Doctor John,

Because of the prejudice against darker skin color, even among some African-Americans, yellow skinned women were seen as more "desireable". It was only a short leap to the supposition that they were also more "sexual" and, hence, a greater temptation. Thus, Lead Belly, who is "allmost gone" already, "ain't gonna ring them yellow women's doorbells", that is, get into more trouble through sexual expression.

An additional argument may include that yellow skinned women were perhaps more likely to be successful prostitutes. White men would see them as exotic, yet tehy would not "count" as "crossing the color line taboo" because of their clearly mixed heritage. In this scenario, Lead Belly is just avoiding getting mixed up with prostitutes, an illegal, and therefore looked down upon, behavior.

Hope this helps clarify the song for you.

Murray,

Blond, brown, and black are just degrees of coloration and in Son House's time would indicate the same ideas that I have stated in the note above to Doctor John. The lighter the color, the presumed greater percentage of "white" genes and hence the greater desireability.

Lead Belly, in Good Morning Blues, uses a different descriptor to again make a color differentiation.

Take a brown skin woman,
Make a moon-eyed (drunk) man go blind,
But a chestnut (lighter tan, after the color of the wood) woman,
Will make you change your mind.

Further evidence of color prejudice can be seen in my recent LYR ADD: Black Woman thread.

I don't want no jet black woman,
She's too mean, Lawd, Lawd, she's too mean.

Roger in Baltimore