Six Months in Jail Ain't So Long

DESCRIPTION: "Six months in jail ain't so long, baby, It's workin' on the county farm. Got my pick an' shovel now, baby, Yo' true lub is gone. Who's gwine to be yo' true lub, baby, When I'm gone? Who gwine to bring you chickens... When I'm workin' on the county farm?"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: c. 1923 (Abbot/Swan-8Negro)
KEYWORDS: prison lover food work
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Scarborough-OnTheTrailOfNegroFolkSongs, p. 231, "Work-Song" (1 short text)
Abbot/Swan-8Negro 1, "Who Gon' Bring You Chickens" (1 text, 1 tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot" (theme)
cf. "Six Months Ain't Long (subject)
NOTES [51 words]: This started a chain of songs; the Virginia-based folksinger and folklorist Paul Clayton adapted the song into "Who's Gonna Buy You Ribbons?"; Bob Dylan adapted that into "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", which was then adapted into "Understand Your Man" by Johnny Cash. Sounds like a folk song to me. - PJS
Last updated in version 4.3
File: ScNF231A

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