“Henhouse Door (Who Broke the Lock?)”

Description

Floating verses: "Down in the henhouse, down on my knees/I thought I heard a chicken sneeze" "Hen... told the rooster, I love you best... you're a pop-eyed liar...." Ch.: "Who broke the lock? I don't know/Who broke the lock on the henhouse door..."

Long description

Floating verses: "Down in the henhouse, down on my knees/I thought I heard a chicken sneeze" "Hen and a rooster went out west/Hen told the rooster, I love you best/Rooster told the hen, you're a pop-eyed liar/Saw you in the alley with the big Shanghai" "My old hen's a good old hen/Ain't laid an egg since I don't know when" etc. Chorus: "Who broke the lock? I don't know/Who broke the lock on the henhouse door..."

Notes

The Bryant's Jubilee Quartet recordings are a perfect illustration of why discographers get migraines. - PJS

Cross references

• cf. "Talking Blues" (floating verses)
• cf. "Cluck Old Hen" (floating verses)
• cf. "The Chicken Song (I Ain't Gonna Take It Settin' Down)" (floating verses)

Recordings

• Alabama Washboard Stompers, "Who Broke the Lock" (Vocalion 1587, 1931)
• H. M. Barnes & his Blue Ridge Ramblers, "Who Broke the Lock on the Hen-House Door" (Brunswick 310, 1929/Supertone S-2052, 1930/Brunswick 1027)
• Jack Bland's Rhythmakers, "Who Broke the Lock" (Banner 32605/Melotone M-12513/Oriole 2593/Perfect 15694, all 1932; Columbia 35841, 1940)
• Bryant's Jubilee Quartet, "Who Stole De Lock Off De Henhouse Door" (Gennett 6608/Champion 15543 [as Southland Jubilee Singers]/Supertone 9081 [as Dixie Jubilee Choir]/Supertone 9293 [as Dixie Jubilee Singers], all 1928); "Who Stole De Lock" (Banner 32173/Oriole 8060/Perfect 175 [as Famous Garland Jubilee Singers]/Romeo 5060/Conqueror 7749, all 1931)
• Vance Dixon & his Pencils, "Who Stole the Lock" (OKeh 8891, 1931)
• Dunham Jazz Singers, "Who Stole the Lock" (Columbia 14609-D, 1931)
• Otto Gray & his Oklahoma Cowboys, "Who Broke the Lock" (Vocalion 5479, c. 1931/Polk P9017, n.d./Panachord [UK] 25449, 1933)
• Dick Hartman & his Tennessee Ramblers, "Who Broke the Lock?" (Montgomery Ward M-4914, 1936)
• Texas Jim Lewis, "Who Broke the Lock" (Vocalion 3754/Perfect 7-12-55 [as Texas Jim Lewis' Lone Star Cowboys], 1937)
• Frank Luther, "Who Broke the Lock" (Decca 5322, 1935)
• Riley Puckett, "Riley's Hen House Door" (Bluebird B-7373, 1938)
• Standard Quartette, "Who Broke the Lock on the Henhouse Door?" (CYL: Columbia, no #, rec. 1894)
• Washboard Rhythm Kings, "Who Broke the Lock" (Victor 23283, 1931)