Anybody have lyrics earlier than the 1940s, when Lomax and Parrish collected the song in Georgia?

I wonder about the "Pay me, Mr. Stevedore" line - I thought stevedores were on the bottom rung of the ladder, and wouldn't be in a position to pay anybody. Or is it merchants and whores demanding payment from stevedores who haven't been paid themselves?

And the Revels line about "tomorrow will be your salary day" - since when do dockworkers get salaries?

But maybe I've had this wrong. I thought this was a song about dockworkers demanding their pay. Maybe it's a song about dockworkers having to pay their creditors.


-Joe-