Lyr Req: extra verses to Hurt's Chicken?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: extra verses to Hurt's Chicken?
From: ddw
Date: 05 Feb 01 - 11:12 PM

Turk,

The tune MJH used in Chicken Song has had any number of incarnations over the years, as have "spelling" songs. I wouldn't put too much stock in the fact that somebody knew other words for a tune and put the two together. I think MJH used a tune to make a joke and that was the end of it.

cheers,

david

Subject: extra verses to Hurt's Chicken?
From: GUEST,turk
Date: 05 Feb 01 - 07:49 PM

I was singing my girlfriend the song Chicken that i learned from Mississippi John Hurt, and when i was done she said that she learned the song from one of her cousins when she was a little girl and added a few verses. The extra verses obviously dont go with the original song. I think they sound like verses that would be sung during jump rope, but really have no idea where they came from. Anyone have any clues? Here they are:

Rufus, rafus, Johnson brown
what'cha gonna do when the rent comes down
what'cha gonna say, what'cha gonna pay
what'cha gonna do on judgement day?

You know, I know, rent means dough
landlord throw you out in the snow
what'cha gonna say, what'cha gonna pay
what'cha gonna do on judgement day?