The Song:
In order for it to feel more authentic, Beck filled out his Song Reader book with fragments of songs and melodies, as well as fictional album collections and song titles. On the back of "Saint Dude," there are a number of albums listed, including the most sensational collection of songs, Prison And Mountain Songs (For Boys). "Prison's Hard" is included as part of that.
Many, if not most, of the songs on the back of "Saint Dude" are references to older sheet music songs. While prison songs almost certainly was a thing in the sheet music era, I did not locate one called "Prison's Hard."
In order for it to feel more authentic, Beck filled out his Song Reader book with fragments of songs and melodies, as well as fictional album collections and song titles. On the back of "Saint Dude," there are a number of albums listed, including the most sensational collection of songs, Prison And Mountain Songs (For Boys). "Prison's Hard" is included as part of that.
Many, if not most, of the songs on the back of "Saint Dude" are references to older sheet music songs. While prison songs almost certainly was a thing in the sheet music era, I did not locate one called "Prison's Hard."