It's actually an old prison blues song, traditionally sung by prison workers in Texas along the Brazos, where they cut sugar cane as part of their sentence.
'Go down old hannah, don'cha rise no more
Don't you rise up til judgment day's for sure'
Cane was loaded onto flotillas along the Brazos River, and taken to be ground into molasses. The flotillas were designed to carry a specific weight, which was measured by marks on the side, the lower in the water she sat, the closer to full she became, so "old hannah" is the flotilla, he is wishing she would go down and don't you rise no more until judgement day is over and done! 'Taint no more Cane on the Brazos!
Poor "shine" was either a mule or ox, or perhaps a fellow prisoner, who literally stroked out in the heat and lost his sight. The singer is asking his captors not to work him blind in the heat.
In the final verse, he is basically saying, you wake to find yourself serving life at this, hoping you get parole before you drop dead. It's really a quite sad and depressing state, and the emotional message rings through quite clear. There was always more cane on the Brazos River, there would be another flotilla to fill, the misery would continue. These songs were inspired by raw human need to hold on to hope.
@bshows I think your post is good, however I think "Go Down old Hannah" is likely referring to the wish for the Sun to go down rather than the flotilla to end the days work. Here is a source saying the Sun is referred to as Hannah".
@bshows I think your post is good, however I think "Go Down old Hannah" is likely referring to the wish for the Sun to go down rather than the flotilla to end the days work. Here is a source saying the Sun is referred to as Hannah".
It's actually an old prison blues song, traditionally sung by prison workers in Texas along the Brazos, where they cut sugar cane as part of their sentence.
'Go down old hannah, don'cha rise no more Don't you rise up til judgment day's for sure'
Cane was loaded onto flotillas along the Brazos River, and taken to be ground into molasses. The flotillas were designed to carry a specific weight, which was measured by marks on the side, the lower in the water she sat, the closer to full she became, so "old hannah" is the flotilla, he is wishing she would go down and don't you rise no more until judgement day is over and done! 'Taint no more Cane on the Brazos!
Poor "shine" was either a mule or ox, or perhaps a fellow prisoner, who literally stroked out in the heat and lost his sight. The singer is asking his captors not to work him blind in the heat.
In the final verse, he is basically saying, you wake to find yourself serving life at this, hoping you get parole before you drop dead. It's really a quite sad and depressing state, and the emotional message rings through quite clear. There was always more cane on the Brazos River, there would be another flotilla to fill, the misery would continue. These songs were inspired by raw human need to hold on to hope.
@bshows I think your post is good, however I think "Go Down old Hannah" is likely referring to the wish for the Sun to go down rather than the flotilla to end the days work. Here is a source saying the Sun is referred to as Hannah".
@bshows I think your post is good, however I think "Go Down old Hannah" is likely referring to the wish for the Sun to go down rather than the flotilla to end the days work. Here is a source saying the Sun is referred to as Hannah".
https://www.songtell.com/lightnin-hopkins/go-down-old-hannah
https://www.songtell.com/lightnin-hopkins/go-down-old-hannah