Anthology of American Folk Music
Volume 1: Ballads, Track 11

A LAZY FARMER BOY
Buster Carter and Preston Young

Recorded New York: June 26, 1931
Preston Young, vocal and guitar; Posey Rorer, fiddle
Originally released on Columbia 15702D

(alternate title: The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn)

Buster Carter and Preston Young (1907-?) were from the piedmont area of North Carolina and Virginia, a region known for its string bands. One of their neighbors was renowned musician and band leader Charlie Poole (track 20) and both groups included fiddler Posey Rorer, who  joined Carter and Young after Poole's death. Carter and Rorer were also members of the group the Carolina Buddies. Carter lived in Mayodan, North Carolina, and Young in Martinsvile, Virginia. They recorded one of the earliest versions of what is now a bluegrass standard "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms." Preston Young spent his later years working in the sheet metal business. Although this recording is listed under Carter and Young's names, Carter did not play on "A Lazy Farmer Boy" -- the recording features just Young and Rorer.


FOR ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS BY CARTER AND YOUNG: 
See the collections The Southern String Bands (AH 220d); Roots 'n Blues (COL 47911c, Cotton Mills and Fiddles (Flying Cloud 014a); Going Up Town (MMC 9111d); Old Time Southern Dance Music: The String Bands (OT 101a); and Before the Blues, Vol. 3 (YZ 2017c).

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CARTER AND YOUNG:
See Tony Russell, "Good Times Makin' Music: The Preston Young Story," Old Time Music 7 (1972).

OTHER RECORDED VERSIONS INCLUDE:
Traditional American Folk: as The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn: Margaret MacArthur (GL 1039a); Vern Smelser (SFW CD 3809c); The Williams Family (Arkansas Traditions 004a).

Folksong revival: as A Lazy Farmer Boy: Canebreak Rattlers (Flying Crow 104a); The Possum Hunters (TAK a); as The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn: Spider John Koerner (RDH 44c); Clark Jones (SFW CD 31091c); Tom Paxton (Pax 002a); Burt Porter (FR 126a); Jean Ritchie (ELK 22a, SIR 97014a); Peggy Seeger (SFW CD 2049c); Pete Seeger (SFW CD 7027c, SFW CD 5003c); as The Old Man: Dave Van Ronk (Alcazar 120c); and a World War II adaptation, The Strange Death of John Doe: Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger (Almanac 1101b, BF 15720c).

Post revival: as The Lazy Farmer Boy (Bob Bovee and Gail Heil (MMC 9045d)). Bluegrass: as The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn: Richard Greene (RND 0075a).