At last, a lead! As I suspected, the words are anachronistic. These words come from the song "Tennessee Valley," written by NLRB director of information Malcolm Ross, also sometimes called "Quaker" Malcolm Ross, who wrote Machine Age In the Hills. It was first performed July 1st, 1941 at the Robin Hood Dell in Philadelphia.

From Wilmington Morning News, June 30th, 1941, p. 19B (Wilmington, DE) - link:

Robeson to Sing Premiere at Dell

The world premiere performance of a song "Tennessee Valley," with words and music by Malcolm Ross, director of information of the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, will be a feature of Paul Robeson's appearance at Robin Hood Dell tomorrow night.

The song is dedicated to Francis Biddle, United States solicitor general and former TVA counsel, who will attend the Dell concert with Mrs. Biddle and the composer and Mrs. Ross.

The composition of "Tennessee Valley" and other hillbilly songs has been a hobby with Ross, who in 1931 and 1932 spent considerable time in the mountain country of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee, observing the work of Clarence Pickett's Quaker Group among the miners, in preparation for the publication of a book.   ...

From The Bergen Evening Record, July 2nd, 1942, p. 32 (Hackensack, NJ) - link:

Who's News Today by Lemuel P. Parton ...

When we first knew Malcolm Ross, better known as Mike, he had just made up a song with ukulele accompaniment called "Forty-five Miles from Abraham and Straus", ticking off the whistle stops on his way in from Wading River, Long Island. It was a great his at parties, as were all his songs. He was sometimes called the most popular dinner guest in New York.

Last night Paul Roberson sang his "Tennessee Valley" song -- both words and music by Mr. Ross -- at Robin Hood Dell, Philadelphia's music grove, where they have been having a continuous music festival for several week. He had gone down into the valley for the National Labor Relations Board -- that's where he works -- and it was to be expected that he would get his findings into a tune instead of a report.

His friend Francis Biddle, United States Solicitor-General, had jokingly suggested while dining at Mr. Ross's house in Alexandria that he improvise a song about his investigation. He picked up his guitar, began to feel out a few of the hillbilly musical idioms, caught a mood, and found the words trooping along. Like all good minnesingers, he works that way....

And now, the evidence. An excerpt from Negro Digest, Vol. 4 (1945), p. 85:

Recently we heard a haunting folk-song sort of tune, words and music by Malcolm Ross. It's called Tennessee Valley, and the words start something like this:

 Oh who's gonna rustle up the biscuit bread
 A man's born lucky if he ain't born dead
 And if he lives he's a mouth to feed
 Who's gonna help us in our time of need?

Over two decades in the making, but we have success!