Regardless of who first coined it an african American attribution seems likely.

My Grandfather recalled it as being a common proverb among the Gullah blacks and first heard it as a child in 1907-08,according to him it was always viewed as a black expression.

Also he heard it amongst the black Tidewater baymen along Maryland and Virginia.

The only other time I heard reference to it was from my friend Vince Giordano,who had it directly from Eubie Blake shortly before his death.

When he asked Eubie about the jazz scene in the '20's and '30's he replied "well,you ever see a bucket of crabs?soon as one reaches the top the others pull him back down to the bottom,that's what life is like pretty much".

And this was a verbatim quote.

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