Red Apple Juice

Hi,

Ready for a glass of red apple juice? Below is my painting of Red Apple Juice (click to enlarge). I love singing the song and have learned several versions. One version in my new book, Mel Bay's Bluegrass Picker's Tune Book (279 pages with stories and historic info about the 213 songs).

This old-time white blues song was first collected in 1909 by EC Perrow as "Done All I Can Do." Some song lyrics come from the Scottish ballad "The Lass of Roch Royal" in 1829.

In the Appalachian Mountains the song is known by different names: Red Rocking Chair/Red Apple Juice/Sugar Baby/Honey Baby/Ain’t Got No Honey Baby Now.

My painting takes the song way back; from Eve in the Garden of Eden to eternal life; from the cradle to the grave and beyond. As Eve ponders eating the apple with the serpent watching, apple juice flows from a glass forming a lake of red apple juice. The path takes you from the cradle to the rocking chair and the grave and finally eternal life. The lyrics "who’ll rock the cradle," "ain’t got no use for your red rocking chair" and "laid her in the shade" lead you on a journey as if the red apple juice is the blood of life.

Here are the painting lyrics:

Red Apple Juice

Ain't got no use for your red apple juice,
Ain't got no honey baby now,
Ain't got no honey baby now.

Who'll rock the cradle and who'll sing the song,
Who'll rock the cradle when I’m gone,
Who'll rock the cradle when I’m gone.

Ain't got no use for your red rocking chair,
Ain't got no honey baby there,
Ain't got no honey baby there.

Gave her all I made then I laid her in the shade,
What more can a poor boy do?
What more can a poor boy do?

Usually I sing:

Ain't got no use,

Ain't got no use for your red apple juice,

Ain't got no honey baby now,

Ain't got no honey baby now.

Basically you're just repeating the first line then using the second line as a tag. If you want to purchase a high quality 12" by 16" reproduction of any of my Bluegrass series songs they're just $40, backed with foam core board and ready to hang. Just e-mail me and I'll give you ways to purchase. You can even use pay-pal thought my ESTY site. Email me for info: richiematt@aol.com

Next blog we'll look at the history of the red apples!

Richard