Floyd Batts: Dangerous Blues (1959)

Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) prisoner Floyd Batts sings a variation on "Dangerous Blues," or "Danger Blue," a theme sung by Black inmates throughout the Southern prison-farm system. For more of Alan Lomax's 1940s and '50s Parchman recordings, visit research.culturalequity.org. (We are currently [May 2020] working to make John Lomax's 1930s and '40s Parchman recordings available through the site, with sessions from other Southern penitentiaries forthcoming in the next few years.) [T882R05] Whoa, everybody talkin’, ah ha, Lord, ‘bout ol’ dangerous blue[s] The peoples talkin’, Lordy, Lord, ‘bout ol’ dangerous blue[s] If I had my special, oh ho— Lord I’d be danger too A .32-20, a .20, ah ha— Lord do very well A .32-20, a .20, ah ha— Lord I do very well A .45 mattie, ah ha— Lord ‘s a burning hell Just don’t know, Lordy Just don’t know, uh huh, Lord, I believe I will Gonna make my home, Lord, man, ‘way in Jacksonville (Mud.*) *Said when a task, and thus a song, are finished.

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