Can anyone help me with the origin of this ghetto spiritual, and its verses?  Or alternative or additional verses.  I know there are at least six, but I can only recall the two below, and I'm not sure I got those entirely correct.

It's been on mind since the fourth grade.  I used to sing it with Negroes.  It's driving me bananas that I can't remember its all.  If any of you know this song and/or derivatives, I'd be surprised, but any help would be appreciated.

Its sung in a two-two 2-4 stanza with a high cleft (for thee) arpeggiated D-arwhelo.  Kind of sounds like Kim Bre-Deal singing Cannonball.

===========
I woke up one morning,
I looked up on the wall,
I saw a gang of roaches,
Playing basketball.

The score was six to nothin',
I rooted for them all,
Rooted for that gang of roaches,
Playing basketball.

Water taste like tobacco juice,
The bread is surely stale,
But what the fuck you gonna do?,
In the county jail.

[something, something, something]
[something, something, something]
[something, something, something]
In the county jail.

http://www.willisms.com/archives/kanyewest.gif

moonie?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ0up_MjsLk&feature=BFa&list=PLDDA491626E21D226&lf=results_video

RO has an incredible knowledge base.  Nowhere else in the world I would ask this question.  Just asking, that is all.  

This variant seems to be credited to Furry Lewis :


http://www.blueslyrics.com.ar/Furry-Lewis/CreepersB.html



woke up this morning : and I looked up against the wall
Roaches and the bedbugs : playing a game of ball

Score was twenty to nothing : the roaches was ahead
Roaches got to fighting : and kicked me out of bed

Bedbugs so bad : pull the pillow from under my head
They got a Winchester rifle : and try to kill me dead

When I woke up this morning : I looked down on the floor
Bedbug had been in my pocket : and pulled out all my dough

Mama get your hatchet : kill the fly on your baby's head
Mama get your hatchet : and run here to my bed

Please bedbugs : please I done begged you twice
You done taken all my money : and now you want to take my life

Thanks Gazza for the information, I have to laugh though, when I think about a spiritual, I don't think of lyrics like that! ;D ;D

http://youtu.be/RpNaaQNf2i4


http://mysite.verizon.net/alanulmerphotographe/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/furry.lewis.jpg.w300h392.jpg
Wonder if Furry played that one when he opened
for the Stones in Memphis in 1975?

Holy moly, my google skills are left to be.

Make me cry, I'm serious.  Thank you!  And just so you know, black ghetto kids in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were singing that song like it was passed on from generation to generation, inspiring stuff.  Love it, have always loved it.  So strange hearing it.  I never knew it was that "real".

Thanks again,

Cheers!

We used to sing a song in camp that was quite similar

I woke up one fine morning
and looked upon the wall
the beetles and the bedbugs
were playing a game of ball

The score was 19-20
The beetles were ahead
The bedbugs hit a home run
and knocked me out of bed

I went down to my breakfast
the bread was hard as nails
the coffee like tobacco juice
the kind they serve in jail

automatic butter
systematic cheese
indian rubber donuts
and double jointed peas


Hope that helps

Hey, thanks, SD.  I truly appreciate the intramural help, on this thing of mine.  Internecine.  Intrabordial.  Intraremedial.  Shades of Yalta. Shades of Apalachin.

"indian rubber donuts"!