Standard (EADGBE)

Three little chillun, lyin' in bed

Two was sick and the other almost dead!

Sent for the doctor, doctor said,

'Feed those chillun on shortenin' bread.'

Chorus

Mama's little baby loves shortenin', shortenin',

Mama's little baby loves shortenin' bread.

Mama's little baby loves shortenin', shortenin',

Mama's little baby loves shortenin' bread.

When them chillun sick in the bed,

Heard that talk about shortenin' bread,

Popped up well and dance and sing,

Skippin' 'round, cut the pigeon wing.

Chorus

So put on the skillet, slip on the lid,

Mama gonna make us some shortenin' bread,

And that ain't all our mama gonna do,

She gonna cook us some coffee. too.

Chorus

I slipped in the kitchen, I raise up the lid,

I stole me a mess of that shortenin' bread.

I winked at the pretty gal and I said,

'Baby, how'd you like some shortenin' bread?'

Chorus

They caught me with the skillet, caught me with the lid,

Caught me with that gal makin' shortenin' bread.

Six months for the skillet, six months for the lid,

Now I'm doin' time for eatin' shortenin' bread.

Chorus