Worried Girl Blues

The gals often like a song or two at bedtime. The other night I sang them the Carter Family's version of "Worried Man Blues". This prompted a lengthy series of questions:*

• "What's a link [of chain]?"
• "What's a judge?"
• "What's a fine?"
• "What's the R.C. Mountain line?"
  

Also a series of speculations as to why the singer was sentenced to twenty-one years of labor on the railroad:

Louise: "I think he broke the track." (Plausible, in its innocent way.)

June: "I think he broke a door." (Less plausible, in its innocent way.)

It's never too early to start them on the bitter, scary lessons of old-time country music. That'll rear 'em good.**

* We've had similar conversations before.

** I bet they'll think twice before breaking a door or a railroad track.