Well, I went down home 'bout a year ago.
Things so bad, Lord, my heart was sore.
Folks had nothin'; was a sin an' a shame.
Ev'rybody said hard times was to blame.
They had skinny-looking children, bellies pokin' out,
That old pellagra without a doubt.
Old folk hangin' 'round the cabin door,
Ain't seen times this hard before.
Now the sun was a-shinin' fourteen days and no rain.
Hoein' and plantin' was all in vain.
They had hard, hard times, Lord, all around,
Meal barrel's empty, crops burned to the ground.
Then I went to the boss at the commissary store.
Folks all sobbin', "Please don't close your door.
We want more food and a little more time to pay."
Boss man laughed and walked away.
Now your landlord comes around when your rent is due,
And if you ain't got his money, take your home from you.
He'll take your mule and horse, even take your cow.
Says, "Get off of my land. You're no good nohow."
Things so bad, Lord, my heart was sore.
Folks had nothin'; was a sin an' a shame.
Ev'rybody said hard times was to blame.
Great God Almighty, folks feelin' bad,
Lost ev'rything they ever had.
Great God Almighty, folks feelin' bad,
Lost ev'rything they ever had.
Lost ev'rything they ever had.
Great God Almighty, folks feelin' bad,
Lost ev'rything they ever had.
They had skinny-looking children, bellies pokin' out,
That old pellagra without a doubt.
Old folk hangin' 'round the cabin door,
Ain't seen times this hard before.
Now the sun was a-shinin' fourteen days and no rain.
Hoein' and plantin' was all in vain.
They had hard, hard times, Lord, all around,
Meal barrel's empty, crops burned to the ground.
Then I went to the boss at the commissary store.
Folks all sobbin', "Please don't close your door.
We want more food and a little more time to pay."
Boss man laughed and walked away.
Now your landlord comes around when your rent is due,
And if you ain't got his money, take your home from you.
He'll take your mule and horse, even take your cow.
Says, "Get off of my land. You're no good nohow."
Contributed by Bartleby - 2011/9/13 - 12:02
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Ancora una splendida canzone da “Southern Exposure”, il dirompente album di denuncia della segregazione razziale in America che Josh White scrisse in onore dello scrittore afro-americano Richard Wright, autore di romanzi come “Paura” (“Native Son”, 1940) e “Ho bruciato la notte” (“The Outsider”, 1953) che molto hanno contribuito alla lotta per l’eguaglianza razziale negli USA.
Testo trovato su Mudcat Café.
Qui un bracciante agricolo – bianco o nero che sia, la rivendicazione razziale ha già lasciato il posto a quella di classe – ridotto alla fame dalla siccità, con i figli ischeletriti e malati di pellagra, viene deriso e annientato dal grosso proprietario che gli nega il credito per il cibo, gli prende le bestie a saldo dei debiti contratti e poi lo butta fuori dalla terra che ha coltivato…