Annotation:Old Jaw Bone (2)

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OLD JAW BONE [2]. American, Minstrel Song. The use of a jawbone from a horse, ox or mule, was a plantation icon, exploited on the minstrel stage as a supplement or alternative to the use of the 'bones' as a rhythmic accompaniment. "The Old Jawbone" was printed in The Negro Minstrel (Glasgow, 1850, p. 14) and Christy's Negro Melodies No. 4 (Philadelphia, c. 1854, p. 18), while "Walk Jaw Bone" was published in the Negro Forget-Me-Not Songster (c. 1847, p. 55). The following lyric can be found in Old Dog Tray Songster (Baltimore, 18--, p. 248):

De jaw bone hung agin de wall,
De gals all thought dat it would fall;
But dar it hung till de gals all gone,
Den hurra for de old jaw bone.

Chorus:
Den walk Jawbone, ginger log,
Jaw bone gwine de whole hog.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources:

Recorded sources:

See also listing at:
See/hear the song played with banjo accompaniment on the minstrelring.com [1]

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