I’ve been digging into the stories behind a set of songs for a performance at the SexRurality Conference in a couple of weeks. I find song history fascinating – who wrote it, when was it first recorded, the different versions, who made it famous, and especially for this set, why it was banned or how it got past the censors. Here’s one on my list, recorded in 1929 by Bessie Smith, with not so subtle lyrics:
“I’m wild about his turnip top, I like the way he warms my chop, I can’t do without my kitchen man.”
