Old Yellow's Dead - Folklorist

“Old Yellow's Dead”

Description

"Allen says, 'Ma, bring here a pry, I think Old Yellow's a-going to die.' Louis says, 'What'll I eat with bread, For they tell me that Old Yellow is dead.'" The crew sets out to skin the animal; Allen blisters his hands tanning it; they haul the hide away

Supplemental text

Old Yellow's Dead
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

From Harvey H. Fuson, Ballads of the Kentucky Highlands, pp. 102-103.
"From singing of P. J. Moses."

Allen says, "Ma, bring here a pry,
I think Old Yellow's a-going to die."

    Refrain
Walk jawbone, oh, jing-a-ling,
Walk jawbone, oh, jing-a-ling.

Louis says, "What'll I eat with bread,
For they tell me that Old Yellow is dead."

(9 additional stanzas)

Notes

I have a strange feeling that this is somehow related to a historical event -- perhaps a political piece. But the references are too local for me even to hazard a guess as to what. It's one of those pieces that makes nonsense out of context.

If it is a political piece, it was probably built around "The Jawbone Song." - RBW

Cross references

cf. "The Jawbone Song" (chorus form)

References