Candy Man

(version 1)

Words & Music:

Traditional

 

Often attributed to Rev. Gary Davis.  But, by his own admission on the "Blues & Ragtime" CD, the song came out in 1905, when he was just a boy.

 

 

C

Candy man, been here and gone.

G7                       C

Candy man, been here and gone.

C

Candy man, salty dog,

F                             C

If you can't be my Candy Man, you can't be my salty dog.

 

Candy man, candy man,

Candy man, fattin' hog,

Candy man, Santa Claus,

If you can't be my candy man, can't be my fattin' hog.

 

Candy man, candy man,

Candy man, been here and gone,

Candy man, salty dog,

I wish I was in New Orleans, sitting on the candy stand.

 

Run & fetch the pitcher, get the baby some beer. [fast - 6x]

I'd give anything in this God Almighty world

To get my Candy man home.

 

Candy man, salty dog,

Candy man, fattin' hog,

Candy man, salty dog,

If you can't be my Candy Man

You can't be my man at all.

 

note: There's been a whole lot of discussion as to what "salty dog" means (candy man seems fairly obvious). Lomax states that in roughly translates to "outstanding individual." In Brooklyn, back in the 1940s, it meant oral sex. RG