Hello friends,

I’m searching for a great prohibition era ballad I heard in the late 1940s or early 1950s, and I'm afraid of it being lost. It told the story of a man named Paducah Brown, who was “shot for selling likka.” (or maybe liquor)

The verses were brisk and descriptive, and the chorus began with his name, stated his fate, repeated his name, and ended on a low final note. The melody rose sharply at the start of the chorus and walked down stepwise at the end.

I remember the first and second stanzas, and the repeating chorus, clearly, and I can describe the melodic contour in detail. If anyone has ever heard a version of this song, or knows of a field recording, broadside, regional variant, or just a written record of some or all of the words, I would be deeply grateful to know about it.

Thank you for helping keep a wonderful piece of American memory alive.

—Walter Reitman