Georgie
Doc Watson Lyrics

The lyrics of Doc Watson's song "Georgie Buck" seem quite enigmatic upon first glance. The repetition of the phrase "Georgie Buck is dead, the last thing he said, 'Don't put no shortnin' in my bread'" paints a haunting portrait of death and finality. The mysterious phrase "shortnin'" might be a reference to the act of shortening bread with lard, but it could also have a more metaphorical meaning, akin to messing with one's fate or destiny. The repetition of the phrase in the second stanza, along with the line "Don't let a woman have her way," adds to the idea that Georgie Buck was a strong-willed individual who didn't want his life or death to be controlled by anyone else.

The last stanza is where the meaning of the song seems to crystallize a bit. The phrase "down the line" is used to describe the potential future problems that the singer sees. The idea that trouble could be in one's way is a common theme in traditional blues music. The repetition of this phrase, coupled with the repetition of the refrain about "shortnin' in my bread," creates a sense of impending doom or gloom. The final lines of the song are again about not putting any "shortnin'" in one's bread, suggesting that the song's narrator has learned a lesson from Georgie Buck's experience and intends to avoid any potential pitfalls or bad turns in their own life.