Captain Don't Feel Sorry for a Longtime Man

DESCRIPTION: A composite song, in many ways more a religious musical than a performance. The singer writes to his mother asking for prayers. He asks his captain for pity. He laments a life term. One singer prays as another recites the Lord's Prayer
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1965 (recorded from Marshall Phillips, Ebbie Veasley, and Theo Mitchell by Jackson)
KEYWORDS: prison hardtimes mother religious
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Jackson-WakeUpDeadMan, pp. 132-142, "Captain Don't Feel Sorry for a Longtime Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
NOTES [80 words]: This song, as given by Jackson, could not be sung by fewer than two singers, and really needs three or more. It uses elements of many other songs, such as "Please Have Mercy on a Longtime Man," "Godalmighty Drag," an Old Rattler song, and probably a work or hammer song, plus a religious item. Even though the components are commonplace, I can't recall seeing anything like the combined result in the annals of folk song; I frankly am somewhat dubious about counting it as such. - RBW
Last updated in version 2.4
File: JDM132

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