Short’nin Bread
Short’nin Bread
Put on the skillet, slip on the lid,
Mama’s gonna make a little short’nin’ bread.
That ain’t all she’s gonna do,
Mama’s gonna make a little coffee, too.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Three little children, lyin’ in bed,
Two were sick and the other ‘most dead;
Sent for the doctor and the doctor said,
“Give those children some short’nin’ bread.”
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
When those children, sick in bed,
Heard that talk about short’nin’ bread,
Popped up well to dance and sing,
Skipped around and cut the pigeon wing.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Slip to the kitchen, slip up the led,
Filled my pockets full of short’nin’ bread;
Stole the skillet, stole the led,
Stole the gal makin’ short’nin’ bread.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Caught me with the skillet, caught me with the led,
Caught me with the gal makin’ short’nin’ bread;
Paid six dollars for the skillet, six dollars for the led,
Spent six months in jail eatin’ short’nin’ bread.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin’,
Mama’s little baby loves short’nin’ bread.
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Origin
The origins of “Shortnin’ Bread” are somewhat unclear. Thought to be a traditional Southern plantation song, a version with a vaguely similar line in its chorus was written by James Whitcomb Riley in 1900, and another version was published by E.C. Perrow in 1912. Both make reference to the fried cornmeal bread popular in the pre- and immediate-post-Civil War era.
