The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #28408   Message #659753
Posted By: greg stephens
28-Feb-02 - 06:28 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Who was Eloise in Leadbelly's Linin'
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who was Eloise in Leadbelly's Linin'
The line should be transcribed "Siello Huisco linin'track". Huisco was a Mexican prison-reformer who worked in the USA c1900. He was actually responsible for many of the design features of the prison where Leadbelly spent some time before Governor Pat Neff pardoned him at the request of the Lomaxes. Huisco's liberal reforms were much appreciated by Leadbelly and his colleagues, and lead to some good-natured references in song, as noted in "Linin' Track". Huisco's name has obviously been proposed as the source of the word "hoosegow" for prison: opinions are divided on this, as the earliest recorded use of "hoosegow" would appear to predate Huisco's rise to fame by four years. The song (as "Can't you line'em"), without the Golden Gate Quartet), was available in England in the late 50's on one of the Melodisc Leadbelly EP's which much influenced the skifflers of that era, including myself.