Banks of the Don, The

DESCRIPTION: Singer pays sarcastic tribute to the "boarding-house" by the Don: rent and taxes are paid, food is free. Inmates must turn out and work in the stoneyard; knives and forks are counted after meals. To obtain residence, listeners can get publicly drunk
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1958 (recording, O. J. Abbott)
KEYWORDS: prison punishment drink humorous nonballad prisoner
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1860s - Don Jail built
FOUND IN: Canada(Ont)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Vikár/Panagapka-SongsNorthWoodsSungByOJAbbott28, "On the Banks of the Don" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #3846
RECORDINGS:
O. J. Abbott, "The Banks of the Don" (on Ontario1)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Mountjoy Hotel" (subject)
cf. "Johnson's Hotel" (subject, lyrics)
cf. "Erin Go Bragh" (tune)
NOTES [18 words]: O. J. Abbott reported learning the song as a teenager in 1890 from an Irish farmer in the Ottawa valley. - PJS
Last updated in version 5.1
File: RcTBOTDo

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