“The Cryderville Jail”

Description

Complaints about prison life. Refrain: "It's hard times in (Cryderville) jail, It's hard times, poor boy." Sample stanzas: "Durant jail beats no jail at all; If you want to catch hell, got to Wichita Falls." "Lice and the bedbugs have threatened my life."

Cross references

• cf. "County Jail (II)" (theme)
• cf. "Dawsonville Jail" (subject)

Recordings

• Dock Boggs, "Wise County Jail" (on Boggs2, BoggsCD1)
• Logan English, "Durant Jail" (on LEnglish01)

References

1. BrownIII 354, "Durham Jail" (1 text)
2. Lomax-FSUSA 90, "The Durant Jail" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Lomax-ABFS, pp. 138-142, "The Cryderville Jail", pp. 142-143, "Po' Boy" (3 texts plus scattered addenda, 2 tunes)
4. Lomax-FSNA 228, "Hard Times" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 887-888, "Hard Times in Mount Holly Jail" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. cf. Greenway-AFP, p. 141, "Hard Times at Little New River" (1 text, adapted to mill conditions, but too short to tell if it was a full adaption or just a spur-of-the-moment change)
7. DT, DRNTJAIL*
8. Roud #822
9. BI, LxU090