You're Gonna Miss Me

Song Specific Liner Notes
ALBUM	NOTES
Goin' Places	A driving tempo sparks this fine variation of the famous Frankie and Johnny legend which has long been a favorite theme in American folk music.
The Kingston Trio: Their Greatest Hits and Finest Performances	You're Gonna Miss Me (Frankie and Johnny) (Seeger-Paley-Cohen-Guard.) The rousing "You're Gonna Miss Me" is the Trio's fresh take on "Frankie and Johnny," the old tale of a love affair that ends in homicide. With new lyrics by Mike Seeger, Tom Paley, John Cohen and Dave Guard, the song no longer describes a woman's murdering her lover for being unfaithful- now it's Johnny threatening to leave Frankie and turning her down after she begs him to stay that makes her shoot him in the back. © 1994 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. © 1994 The Reader's Digest Association (Canada) Ltd. © 1994 Reader's Digest Association Far East Ltd. Philippine Copyright 1994 Reader's Digest Association Far East Ltd. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
The Capitol Years	27: You're Gonna Miss Me (Mike Seeger / Tom Paley / John Cohen / Dave Guard) 2:42 Master #35213 recorded January 15, 1961 Album: GOIN' PLACES single 4536 released March 1961; did not chart The lead track to GOIN' PLACES brings to a close our review of the Dave/Nick/Bob years. And it's a rousing send off, this best of all versions of "Frankie and Johnny," as Dave's banjo picking fades into time.
Other Notes of Interest
Posted to the Kingston Crossroads by Curt Dalton on 5/19/2001, 2:45 pm	Last night I attended a concert by Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group. They are a terrific group and are frequent guests on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" show. One of the songs they sang, "Leaving Home", seemed very much like a slightly slower version of the Trio's "You're Gonna Miss Me" from their "Goin' Places" album. Jim Watson, their bass/mandolin player introduced the song by saying that the song was recorded by Charlie Poole & his North Carolina Ramblers, one of the most popular string bands of the 1920s. During intermission I mentioned to Jim Watson that the Trio had recorded the song and it was very similar to their version. He said that their version is basically how Charlie Poole did it and that the Trio may have heard Poole's version before they recorded it. Jim Watson's CD, "Don't Tell Me, I Don't Know", credits "Leaving Home" to Leighton, Leighton, Shields. A check of the lyrics notes for Frankie and Johnny/Leaving Home on the Mudcat Café web site indicates that it is a Charlie Poole rewrite of a popular song. The K3P lyrics page credits Mike Seeger/Tom Paley/John Cohen/Dave Guard. Jerry Kergan's Liner Notes site says this about the song: "You're Gonna Miss Me (Frankie and Johnny) (Seeger-Paley-Cohen-Guard.) The rousing 'You're Gonna Miss Me' is the Trio's fresh take on 'Frankie and Johnny,' the old tale of a love affair that ends in homicide. With new lyrics by Mike Seeger, Tom Paley, John Cohen and Dave Guard, the song no longer describes a woman's murdering her lover for being unfaithful- now it's Johnny threatening to leave Frankie and turning her down after he begs him to stay that makes her shoot him in the back." In summary it seems to me that quite a few people have taken credit for the song. Here is a site with info on Charlie Poole http://www.clee.com/eps/festival.htm Here is a link to Jim Watson's CD, "Don't Tell Me, I Don't Know". http://www.robinandlinda.com/jim.html

You're Gonna Miss Me

Frankie and Johnnie were sweet hearts. They had a quarrel one day.
Johnny vowed he would leave her. He said he was going away.
Never coming home. Goin' away to roam.
Frankie begged and she pleaded. "My love, Johnny, please stay.
Now, oh, my honey, I've done you wrong but please don't go away."
Then Johnny sighed while Frankie cried.

Chorus:
"Oh, I'm a-going away. I'm a-goin' to stay. Never coming home.
You're gonna miss me, honey, in the days to come
When the winter winds begin to blow, the ground is covered up
And when you think of the way, you're gonna wish me back, your lovin' man,
You're gonna miss me, honey, in the day they say's to come."

Frankie done said to her Johnny, "Now man your hour done come."
'Cause from behind her kimono she drew her forty-four gun.
"These love affairs are hard to bear!"
Johnny, he fled down the stairway. "My love, Frankie, don't shoot!"
Frankie done aimed the forty-fourWhile the town went rooty-toot-toot.
As Johnny fell, then Frankie yelled,

Chorus

"Send for your rubber tired hearses. Send for your rubber tired hacks.
Carry my Johnny to the graveyard, I've shot him in the back
With a great big gun as the preacher begun.
Send for some policeman to take me right away.
Lock me down in the dungeon cell and throw the key away.
My Johnny's dead because he said.

Chorus

Covers by other artists
Artist's Name	ALBUM	CATALOG NO.
N/A	N/A	N/A

Nick Reynolds (vocal, guitar), Bob Shane (vocal, guitar), Dave Guard (vocal, banjo), Buck Wheat (bass):


Last revised: April 18, 2006.