Bacon and Greens

Earliest version 09 Jul 1839 
Southern Argus (Columbus Mississippi)

From the Southron
BACON AND GREENS.
by GREEN PEASE BACON, ESQ. G.B.

I have lived long enough to be rarely mistaken, 
And borne my full share of life's changeable scenes.
But my woes have been solaced by good greens and bacon,
And my joys have been doubled by bacon and greens.
Fol de ri do — bacon and greens. 

What a thrill of remembrance e'en now they I awaken,
Of childhood's gay morning and youth's merry scenes,
When, one day, we had greens and a plate full of bacon.
And, the next, we had bacon and a plate full of greens.

Ah! well I remember, when sad and forsaken,
Heart wrung by the scorn of a Miss in her teens.	.
How I rushed, from her sight, to my loved greens and bacon.
And forgot my despair over bacon and greens.

When the banks refused specie and credit was shaken,
I shared in the wreck and was ruined in means;
My friends all declared I had not 'saved my bacon',
But they lied — for I still had my bacon and greens.

Oh!there is a charm in this dish rightly taken, 
That, from custards and jellies an epicure, weans —
Stick your fork in the fat — wrap your greens round the bacon,
And you'll vow there is nothing like bacon and greens.

If some fairy a grant of three wishes would make one
So worthless as I, and so laden with sins,
I'd wish all the greens in the world — then the bacon —
And then wish for a little more bacon and greens.
Fol de ri do — bacon and greens.

POSTSCRIPT.
I relent to confess that for once I'm mistaken, 
As much as I've known of this world and its scenes;
There's one thing that's equal to both greens and bacon,
And that is a dish of — bacon and greens. 
Fol de ri do — bacon and greens

A song which was circulating in the Southern United States in the late 1830s – the earliest version I can find is the one given above taken from a Mississippi newspaper in 1839. The words were printed in various American newspapers at that time, always credited to the writing of “Green Pease Bacon, Esq. G.B.”, which I think its safe to assume is a pseudonym.

The song was later popularised by Sam Cowell in the early music halls and concert rooms of the late 1850s and early 1860s . The words were reproduced in various newspapers in 1858, often credited to “the Hon William R Smith”. Here is a contemporary review of one of Cowell’s concerts :