Three little children, lying in bed
Two was sick and the other 'most dead
Send for the doctor and the doctor said
"feed them children on short'nin' bread".
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
Pull out the skillet, pull out the led,
Mama's gonna make a little short'nin' bread.
That 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 short'nin' bread.
I slipped to the kitchen, slipped on the led,
slipped my pockets full of short'nin' bread.
I stole the skillet, I stole the led,
I stole the girl who makes short'nin' bread.
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
They caught me with the skillet, They caught me with the led,
They caught me with the girl who makes short'nin' bread.
I paid six dollars for the skillet, six dollars for the led,
Spent six months in jail eating short'nin' bread.