Here is to Rob Hall a tall slim man

voiceCollected by Irene Carlisle Transcribed by Nathaniel Lucy Sung by Lewis Bedingfield Springdale, Arkansas June 29, 1951 Reel 130, Item 3 Boston Jail Lewis Bedingfield: This song was composed in Boston Jail in Bowie County, Texas in 1928. And the characters in it are true and they were county officials and personnel of the courthouse there at this time. Rob Hall was the jailer. Jim Baker was sheriff of Bowie County and Bill - - - was deputy sheriff and Richard Waters is county attorney. Judge Parkie is a criminal lawyer and Wright Patman is a district attorney and now U.S. Senator from the 106th - - - district of Texas. Judge Hugh Carney was district judge and Marvin Merrill was district clerk. Here is to Rob Hall a tall slim man He brings up the grub in little tin pans Says “Here it is bullies, it isn’t but a bite Maybe it’ll do you til I back tonight” It’s hard times in the Boston jail Hard times poor boys He goes out the door and he turns on the keys That’s the last time you see him til he brings out the tease It’s hard times in the Boston jail Hard times poor boys He goes out the courthouse with the papers in his hands And says “Here they are Jim, go bring us in a man For it’s hard times in the Boston jail It’s hard times in jail Jim gives him the bill, says “You can have a job For he’s a bootlegger and I’m afraid of his mob” Bill jumps in his car, it’s a Ford Sedan And he isn’t gone long til he brings in a man It’s hard times in the Boston jail Hard times poor boys He brings him to jail and he puts him in a cell That’s ten times worse than the bottom bits of Hell The lice and the bedbugs are standing at the door They’ll eat up the prisoner and they’ll cry him some more For it’s hard times in the Boston jailHard times poor boys Here come Richard, he’s a very nice man But he should ask ye all the questions he can Old Judge Parkie come sneaking around He’ll take your case for five dollars down Cause it’s hard times in Boston jail Hard times poor boys There’s Wright Patton and I should have done said With a keen black eyes and a high forehead And it makes no difference how your wife sheds tears He has no limit to his getting ye years It’s hard times in the Boston jail Hard times poor boys There’s Judge Carney with a docket unfolded And I sent it in his mind, it’s already molded There’s Marvin Merrill, I almost forgot And I believe to my soul he’s the best of the lot It’s hard times in the Boston jail Hard times poor boys LB: This boy that composed this song and another prisoner died that was a very good singer would sing this in the afternoon at the window when the courthouse crew was starting home. And usually a large crowd would gather ‘round and they would holler for him to sing more. They’d holler for cigarettes before they’d sing more and that’s how they kept the prison cigarettes. After some time, the individuals that were named in this song got as much kick or more out of it than the prisoners did.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation