G G
Got me no honeybaby now.
Who’ll rock that cradle?
Who’ll rock that cradle? who’ll sing that song
Who’ll rock that cradle when I’m gone?
Who’ll rock that cradle when I’m gone?
I’ve done all I can do,
I’ve done all I can do, I’ve said all I can say
I’ll send you to your mama next payday
I’ll send you to your mama next payday
Some old rounder came along
Some old rounder came along, took my sugar babe and gone
Got me no sugar baby now
Got me no honey baby now
I laid her in the shade.
I laid her in the shade, gave her every dime I made.
What else could a poor boy do?
What else could a poor boy do?
Oh I ain't got no use,
Oh I ain't got no use, for that red apple juice
Got me no sugarbaby now
Got me no honeybaby now.
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