Brokeback Mule

[Wilson Gray]

As it happens, I have a recording of this song by Huey "Piano" Smith
and The Clowns. It doesn't make any reference to a "brokeback mule."
Of course, this is merely accidental, since folk songs have dozens, if
not hundreds, of variants. Smith''s version does make reference to
"rockin' an' rollin'. I doubt that the purely folkloric versions have
any such rereference. :-) Unfortunately, I can't recall the words of
the version that I learned as a child in Texas, back in the '40's,
though, somehow, I've never been able to forget the words to "Jump,
Jim Crow."

-Wilson Gray


On 1/24/06, carole crompton <crompton at sover.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       carole crompton <crompton at SOVER.NET>
> Subject:      Brokeback Mule
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>   I learned the word brokeback from the song, " Liza Jane." It can be
> found in Ruth Crawford Seegar's American Folk Songs for Children. All
> these other meanings are news to me!
>
> "Brokeback mule, I'm bound to ride, Shiloh, Shiloh
> Brokeback mule I'm bound to ride, Shiloh, Liza Jane."
>
> CMC
>
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