Origin: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: Ole Bull
Date: 23 Apr 99 - 09:20 PM

Jim Crack Corn is a bootlegger. Cracking the grain is what you do before you prepare the mash. Hence the references to the bottle. This song has obscure and complex origins. It was associated with the Minstrel groups of the 1840 in several different versions, one attributed to Dan Emmett. Because these varients all popped up about the same time one suspects an earlier, unrecorded source.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 22 Apr 99 - 11:02 PM

I thought "Jimmy" was crows, and now that the big boss man was gone he didn't have to care ... in school, of course, we were taught that he was so broke up by the loss he couldn't chase crows. I doubt it.

Mary Ann (MA)

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: Bruce O.
Date: 22 Apr 99 - 01:58 PM

Unless Pete Seeger can show his chorus in a copy earlier than the "Jim crack corn' of 1846 in the Levy collection, I won't believe him.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 22 Apr 99 - 11:20 AM

Some years ago in Sing Out Pete Seeger gave his explanation of the song-- the proper chorus is "GIMME" cracked corn, and I don't care when a slave had done something really rotten, his rations were reduced to cracked corn & nothing more but in this song-- the slave had found a way to cause(??) an accident that resulted in his getting rid of his master, and he is saying "gimme cracked corn, and I don't care" in other words-- "it was worth it" a very subversive song for the 1840s! I would attribute it to Wm. Lloyd Garrison except that he, reportedly, had no sense of humor!

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: Bruce O.
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 09:47 PM

Search the Levy sheet music collection (Mudcat's Links) for copies of 1846. Use 'Blue tail' in the search box.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 09:17 PM

Well, I found a couple songs in the database by looking for [crack corn], but I haven't found exactly the lyrics I'm familiar with (the ones they sang on Ding Dong School, dontchaknow....). JIM CRACK CORN (click here) is close. BLUE-TAIL FLY is closer.

Here's the What Was Jimmie Doing? thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: Paul
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 09:07 PM

This song was also know as "The Blue-tail Fly". Big Bill Broonzy recorded it on "Black, Brown and White".

Subject: RE: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From: JVZ
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 06:21 PM

Take a look at the thread "What was Jimmie doing?" (note the ie spelling) last dated Mar-11-99. I started that thread and although it got off the subject a bit, I believe it will answer your questions.

John

Subject: Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care
From:
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 05:06 PM

What is the origin of this song? Where can I find the lyrics?