Wow, there's a lot of scholarly documentation to absorb there, I could only give it a cursory look now. I have a feeling it may change my opinion of this song, but I'll stand by most of my previous rant. I admire many achievements of "the south" and certainly a lot of blues music. I love the "southern" accent in the speech of many people from Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. I just don't admire the divisive elements and I fear some of the folks declaring "the south shall rise again" were not concerned so much with industry or productivity as they were with a lifestyle that included oppressed peoples. But I'll try not to be closed-minded myself!!

Thanks for the insights, and Mary in Kentucky you must PM me if you ever lived in Lake Jackson! Or for that matter, Clute, Angleton, Danbury, Jones Creek, Brazoria, Alvin, Manvel, Friendswood, Pearland, Rosharon, Bonnie, Sandy Point, Juliff, Arcola, Fresno, Almeda, Richmond, Rosenberg, Sealy, Webster, Santa Fe, Hitchcock, Dickinson, Texas City, La Porte, Bacliff, Kemah, Freeport, Surfside ... who have I left out oh.yeah - Galveston!

8>)# michael