Mack's Blues

DESCRIPTION: "Say, I told the Captain, he don't worry me, Got a hundred and twenty-nine summers, partner, never will go free." The singer complains of hard work and getting up so early, calls for water, works with mules, wishes for mercy, and tells of prison life
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1965 (collected from Mack Maze by Jackson)
KEYWORDS: prison hardtimes nonballad
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Jackson-WakeUpDeadMan, pp. 81-82, "Mack's Blues" (2 texts, 1 tune)
NOTES [76 words]: This is an amazing demonstration of the fluidity of prison moans (this is properly not a blues; the form is wrong). *Both* of Jackson's versions come from Mack Maze, but while they have the same tune, only one verse is common. Maze's first text is apparently a mule song; the second has a large dose of "Easy Rider" material. I could make a strong case for splitting them, but it is not likely that we will find an exact match for either one elsewere. - RBW
Last updated in version 2.4
File: JDM081

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