Parchman Farm

Parchman Farm labor, 1911

Mississippi State Penitentiary

"Parchman Farm" is the title of a number of songs about Mississippi State Penitentiary, known as Parchman Farm, a hard time prison because of the Trusty system which was later outlawed.^[1]

There have been a number of blues songs written about Parchman Farm and several Blues musicians were imprisoned there, including Bukka White (who wrote "Parchman Farm Blues"), and Son House. In 1939, folklorist Alan Lomax recorded White and others at the farm for the Library of Congress.

Mose Allison wrote a song called "Parchman Farm", distinct from the earlier blues songs. It has been covered by Blue Cheer (as "Parchment Farm"), Cactus, Rick Derringer, Georgie Fame, The Kingston Trio, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (who released it as a Decca Records single in 1966), Hot Tuna, and others.^[2]

See also

Mississippi portal

• Gates v. Collier

References