A satire on the "take warning" genre of folk songs. The joke comes in the third line and is pretty well worn out in subsequent verses. It was recorded by Fiddlin' John Carson (Okeh 45122, 1927), The New Lost City Ramblers (Tom Paley, Mike Seeger and John Cohen Sing Songs of the New Lost City Ramblers (Aravel AB-1005, 1962) and Pete Seeger (as "Ain't It a Shame") (American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 5 Folkways FA 2445 1962). It was printed in Moses Asch and Alan Lomax's The Leadbelly Songbook and The New Lost City Ramblers Song Book.