meaning of "sic 'em on the floor" of Keep My Skillet Good & Greasy - Discussion Forums (2023)

All Forums
Other Banjo-Related Topics
Other Banjo-Related Topics: Clawhammer/Old-Time
ARCHIVED TOPIC: meaning of "sic 'em on the floor" of Keep My Skillet Good & Greasy

richardrabkin - Posted-05/25/2017: 09:41:02

I've always been puzzled by this verse of Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy and mentioned it in my previous post of the tabs. I believe Uncle Dave Macon is given credit for the song -- and in the U-tube version he sings "put 'em on the floor". The person saying this is being pursued by bloodhounds with presumably a sack of stolen chickens. Bloodhounds would not "beat him to the door" since they are not "predictive" pursuers. In some versions there is areinterpretationof "sic 'em on the floor" to means hiding the chickens under the floor, but, of course, the bloodhounds would be after the person. The best I can do is that he presumes that bloodhounds will be distracted by the chickens and want to eat them. Does anyone understand what this is about? It seems to me like an interesting case of a mistake that has just been carried down over the years. There probably are a few of them in lyrics.

Richard

Edited by - Bill Rogers on 05/25/2017 22:22:14

JanetB - Posted-05/25/2017: 09:57:39

Your interpretation makes sense to me. The place to post your interesting comments and the lyrics is in the current discussion thread for TOTW. Many people follow that thread and may respond there. It would be fun to hear more about where you heard the song originally. That makes you one of the resources, especially the lyrics you posted in another thread.

Now, I wonder if the bloodhounds were smelling the chickens or the thief. They wouldn't be worth their salt if they went for the chickens. That's like a coonhound running coyotes....

rgoad - Posted-05/25/2017: 10:47:47

You are basically correct in what is going on. The sequence is that he is "pullin' fo' my shanty..." then, presuming he made finds the blood hounds drawing near. If he can't escape out the "do'" in time he "*put* 'em unna da flo'" as you said. I don't recall ever hearing "sic" or "stick". Utwould not be surprised a recording had that word in it.

Pronunciation as well as non-standard use of common words by the old timers and hill people can confound modern ears or listeners from other places. I once told a senior officer in our company that we needed to be able to tell the difference between a 'coon and cat. He laughed but I think he was still puzzled.

Tobus - Posted-05/25/2017: 10:50:30

I had wondered about this lyric as well, and I assumed it was an incorrect interpretation of what was actually sung. I would think that "shoot 'em on the floor" might be a possibility, maybe? I considered "sit 'em on the floor", but couldn't make sense of that.

rgoad - Posted-05/25/2017: 11:11:21

A lot of the houses were built up off the ground on simple flat stone piled up under the main joists at the corners. This kept the floor from rotting and helped level the floor on the notoriouslyun-level terrain. It also helped cool and provided a place to store things like meat and canned fruit, vegetables, and other 'produce'. Bootleggers could use it, but it was easy to find. I have seen pond ice stored in these holes for months on into Summer.

BobTheGambler - Posted-05/25/2017: 11:15:06

What are the versions where you're hearing that lyric?

Edited by - BobTheGambler on 05/25/2017 11:19:50

Tobus - Posted-05/25/2017: 12:53:37

quote: Originally posted by BobTheGambler

What are the versions where you're hearing that lyric?

The Doc Watson version is one. This is where it sounds to me like it could be "shoot".

youtube.com/watch?v=Vn1vp8Tf4Y4

rgoad - Posted-05/25/2017: 19:00:39

Sounds to me like Doc Watson is saying "stick". I could be wrong. I think variations sometimes come from hearing what *you* would say in that place. For example I hear people sing "on the mountain" instead of "in the mountain" in 'Undone in Sorrow'. I hear 'in' on the Ola Belle Reed version and i recall people saying 'in' the mountain as to where they lived.

richardrabkin - Posted-05/26/2017: 06:03:36

I just listened again to Harry and Jeanie West's version of Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy and she sings very fast "If they follow me to the door, I'll stick them under the floor." So it's not "beat me to the door" and it's not "sic 'em on the floor" at all. So the meaning of the lyrics are, to spell them out, if the bloodhounds follow me to the door, I'll put the chickens in the "crawl space" under the floor. By the way Harry's banjo version is very beautiful (attached).

Attached is a old photo of the Wests, with Bascolm Lamar Lunsford, and Winnie Winston probably taken in Asheville, NC.

Thanks to everyone for helping me out. I think I first heard this song in 1944 in the Catskill Mountains from some very old folks.

Richard

richardrabkin - Posted-05/26/2017: 17:13:26

This might be too much of a good thing for you good people, but I have been fighting with TablEdit to put the syncopated rhythm in my tab (and I corrected the verse with "sic" in it. ) I'm sure that Bascolm Lamar Lunsford would let Jeannie sign a nonsense verse!

Richard

Emiel - Posted-05/29/2017: 03:53:24

quote:
Originally posted by richardrabkin

I just listened again to Harry and Jeanie West's version of Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy and she sings very fast "If they follow me to the door, I'll stick them under the floor." So it's not "beat me to the door" and it's not "sic 'em on the floor" at all. So the meaning of the lyrics are, to spell them out, if the bloodhounds follow me to the door, I'll put the chickens in the "crawl space" under the floor. By the way Harry's banjo version is very beautiful (attached).

Attached is a old photo of the Wests, with Bascolm Lamar Lunsford, and Winnie Winston probably taken in Asheville, NC.

Thanks to everyone for helping me out. I think I first heard this song in 1944 in the Catskill Mountains from some very old folks.

Richard

I hear:"If they follow me to the door, I'll pitch them under the floor."...

OldPappy - Posted-05/30/2017: 13:10:53

I have been told the phrase "Keep my skillet good and greasy"has a sexual meaning.

Many versions do have a verse about going down town to buy a bottle of whiskey to give to the little lady to keep her good and frisky.

Emiel - Posted-05/30/2017: 14:46:07

quote: Originally posted by OldPappy

I have been told the phrase "Keep my skillet good and greasy"has a sexual meaning.

Many versions do have a verse about going down town to buy a bottle of whiskey to give to the little lady to keep her good and frisky.

I think so, too.

And often you hear something like:

Chadbanjo - Posted-05/30/2017: 18:31:08

"If they follow me to the door, I'll stick them under the floor."

Sound like a burial.

Always felt some kind of violence in this tune. Throw in some booze and gettn Mandy goosy..well thats a good old song

Bill Rogers - Posted-05/30/2017: 23:31:43

Jeanie is singing "pitch 'em under the floor." I have a much earlier recording of "Skillet" by the Wests--with Harry singing, and he also says "pitch."

Emiel - Posted-05/31/2017: 03:20:16

quote:
Originally posted by Bill Rogers

Jeanie is singing "pitch 'em under the floor." I have a much earlier recording of "Skillet" by the Wests--with Harry singing, and he also says "pitch."

That's what I heard too (see my above post)...