Two little babies, lying in bed
One was sick and the other 'most dead
Sent for the doctor and the doctor said
"Give those children some shortnin' bread."
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin,
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread!
Put on the skillet, slip on the lid
Mama's gonna bake a little short'nin' bread
This ain't all she's gonna do
Mama's gonna make a little coffee, too.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin,
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' 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.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin,
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread!
Slipped in the kitchen, slipped up the lid
Slipped my pocket full of shortnin' bread
Stole the skillet, stole the lid
Stole the gal to make shortnin' bread
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin,
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread!
Caught with the skillet, caught with the lid
Caught with the gal makin' shortnin' bread
Paid 6 dollars for the skillet, 6 dollars for the lid
Spent 6 months in jail eatin' shortnin' bread...
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin,
Mammy's little baby loves shortenin' bread!
----------
Riley's original lyrics goes something like this:
Behine de hen-house, on my knees,
Thought I hearn a chickin sneeze
Sneezed so hard wi' de whoopin' cough
I thought he'd sneeze his blame' head off.
(chorus)
Fotch dat dough fum the kitchin-shed
Rake de coals out hot an' red
Putt on de oven an' putt on de led,
Mammy's gwineter cook som short'nin' bread.
O I' got got a house in Baltimo'
Street-kyars run right by my do'
Street-kyars run right by my gate,
Hit's git up soon an' set up late.
(chorus)
Fotch dat dough fum the kitchin-shed
Rake de coals out hot an' red
Putt on de oven an' putt on de led,
Mammy's gwineter cook som short'nin' bread.
De raincrow hide in some ole tree
An' holler out, all hoarse, at me
Sayes, "When I sing, de rain hit po'
So's you ain't 'bleeged to plow no mo'!
(chorus)
Fotch dat dough fum the kitchin-shed
Rake de coals out hot an' red
Putt on de oven an' putt on de led,
Mammy's gwineter cook som short'nin' bread.
