Ain't It A Shame- Four Hamony Kings 1922

Ain't It A Shame (To Steal On Sunday)

Four Hamony Kings 1922

Ain't It a Shame to Work on Sunday/Ain't It A Shame/

Tradtional Old-Time Gospel;

ARTIST: Four Hamony Kings from Shuffle Along- 1922 Musical comedy in NYC

Nirvana - Ain't It A Shame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_DXF40Yfvg

CATEGORY: Traditional Gospel;

DATE: 1800s; First Recorded in 1920s (1927 Fiddlin' John Carson)

RECORDING INFO: Ain't It a Shame to Work on Sunday

Rt - It's a Shame to Whip your Wife On Sunday;

Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian
Rodeheaver, Homer (ed.) / Rodeheaver's Negro Spirituals, Rodeheaver, Fol (1923), #39
Tarleton, Jimmie (Jimmy). Steel Guitar Rag, Testament T-3302, LP (1967), trk# B.04 [1963/12/04] (Ain't It a Sin to Gamble on a Sunday) 
 

Leadbelly- Ain't It a Shame To Go Fishing on Sunday

Nirvana - Ain't It A Shame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_DXF40Yfvg


It's a Shame to Whip your Wife On Sunday

Carson, Fiddlin' John. Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's Gonna Crow, Rounder 1003, LP (1978), trk# A.03 [1927/03/17]
Carson, Fiddlin' John. Fiddlin' John Carson. Vol 4, Document DOCD 8017, CD (1997), trk# 9 [1927/03/17]
Hash, Albert; and the Whitetop Mountain Band. Cacklin Hen, Mountain 313, LP (1977), trk# B.04 (Don't Whip Your Wife on Sunday)
New Lost City Ramblers. Sing Songs of the New Lost City Ramblers, Aravel AB-1005, LP (196?), trk# 8
New Lost City Ramblers. New Lost City Ramblers, Vol. 1, Folkways FA 2396, LP (1958), trk# 15
New Lost City Ramblers. Cohen, John, Mike Seeger & Hally Wood / Old Time String Band Songbook, Oak, Sof (1976/1964), p 78
Reagon, Bernice (Johnson). Folk Songs: the South, Folkways FA 2457, LP (197?), trk# B.01 (Ain't It a Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday)
Schilling, Jean and Lee. Keep on the Sunny Side, Traditional TR 021, LP (1982), trk# B.08 (It's a Shame)

RELATED TO:  "Ain't It Grand To Live Like A Christian" "It's a Shame to Whip your Wife On Sunday"

OTHER NAMES: "Ain't It A Shame" "Ain't That A Shame" "Ain't It a Sin to Gamble on a Sunday"

SOURCES: Folk Index; Meade

NOTES: "Ain't It a Shame to Work on Sunday" group of gospel songs that derived from the  minstrel, "It's a Shame to Whip your Wife On Sunday" song. "Ain't It Grand to Live a Christian" in the repertoire of Blind Wille McTell is closely related.

"Ain't It a Shame" was used in the 1922 African-American musical comedy, "Shuffle Along"  in NYC as an encore. it was in the repertoire of many of the gospel quartets in the 1920s and 1930s including the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartette out of NC. The song was in the repertoire of gospel recording Rev. W. M. Mosley.

Here are some lyrics, this version features a response or echo part in parenthesis:

Ain't It A Shame To Work on Sunday?

Ain't it a shame to wash on Sunday,
Ain't it a shame      (a washing shame),
Ain't it a shame to wash on Sunday,
Ain't it a shame      (a washing shame),
Ain't it a shame to wash on Sunday,
When you got Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,
(And you got Thursday, Friday, and Saturday),
Ain't it a shame.

The song was recorded by Leadbelly (Ain't It a Shame To Go Fishing on Sunday)  and his version has been coverd by Nirvana:
Nirvana - Ain't It A Shame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_DXF40Yfvg

According to Wiki: "Ain't It a Shame" (Roud 11659) or "Ain't It a Shame to Go Fishin'" or "Keep You Hands Off Her" is an American folk song. It has been recorded by Lead Belly and Nirvana, among others. Also the name of a song by The B-52s on the Bouncing Off the Satellites LP (1986). Covered by Sinead O'Connor in 2003 on She Who Dwells.

[Ballad Index: It's a Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday

DESCRIPTION: "It's a shame to whip your wife on Sunday/When you've got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...." Subsequent verses "It's a shame to play cards on Sunday...." "It's a shame to get drunk on Sunday."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (recording, Fiddlin' John Carson)
KEYWORDS: abuse gambling drink humorous nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Cohen/Seeger/Wood, p. 78, "It's A Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 22, "Ain't It a Shame" (1 text)
DT, AINTSHAM
RECORDINGS:
Fiddlin' John Carson, "It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday" (Okeh 45122, 1927)
New Lost City Ramblers, "It's a Shame to Whip Your Wife on Sunday" (on NLCR12)
Pete Seeger, "Ain't It a Shame" (on PeteSeeger32)] 

This version is from the 1956 Heavenly Highways Hymnbook which was a Stamps-Baxter Publication. This songbook was used in churches during this time period and many Bible believing congregations sang this song.
 

Ain't it a shame to work on Sunday
Ain't it a shame a working shame.
Ain't it a shame to work on Sunday,
Ain't it a shame a working shame.
Ain't it a shame to work on Sunday,
When you got Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,
and you got Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, ain't it a shame.

Ain't It A Shame- Four Hamony Kings from Shuffle Along- 1922 Musical comedy in NYC

Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
Ain't it a shame
Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday
When you got Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,
and you got Thursday, Friday, and Saturday too
Ain't it a shame.

Ain't it a shame to drink hootch on Sunday...

Ain't it a shame to shimmy on Sunday...

Ain't it a shame to steal on Sunday...