December 24, 2003

9:37 AM

I'm looking for information regarding a blues song quoted in the Terry Southern short story "Razor Fight". (more ->)
posted by Item to (2 comments total)

The lyric, as quoted in the story, is:

"If you evah go to Fut Wurth
Boy you bettah ack right
You bettah not ar-gy
An' you bettah not fight!

Shruf Tomlin of Fut Wurth
Cay's a foaty-fouh gun
If you evah see 'im com-min
Well it too late to run!

Cause he like to shoot rab-bit
Like to shoot 'em on de run
Seen dat Shruf hit a rab-bit
Wif his foaty-fouh gun!

An' he like to shoot de spar-ry
An' he like to shoot de quail
An' dare ain't many nig-ger
In de Fut Wurth jail!"

So was this just concocted by Southern or does anyone know if it's an honest-to-goodness blues song?
posted by Item at 9:37 AM on December 24, 2003

The first verse is, except for the mention of Fort Worth, almost identical to a verse in Leadbelly's "Midnight Special."

I also found this, interestingly: Edward Cassidy as Sheriff Tomlin.

So clearly I don't know. My guess is Southern patched it together.
posted by hackly_fracture at 9:56 AM on December 24, 2003