Corntime Pain

DESCRIPTION: Everyone knows, Corntime Pain is made to play scare crow.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1954 (Elder-FolkSongAndFolkLifeInCharlotteville)
KEYWORDS: punishment farming nonballad Caribbean
FOUND IN: West Indies(Tobago)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Elder-FolkSongAndFolkLifeInCharlotteville, p. 59, "Corntime Pain" (1 text, 1 tune)
NOTES [92 words]: Elder-Charlottville: "A Tobago banter song about Corntime Pain who was made to play the role of bwa-bwa (bois-bois) i.e. scarecrow. The song is very Tobagonian and has not been heard anywhere in Trinidad. There seem to be hidden meanings in the reference to cheering for the wagon." Elder's reference to the wagon is to the chorus, "Cheers for da wagon" (3x) "Say Corntime Pain are bwa bwa"; the chorus may just be another U.S. import: a modification of the chorus to "Wait for the Wagon." The tune of the chorus is not too different from that song. - BS
Last updated in version 4.0
File: ElCh059

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