SHORTENIN' BREAD
(Traditional)

Two little niggers
Lyin' in bed
One of 'em sick
An' de odder mos' dead.
Call for de doctor
An' de doctor said,
"Feed dem darkies on shortenin' bread"

cho: Mammy's little baby loves
Shortenin', shortenin',
Mammy's little baby love shortenin' bread.

Or: Shortenin' bread, shortenin' bread,
How I love shortenin' bread!

Or: Shortenin' shortenin' bread,
Don' my baby like shortenin' bread!

Stole de skillet, Stole de lead
Stole dat gal makin' shortenin' bread.
Got six months fo' de skillet, got six months fo' de led;
Got six months fo' de gal makin' shortenin' bread.

Went to de kitchen an' kicked off de led,
An' filled my pockets full o' shortenin' bread.
Shortenin' bread an' it baked thin,
Dat what it take to make 'em grin.

Put on de skillet, put on de led,
My lil baby wants shortenin' braad.
Two little niggers upstairs in bed,
One turned over an' to de odder said,

"How about dat shortenin' bread,
How about dat shortenin' bread,"
One lil nigger a-layin' in de bed,
His eyes shet an' still, like he been dead.

Two lil niggers a-layin' in de bed,
A-snorin' an' a-dreamin' of a table spread.
W'en de doctor come he simpully said,
"Feed dat boy some shortenin' braad."

T'other lil nigger sick in de bed,
W'en he hear tell o' shortenin' bread,
Popped up well, he dance an' sing,
He almos' cut de pigeon wing.

I do love liquor, an' I will take a dram,
I'd ruther be a nigger dan' a po' white man.


From American Ballads & Folk Songs, 1934, by John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax.

@food @slave
filename[ SHORTNIN
TUNE FILE: SHORTNIN
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JRO
Oct00
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