I'm surprised we haven't has more discussion of this song. the Digital Tradition lists this as "STATARK2" - but I can't find a "statark1" (oh, OK, it's stateark) the Traditional Ballad Index lists lots of songbook entries, and cross-references to "Diamond Joe." I'll post the Ballad Index entry.
-Joe Offer-State of Arkansas, The (The Arkansas Traveler II) [Laws H1]
DESCRIPTION: A traveler arrives in Arkansas and finds that it fully meets his (lack of) expectations. He "never knowed what misery was till I come to Arkansas." His boss had promised that the state would make him a different man, and he is: He is now badly starved
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1906 (Belden)
KEYWORDS: poverty humorous hardtimes starvation
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,SE,So) Ireland
REFERENCES (15 citations):
Laws H1, "The Arkansas Traveler"
Belden, pp. 424-426, "Bill Stafford" (2 texts)
Randolph 347, "The State of Arkansas" (4 texts plus 2 excerpts, 3 tunes)
BrownIII 331, "Arkansas Traveller (II)" (2 texts)
Hudson 80, p. 208, "Tocowa" (1 short text with "Tocowa," not Arkansas, the site of the singer's bad experience)
Thomas-Makin', pp. 171-172, (no title) (1 text)
Friedman, p. 434, "The Arkansaw Traveler" (1 text)
Lomax-FSUSA 71, "The State of Arkansas" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-FSNA 167, "The State of Arkansas" (1 text, 1 tune)
JHCox 53, "An Arkansaw Traveller" (3 texts)
Asch/Dunson/Raim, p. 44, "My Name Is John Johanna" (1 text, 1 tune)
SHenry H0, p. 53, "The State of Arkansaw" (1 text, 1 tune)
Darling-NAS, pp. 225-226, "Old Arkansas" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 46, "The State of Arkansas" (1 text)
DT 643, STATEARK* STATARK2*
RECORDINGS:
Almanac Singers, "State of Arkansas" (General 5018A, 1941; on Almanac01, Almanac03, AlmanacCD1)
Kelly Harrell, "My Name is John Johanna" (Victor 21520A, 1927; on KHarrell02, AAFM1, HardTimes1)
Pete Seeger, "State of Arkansas" (on PeteSeeger19, AmHist2)
Pete Seeger & Sonny Terry, "Arkansas Traveller" (on SeegerTerry)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Barnyards o' Delgaty" (theme)
cf. "Joe Bowers" (tune -- some versions)
cf. "Diamond Joe (I)" (tune, lyrics)
cf. "Way Out in Idaho (I)" (lyrics)
Notes: This should not be confused with the fiddle tune "Arkansas Traveler," or with the minstrel-show sketch from which it derives. -PJS
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