Back in the early 50s Burl Ives sang a brief song called "Baby Did You Hear." It seems to be from? or at least about Florida, referring to the St. John's River.

BABY DID YOU HEAR

Baby, did you hear
Your sweetie's gonna leave you, yes, yes,
On the next pay day.

Baby, did you hear
Your sweetie's gonna ride the Cherokee down the St. Johns River,
And never a cent will I be the giver.

It's a mysterious pop-bluesy little song, and I've never heard of any story behind it. It does not appear in the Burl Ives Songbook or in any other publication by Ives that I know of. Its only reference in the DT is a title in a couple of "Rivers of America" threads.

It fascinated me enough that a few years ago I wrote a bunch more verses to it, just so I could sing it for a longer while.

I know of no one else who sang it -- unless Dinah Washington's song by that title is the same (I haven't been able to find lyrics for that song).

Where did it come from? Who wrote it? When? Is there more to it? Anyone know? Bob