“Dawsonville Jail”
Description
Singer is told by Sheriff Glen Wallace that he's "a little too full." He is taken to jail. His friend Shorty objects but is arrested too; they work on the sheriff's chicken farm, and the food is bad. They swear they'll drink no more.
Long description
Singer gets up, but is told by Sheriff Glen Wallace that he's "a little too full." He heads for town; Wallace & his deputy, Toy, come to arrest him and take him to jail. His friend Shorty objects but is arrested too; they work on the sheriff's chicken farm, and the food is bad -- "the peas was green and the meat was fat." They fall on their knees and swear they'll drink no more. Released, they advise that "before we take a drink we'd better look twice." Refrain: "Comin' for to carry me home"
Notes
Clearly not a traditional song, but I include it because (a) the form, structure and style are traditional, and (b) it uses tune, structure and refrain from a traditional song, and borrows a floating verse from another. It's *not* "Cryderville Jail"; in fact, according to the liner notes, the writers, who knew that song, deliberately chose a different structure. - PJS
Cross references
- cf. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (tune, refrain)
- cf. "Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane" (lyrics)
- cf. "Cryderville Jail" (subject)
Recordings
- Ray Knight w. Ed Teague & Art Rosenbaum, "Dawsonville Jail" (on FolkVisions2)
References
- Roud #4960
- BI, RcDawsJa