Ain't No Use Workin' So Hard

DESCRIPTION: "Ain't no use of my workin' so hard, darlin' (x2), I got a gal in the (rich/white) folks' yard, She kill me a chicken, She bring me the wing, Ain't I livin' on an easy thing..." "She thinks I'm workin', I'm layin' in bed...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (Brown)
KEYWORDS: work food floatingverses
FOUND IN: US(SE,So)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Colcord-SongsOfAmericanSailormen, p. 185, "In De Mornin'" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 478, "You Shall Be Free" (1 text, with three verses of this plus one apparent floater and the "Oh, nigger, you shall be free" chorus)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 478, "You Shall Be Free" (1 tune plus a text excerpt)
Scarborough-OnTheTrailOfNegroFolkSongs, p. 235, "Ain't No Use O' My Workin' So Hard" (1 text, 1 tune; also as a floating verse in the song preceding this one; see also the fragment following) also p. 236, (no title) (1 fragment)
Killion/Waller-ATreasuryOfGeorgiaFolklore, p. 236, "Ain't I Living Easy?" (1 fragment, with the "white folks' yard" verse, so it might be this)
Darling-NewAmericanSongster, pp. 328-329, "Ain't No Use Workin' So Hard" (1 text);
Roud #7876
RECORDINGS:
Carolina Tar Heels, "There Ain't No Use Working So Hard" (Victor 20544, 1927; on GoodForWhatAilsYou)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Sugar Babe (III)" (lyrics)
cf. "Mourner, You Shall Be Free (Moanish Lady)" (lyrics)
cf. "Dat's All Right" (lyrics)
cf. "Tell Old Bill" (structure, refrain)
cf. "Cocaine (The Furniture Man)" (lyrics)
NOTES [55 words]: This is a floating fragment which often joins songs such as the "Talking Blues," "You Shall Be Free," and perhaps "Raise a Ruckus." Roud lumps it with all sorts of amorphous songs. But it's here as its own piece because it apparently exists on its own also. - RBW
Yep -- see the Carolina Tar Heels' recording, for one example. - PJS
Last updated in version 5.2
File: DarNS329

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