Shortnin' Bread facts for kids

"Shortnin' Bread" is a very old and famous African-American folk song. It has been around since at least the 1890s. The song is also spelled in a few different ways, like "Shortenin' Bread" or "Sho'tnin' Bread".

A famous poet named James Whitcomb Riley wrote down some of the song's words in a poem in 1900. Later, in 1915, a version that people had collected from different places was published by E. C. Perrow. This song is so well-known that it's listed as number 4209 in the Roud Folk Song Index, which keeps track of folk songs.

The "shortening bread" in the song's name refers to a type of bread. It's usually made from cornmeal or flour and uses lard as a "shortening" to make it tender. It's important not to confuse it with shortbread, which is a different kind of cookie.

Where Did "Shortnin' Bread" Come From?

"Shortnin' Bread" started as a song sung on plantations in the Southern United States. The first time its words were written down was by the poet James Whitcomb Riley in 1900. He called his poem "A Short'nin' Bread Song—Pieced Out."

Here's how the first part of his poem went, showing how people used to speak:

Fotch dat dough fum de kitchin-shed
Rake de coals out hot an' red
Putt on de oven an' putt on de led
Mammy's gwiner cook som short'nin' bread

In today's English, this means:

Fetch that dough, from the kitchen shed
Rake those coals out, hot and red
Put on the oven and put on the lid
Mommy's going to cook some short'nin' bread

Other parts of the song talk about everyday life. For example, one verse mentions:

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

There are also some verses that tell a story about children:

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"

When those children, sick in bed,
heard that talk 'bout short'nin' bread.
They popped up well, to dance and sing,
skipping around and cut the pigeon wing.

These verses show how much the children loved "shortnin' bread" – it even made them feel better!

Other parts of the song talk about making the bread and even sneaking some:

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

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

The Folk Version of the Song

In 1915, E. C. Perrow published the first "folk" version of "Shortnin' Bread." He had heard and written down this version in East Tennessee in 1912. Like Riley's poem, the folk version doesn't have one single story. Instead, it's made up of many different verses that people added over time. Some verses are about "shortnin' bread," and some are about other things.

The part of the song that people often sing again and again (the chorus) usually goes like this:

Mammy's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin'
Mammy's little baby loves short'nin' bread (rpt.)

The Beach Boys' Version

The famous American rock band The Beach Boys recorded "Shortnin' Bread" many times. However, only one of their versions was officially released. You can find it as the last song on their 1979 album called L.A. (Light Album).

During the 1970s, Brian Wilson, who wrote many of The Beach Boys' songs, was very interested in "Shortnin' Bread." He reportedly recorded more than a dozen different versions of the tune!

Other Famous Renditions

Many other musicians have sung or used parts of "Shortnin' Bread" in their music. Some well-known artists who have performed it include Al Jolson, Fats Waller, Dave Brubeck, and Taj Mahal (musician). Even The Wiggles, a popular children's music group, have performed it.

How the Tune is Used in Music

The catchy tune of "Shortnin' Bread" has appeared in many other songs and places:

• The Unity Church sings a song called "Every little cell in my body is healthy. Every little cell in my body is well." to the tune of "Shortnin' Bread."
• A big part of the song "The Happy Organ" from 1959 sounds a lot like the "put on the skillet" section of "Shortnin' Bread."
• The melody from the "put on the skillet" part also forms the main musical background for songs like "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" by The Banana Splits (1968) and "Buffalo Soldier" by Bob Marley and the Wailers (1983).
• In the Elvis Presley song "Clambake," the line "Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread" is changed to "Mama's little baby loves clambake clambake, mama's little baby loves clambake too."
• The band Aerosmith included the line "Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread" in their 1994 song "Deuces Are Wild."
• Johnny Cash also mentioned the line "Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread" in the song "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia."

Shortnin' Bread in Movies

You might have heard parts of "Shortnin' Bread" or its tune in movies:

• In the Looney Tunes cartoon Hare Tonic (1945), Elmer Fudd sings the song but changes the words to "rabbit stew."
• Nelson Eddy, as Willie the Operatic Whale, sings it in the Disney animated movie Make Mine Music (1946).
• In the movie Trainspotting (1996), characters sing the song during a celebration.
• At the end of the movie Secret Window (2004), actor Johnny Depp can be heard singing the song.

Shortnin' Bread on TV Shows

The song has also appeared in many television shows:

• Donald Duck sings "Shortnin' Bread" while making pancakes in the cartoon Three for Breakfast (1948).
• In an episode of I Love Lucy (1955), Ethel sings "Shortnin' Bread" while other characters perform a comedy act.
• The Bullwinkle Show (1959-1964) featured characters singing this song in different funny situations.
• The theme song for The Banana Splits (1969), "Tra la la," uses a tune that comes from "Shortnin' Bread."
• The children's music trio Sharon, Lois & Bram performed this song on their TV show Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show in 1984.
• In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will is seen singing the song while cleaning.
• The song is often played as part of the background music in the cartoon series Animaniacs.