Popular early-sixties soul singer Brook Benton—born Benjamin Franklin Peay on 19 September 1931—achieved seven number one R&B hits, recording twenty-three top forty hits with eight in the Top Ten, Although his last Top Ten recording was released in 1970, he remained a popular performer until his death on 9 April 1988. MUSIC MISTAKEN REFERENCES VERNACULAR .

The Boll Weevil Song When the farmer says to the boll weevil "I see you're on the square," he is not making a masonic reference. After cotton blooms, the swelling 'bud' which later opens to expose the lint (the cotton fiber itself) is called a 'square'. There is no masonic reference, as the boll weevil is literally 'on the square' of the cotton. Words and Music: by Brook Benton and Clyde Otis Let me tell ya a story about a boll weevil. Now, some of you may not know, but a boll weevil is an insect. And he's found mostly where cotton grows. Now, where he comes from, heh, nobody really knows. But this is the way the story goes. The farmer said to the boll weevil "I see you're on the square." Boll weevil said to the farmer, "Say yep! My whole darn family's here." We gotta have a home, gotta have a home. The farmer said to the boll weevil, "Say, why do you pick my farm?" The weevil just laughed at the farmer 'n' said, "We ain't gonna do ya much harm." We're looking for a ho-o-o-o-o,-o-o-o, -o-o-o, o-o-ome. And the boll weevil spotted him a lightning bug. He said, "Hey, I'd like to make a trade with you. But, ya see if I was a lightning bug, I'd search the whole night through." Searchin' for a home, I'd have me plenty of home. And the boll weevil called the farmer, 'n' he said, "Ya better sell your old machines, 'cause when I'm through with your cotton, heh, you can't even buy gasoline." I'm gonna stake me a home, gotta have a home. And the boll weevil said to the farmer, said, "Farmer, I'd like to wish you well." Farmer said to the boll weevil, "Yeah, an' I wish that you were in ...." Lookin' for a home, lookin' for a home. Ahh, you have a home all right, you have a home. A real hot home, ahhh.... Brook Benton recorded The Boll Weevil Song for Mercury Records in 1961. This was Brook's only successful novelty song, and his highest charting song ever, holding the number two position for three weeks in the summer of 1961.

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