by Dan T <dandante@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Mar 11, 2008 at 04:26 PM
On Mar 9, 12:05 pm, Brad Sondahl <bradgarb...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Or even first recorded? Uncle Dave Macon?
> Seems like it goes back to the Civil War from the lyrics...
>
I seem to remember from reading somewhere (maybe it was the liner
notes of the Costa and Campbell CD where they do this song) that it
originated with African Americans who were forced (by the Union side,
I think) to be in the crews of steamboats on the Mississippi during
the Civil War, when it was really dangerous and you could be shot at
(or hit with a cannon) pretty easily. I assume the boats were
commandeered for military purposes.
But this is just my foggy brain cells. I could be totally wrong.
