Yee-ha(w) / "Rebel yell"

[hpst@earthlink.net]

Ben,

You are correct in terms of Bob Wills as far as I can tell.

Outside Texas, however, few people know who he was.

There is, however, a song by Waylon Jennings which oddly enough isn't a
western swing tune and as I recall Merle Haggard did a tribute album many
years ago.

If you want to hear western swing these days you have to listen to Ray
Benson and Asleep at the Wheel.

Ray as I recall is originally from Philadelphia which says something
interesting about Texas music but I am not certain what. When I had long
hair and wore a cowboy hat all the time people would ask me why I did that,
and I would tell them I was trying to look like Ray Benson but damned near
no one knew what the hell I was talking about.

Such is life outside Texas.

Page Stephens

Bob Wills Is Still The King
Waylon Jennings
Well the honky-tonks in Texas were my natural second home
Where you tip your hat to the ladies and the Rose of San Anton'
I grew up on music that we call western swing
It don't matter whose in Austin, Bob Wills is still the king

Lord I can still remember the way things were back then
In spite of all the hard times I'd live it all again
Hear the Texas Playboys and Tommy Duncan sing
Makes me proud to be from Texas where Bob Wills is still the king

You can hear the Grand Ol' Opry in Nashville Tennessee
It's the home of Country Music on that we all agree
But when you cross that old Red River, hoss, that just don't mean a thing
Once you're down in Texas, Bob Wills is still the king

Well if you ain't never been there then I guess you ain't been told
That you just can't live in Texas 'less you got a lot a soul
It's the home of Willie Nelson, the home of western swing
He'll be the first to tell you, Bob Wills is still the king

> [Original Message]
> From: Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Date: 12/6/2006 12:02:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Yee-ha(w) / "Rebel yell"
>
> On 12/6/06, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> > On 12/6/06, hpst at earthlink.net <hpst at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > I have also heard, "Yee-Ha!" on records although god only knows where
so
> > > apparently it was common practice to begin a song in this way and Bob
Wills
> > > used this device all the time.
> >
> > ISTR Bob Wills' signature yelp was more of a "hooha(w)" than a
"yeeha(w)".
>
> Or "aw-haw", now that I listen to an example of it.
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org