What You Gonna Do When the Meat Gives Out?

From Carl Sandburg’s “The American Songbag”.
Arranged by Celius Dougherty in 1953.


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

What you gonna do when the meat gives out, my baby?
What you gonna do when the meat gives out, my honey?
What you gonna do when the meat gives out?
Gonna set round my door with my mouth in a pout
For some time

I’ll be blamed if I can see, my baby
I’ll be blamed if I can see, my honey
I’ll be blamed if I can see
How all my money got away from me
For some time

What kind of pants does the gambler wear, my baby?
What kind of pants does the gambler wear, my honey?
What kind of pants does the gambler wear?
Big legged stripes cost nine a pair
For some time

What kind of shoes does the gambler wear, my baby?
What kind of shoes does the gambler wear, my honey?
What kind of shoes does the gambler wear?
Yellow toothpicks cost ‘leven a pair
For some time

Slats in the bed went blam-to-blam this morning
Slats in the bed went blam-to-blam this morning
Slats in the bed went blam-to-blam
Kept on sleepin’ like I didn’t give a damn
For some time