What is a "jaw", as in "diamond studded jaw"?

Question

I imagine it must be a purse or wallet. Any ideas? It's from a Ramblin Jack Elliott song called Diamond Joe.
"There is a man you hear about
Most everywhere you go
His holdings are in Texas
And his name is Diamond Joe
And he carries all his money
In a diamond studded jaw
And he never was much taken
With the workings of the law"

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Madison Lapierre filted:
[nq:1]I imagine it must be a purse or wallet. Any ideas? It's from a Ramblin Jack Elliott song called Diamond ... all his money In a diamond studded jaw And he never was much taken With the workings of the law"[/nq]
Probably a "jar"...as a sometime songwriter, I would have let the approximate rhyme stand and not tried to force a strange pronunciation..r

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[nq:1]I imagine it must be a purse or wallet. Any ideas? It's from a Ramblin Jack Elliott song called Diamond ... all his money In a diamond studded jaw And he never was much taken With the workings of the law"[/nq]
It's a Bob Dylan song, and the word in the lyrics is "jar".
1. Now There's a man you'll hear aboutMost anywhere you go,
And his holdings are in Texas
And his name is Diamond Joe.
2. And he carries all his moneyIn a diamond-studded jar.
He never took much trouble
With the process of the law.
3.

Ref.: http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/diamondjoe.html
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

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[nq:1]I imagine it must be a purse or wallet. Any ideas? It's from a Ramblin Jack Elliott song called Diamond ... all his money In a diamond studded jaw And he never was much taken With the workings of the law"[/nq]
A guess only, but there is a style of purse with a cloth or leather bag and a metal snap opening that is like a set of jaws. Best illustration I can come up with is at
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/drury/item/5977
but this is obviously a ladies dress purse. Note the jaws, though, and imagine a cloth or leather bag attached. The clasp part could be studded with diamonds.

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[nq:2]I imagine it must be a purse or wallet. Any ... never was much taken With the workings of the law"[/nq]
[nq:1]It's a Bob Dylan song, and the word in the lyrics is "jar". 1. Now There's a man you'll hear ... money In a diamond-studded jar. He never took much trouble With the process of the law. 3. Ref.: http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/diamondjoe.html[/nq]
That version is arranged, not written, by Dylan. The original lyrics may have been different. Or the same. I have no idea.

Jaw would rhyme better unless "law" is pronounced "lawr" by Dylan. Many people do pronounce it that way. Ouch!
Digitrad does list the lyrics with "jaw" and not "jar" at http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=1557 That may be the version that Rambling Jack sings.
Ian Tyson (of Ian & Sylvia fame) has "Diamond Joe" on one of his albums, but I can't find the lyrics he used.
There is one theory, presented in the Mudcat forum, that the diamond studded jaw refers to the man having diamonds inset in his teeth similar to some boxers today. I don't buy that one, though.

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[nq:1]I imagine it must be a purse or wallet. Any ideas? It's from a Ramblin Jack Elliott song called Diamond ... all his money In a diamond studded jaw And he never was much taken With the workings of the law"[/nq]
The only Google hits are for the song lyrics, and they aren't much help. RHHDAS doesn't show any relevant meanings. Nor does the Dictionary of American English, or the Dictionary of the Old West.

I have to conclude it means the human jaw where the teeth are. He's traded or so the songwriter says all his money for diamonds and put the diamonds into his teeth (compare gold). This may just be some sort of cowboy tall-tale. Maybe it's a metaphor for "stingy skinflint," which the subsequent verses support.
Or maybe the songwriter needed a rhyme. Never underestimate the lure of a rhyme.

Best Donna Richoux

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[nq:2]It's a Bob Dylan song, and the word in the ... With the process of the law. 3. Ref.: http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/diamondjoe.html[/nq]
[nq:1]That version is arranged, not written, by Dylan. The original lyrics may have been different. Or the same. I have ... to the man having diamonds inset in his teeth similar to some boxers today. I don't buy that one, though.[/nq]
OK, here's another page that does credit Rambling Jack, and it has "jar". http://www.lyricsdepot.com/ramblin-jack-elliot/diamond-joe.html
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

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[nq:2]I imagine it must be a purse or wallet. Any ... never was much taken With the workings of the law"[/nq]
[nq:1]The only Google hits are for the song lyrics, and they aren't much help. RHHDAS doesn't show any relevant meanings. ... may just be some sort of cowboy tall-tale. Maybe it's a metaphor for "stingy skinflint," which the subsequent verses support.[/nq]
Oh, I pictured the human jaw when I first read the rhyme. Something was needed for the rhyme if "teeth" wouldn't serve. Another way of putting your money where your mouth is. Or even, a way to take it with you.
[nq:1]Or maybe the songwriter needed a rhyme. Never underestimate the lure of a rhyme.[/nq]
Exactly.

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[nq:2]That version is arranged, not written, by Dylan. The original ... to some boxers today. I don't buy that one, though.[/nq]
[nq:1]OK, here's another page that does credit Rambling Jack, and it has "jar". http://www.lyricsdepot.com/ramblin-jack-elliot/diamond-joe.html[/nq]
I don't get very excited about these discrepancies. I've been a folk music fan for many years, and have records, tapes, CDs and even some (now) unplayable 8-tracks of folk music. There are dozens and dozens of songs that have variations in the lyrics in this genre. So many of the songs are "traditional" with no known author and so many artists use the version they hear - or think they hear - and it may be slightly different.
I used to read rec.folk.music and rec.music.celtic. On any given day, there's an argument similar to "jaw" or "jar" about some song. I don't think there are "right" answers.
I don't know if you could count the number of versions of "The Streets of Laredo" (aka "The Cowboy's Lament", aka "St James Hospital", aka "The Unfortunate Rake" and even aka: "The Young Sailor Cut Down In His Prime"). The song, according to most accounts, goes back to the tale of a patient in an Irish hospital for the treatment of venereal disease. The words vary according to the artist. The "right" words? Who knows?
People who like rules and definitive answers shouldn't get involved in folk music.

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[nq:1]I don't know if you could count the number of versions of "The Streets of Laredo" (aka "The Cowboy's Lament", aka "St James Hospital", aka "The Unfortunate Rake" and even aka: "The Young Sailor Cut Down In His Prime").[/nq]
Forgot "Locke Hospital", one of the best-known.

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[nq:1]Oh, I pictured the human jaw when I first read the rhyme. Something was needed for the rhyme if "teeth" wouldn't serve. Another way of putting your money where your mouth is. Or even, a way to take it with you.[/nq]
I was picturing a diamond-studded change purse, which opens like a jaw.

What is a "jaw", as in "diamond studded jaw"?

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