<P> The verse includes: </P> <P> When corn plantin' done come roun' Blackbird own de whole plowed groun' Corn is de grain as I've hearn said Dat's de blackbird's short'nin' bread </P> <P> Titled "Shortened Bread", E.C. Perrow published the first folk version of this song in 1915, which he collected from East Tennessee in 1912 . The folk version of the song--as with Riley's--does not have any distinct theme, but consists of various floating lyrics, some relating to "shortnin' bread", some not . The traditional chorus associated with the folk song goes: </P> <P> Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin' Mammy's little baby loves short'nin' bread </P>

Mama's little baby loves shortnin bread sheet music