Stealin'

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"Stealin" (also called "Stealin', Stealin'") is an American blues song from the 1920s. It originated with jug bands, but gained wider popularity after several 1960s contemporary folk musicians recorded it. Although various artists have recorded different verses, the chorus has remained consistent:

Stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be

Origins

The lines "If you don’t believe I love you, look what a fool I’ve been / If you don’t believe I’d fall for you, look what a hole I’m in" were recorded by the New Orleans jazz musician Clarence Williams in 1921 and again by Leona Williams in 1922 as "If You Don't Believe I Love You, Look What a Fool I've Been".

Gus Cannon claimed to have written the opening line, "Put your arms around me like a circle 'round the sun". Consequently, Cannon is sometimes credited with authorship of the song. However, this line does not appear in any of his recorded songs, but does appear in the folk song "I Know You Rider" and may actually predate Cannon. "She's a married woman, but she comes to see me all the time" is another lyric associated with Gus Cannon, which appeared in his "Minglewood Blues" recorded January 30, 1928.

Memphis Jug Band

The song was first recorded by the

Album appearances

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• Dave Van Ronk and the Ragtime Jug Stompers, Dave Van Ronk, 1960
• Great White Wonder II, Bob Dylan, 1970
• Little Games, the Yardbirds, 1967
• Running Down the Road, Arlo Guthrie, 1969 (also appears in the 1971 film Two-Lane Blacktop)

References