Yee-ha(w) / "Rebel yell"

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:14 AM -0500 12/7/06, hpst at earthlink.net wrote:
>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.
>...
>Page Stephens

I've only heard a live version of this, and there's a loud positive
response to the mention of Willie (right after the one for the
preceding line, so it was probably recorded in Asutin, especially
since  no cheer goes up at the mention of the Grand Ol' Opry); a
wonderful public service message from Waylon, I always thought.

--LH, a Bob Wills fan who is definitely not from Texas

>
>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

hmmm...

>  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
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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