Wake Up, Jacob

DESCRIPTION: "Wake up, Jacob, day's a-breakin', Peas in the pot and hoe-cake's caking'. Bacon's in the pan and coffee's in the pot, Come on round and get it while it's hot. (Spoken:) Wake, snakes, and bite a biscuit!"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1867 (Allen/Ware/Garrison-SlaveSongsUnitedStates)
KEYWORDS: cowboy food nonballad
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Allen/Ware/Garrison-SlaveSongsUnitedStates, p. 65, "Wake Up, Jacob" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-FolkSongsOfNorthAmerica 184, "Wake Up, Jacob" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax/Lomax-AmericanBalladsAndFolkSongs, p. 375, "Cowboys' Gettin'-Up Holler" (1 text, 1 tune)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5, p. 547, "Peas in the Pot, Hoe Cake A-Bakin'" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 109, "Wake Up, Jacob/Cowboy's Gettin' Up Holler" (1 text)
Roud #6694
RECORDINGS:
Harry Jackson, "Morning Grub Holler" (on HJackson1, CowFolkCD1)
Pete Seeger, "Wake Up, Jacob" (on PeteSeeger07, PeteSeeger07a)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Shanty Boy's Reveille" (theme)
NOTES [46 words]: I don't know if this is an allusion to Genesis 32:26, where Javob wrestles with a strange being, and the being ends the fight by saying, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." Obviously the words are similar, but Jacob of course got no sleep that night; he spent it wrestling! - RBW
Last updated in version 2.4
File: LoF184

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography