Old Bell Cow

DESCRIPTION: Humorous description of a cow that's difficult to milk: "Went down to the cornfield to pick a mess of beans, Along come the bell cow a-pecking at the greens." "Some of these days when I learn how, I'm gonna milk that old bell cow."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1929 (recording, Dixie Crackers); possible version from 1927 (Richardson/Spaeth-AmericanMountainSongs)
KEYWORDS: farming work humorous animal
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Cohen/Seeger/Wood-NewLostCityRamblersSongbook, pp. 110-111, "Old Bell Cow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Richardson/Spaeth-AmericanMountainSongs, p. 98, "The Bell-Cow" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Roud #17676
RECORDINGS:
Dixie Crackers, "The Old Bell Cow" (Paramount 3151, 1929; on CrowTold01)
Dan Gardella, Fran Block, "Old Bell Cow" (Piotr-Archive #528, recorded 03/09/2023)
New Lost City Ramblers, "The Old Bell Cow" (on NLCR10) (NLCR16)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Bell Cow
NOTES [46 words]: It has long been a custom to tie a bell around a cow's neck so she can be found easily. - PJS
Richardson/Spaeth-AmericanMountainSongs's version of this is so short that it could be from almost anything, but it mentions a bell-cow and sounds improbable, so I filed it here. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.7
File: CSW110

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