Snowy really enjoyed getting back to his roots and playing twelve bar shuffles again.
The band toured Europe and released two albums, 'Change my life' and 'Blues on me' (or 'Open for Business' as it was called in certain Countries).
"It was nice just to play guitar again for a while and play all my old favorites, but after a couple of years I felt that I needed to stretch out musically again" says Snowy White
At the beginning of 1990 the Blues Agency chapter of Snowy's career ended as he started writing songs for his next album, 'Highway to the Sun'.
The Blues Agency : Jeff Allen / Graham Bell / Kuma Harada
Through the years, he released records under his own name Snowy White , as well as under the names Snowy White's Blues Agency and Snowy White & the White Flames.
Parchman Farm
Snowy White's Blues Agency Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
And I ain't never done no man no harm
Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack
Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack
Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack
I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine
I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine
Well I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine
And all I did was drink my wine
Well I'm gonna be here for the rest of my life
I'm gonna be on this farm for my natural life
Well I'm a gonna be here for the rest of my life
And all I did was shoot my wife
I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
The song "Parchman Farm" is a blues classic, famously covered by many artists including Mose Allison, John Mayall, and Eric Clapton. In this song, the singer is sitting in the notorious Parchman Farm prison in Mississippi, which was known for its brutal conditions and forced labor. Despite insisting that he has never harmed anyone, the singer is forced to work in the cotton fields and carries a shotgun with him at all times. He recounts how he ended up in prison - it seems he was drinking wine on a train and ended up shooting his wife. He accepts that he will be on this farm for the rest of his life.
The song is a powerful commentary on the prison industrial complex and the way it disproportionately affects people of color. Parchman Farm was a real prison in Mississippi, which operated from 1901 to 1979. It was infamous for its brutal conditions, including forced labor and physical abuse, which were often used as a form of punishment or to extract profits from prisoners. The song also speaks to the cycle of poverty and crime that can lead people into the prison system, often due to systemic injustices and lack of opportunity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
I am imprisoned in Parchman Farm and I have no idea when I will ever be released.
Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
Despite being wrongfully imprisoned, I am stuck in Parchman Farm with no way out.
Well I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
I am sitting here in Parchman Farm with no idea how to get out of this place.
And I ain't never done no man no harm
I have not harmed anyone and have been wrongly accused and imprisoned.
Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack
I am being forced to work on the farm and put cotton in a huge sack, which feels like an impossible task.
Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack
Despite feeling like I can't do it, I am forced to put cotton in a sack which feels impossible to fill up.
Well I'm puttin' that cotton in an eleven foot sack
The work I'm being forced to do is demeaning, exhausting, and unfulfilling.
With a twelve guage shotgun at my back
I am being forced to work and there is a gun being pointed at my back, making the situation even more terrifying.
I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine
I am currently located in Cell Number Nine in Parchman Farm and have no control over the situation.
I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine
I am stuck in Cell Number Nine and there is nothing I can do to change my situation.
Well I'm sittin' over here on Number Nine
Regardless of my innocence, I am confined to Cell Number Nine in Parchman Farm and can't leave.
And all I did was drink my wine
My imprisonment was caused by something as trivial as drinking wine, which feels unfair and unjust.
I'm gonna be on this farm for my natural life
I am going to be stuck in Parchman Farm for the rest of my life, with no chance of leaving anytime soon.
Well I'm a gonna be here for the rest of my life
I am imprisoned in Parchman Farm for the rest of my life, with no hope of ever being released or finding justice.
And all I did was shoot my wife
I am imprisoned for something that I didn't even do, as I am being accused of killing my wife when in reality, I am completely innocent.
I'm sittin' over here on Parchman Farm
I am stuck in this hellish prison, feeling trapped and hopeless while enduring endless torment and suffering.
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.