Historic Sheet Music Collection

Document Type

Score

Publication Date

1845

Comments

Music of the Ethiopian Serenaders
nine songs and a set of cotillions for twenty-five cents

Dandy Jim of Caroline -- Miss Lucy Long -- Boatman's dance -- Old Dan Tucker -- My old Aunt Sally -- Miss Lucy Neale -- The ole gray goose -- Going ober de mountain -- 'Twill neber do to gib it up so -- The Virginia minstrels' cotillions: Lucy Long. Dandy Jim. Boatman's dance. Lucy Neale. Dan Tucker jig -- De lip hung down : a celebrated Ethiopian song -- In de darkey's life you read -- Settin' on a rail, or Raccoon hunt -- I dreamed dat I libed in hotel halls -- Den you'll remember me -- Come with the darkey band -- De ole jaw bone -- Tis sad to leave our tater land -- The coal black rose -- Long time ago : a Negro song

Philadelphia. E. Ferrett & Co. 68 South Fourth Street

Some of the resources may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes. Such materials should be seen in the context of the time period and as a reflection of attitudes of the time. The items are part of the historical record, and do not represent the views of the libraries or the institution.

Lyrics

Dandy Jim of Caroline, A Celebrated Ethiopian Melody
Arranged for this work by himself.

1
I've often heard it said ob late,
Dat Souf Ca'linawas de state
Whar a handsome nigga's bound to shine,
Like Dandy Jim of Carolin.
For my ole massa told me so,
I'm de best looking nigga in de country, oh!
I look in de glass and I found it so,
Just as massa tole me, O.

2
I drest myself from top to toe,
And down to Dinah I did go,
Wid pantaloons strapp'd down behind,
Like Dandy Jim of Caroline.
For my old massa, &c.

3
De bull-dop clear'd me from de yard,
I tought I'd better leab my card,
I tied it fast to a piece ob twine,
Signed "Dandy Jim from Caroline"
For my ole mass, &c.

4
She got my card den wrote a letter,
An ebery word she spelt de better,
For every word and ebery line
Was Dandy Jim of Caroline.
For my ole massa, &c.

5
Oh, beauty it is but skin deep,
But wid Miss Dinah none compete,
She changed her name from lubly Dine
To Mrs. Dandy Jim of Caroline.
For my ole massa, &c.

6
An ebery little nig she had
Was de berry image ob de dad,
Dar heels stick out three feet behind,
Like Dandy Jim of Caroline.
For my ole massa, &c.

7
I took dem all to church one day,
An hab dem christen'd widout delay,
De preacher christen'd eight or nine
Young Dandy Jims of Caroline.
For my old massa, &c.

8
And when de preacher took his text,
He seem'd so berry much perplex'd,
Dat nothing cum across his mind,
But Dandy Jims of Caroline.
For my old massa, &c.

Miss Lucy Long. A Popular Negro Song.

1
I just come out afore you
To sing a little song;
I plays it on de banjo,
And dey calls it Lucy Long.
Oh! take your time Miss Lucy, take your time Miss Lucy Long;
Oh! take your time Miss Lucy, take your time Miss Lucy Long.

2
I ask her for to marry,
She had'nt much to say;
But said, she'd rather tarry,
So I let her have her way.
Oh! take your time, &c.

3
My mamma's got de tisic,
And my daddy's got de gout;
Good morning, Mister Physic,
Does your mother know you're out?
Oh! take your time, &c.

4
If I had a scolding wife,
As sure as she was born,
I'd tote her down to New Orleans
And trade her off for corn.
Oh! take your time, &c.

My Old Aunt Sally. A celebrated Ethiopian Meoldy
Composed by herself

1
Gwine down to New Orleans,
I gits upon de landin,
Run agin a cotton bale,
it fotch me up a standin,
Ala mode de duck soup
de corner ob an alley;
I'll tell you bout a scrape I had wid my lubly Sally;
Sally, o, Sally! my old aunt Sally!
I'll tell you bout a scrape I had wid my lubly Sally;
Sally, Sally, My old Aunt Sally!
Ra-ree-ri-ro-round de corner Sally!

2
I ax her- won't you took a ride wid me upon de lebee,
She jump up an crack her heel, an swore dat she was ready,
I nebber spoke anudder word, nor shall Igib de reason,
Why I lite on her 'fections for de balance ob de season,
Season, de season! de balance ob de season,
Why I lite on her 'fections for de balance ob de season,
Sally, O, Sally, my old aunt Sally!
Ra-ree-ri-ro-round de corner Sally!

3
I hitch de bull before de cart like a clever feller,
Hit 'im a cut to make 'em go- de bull begin to beller,
I turn round to look for Sal- I nebber shall forget 'em,
Dar I see her makin tracks across de sandy bottom,
Bottom, de bottom, across de sandy bottom,
Dar I see her makin tracks across de sandy bottom, &c.

4
Up de hill and down de dale, I didn't seem to hime her,
De bull's tail stuck out behind as he kept up behind her;
He run slap agin a stump and found himself mistaken,
Sal dodge on toddler side an tried to save her bacon,
Bacon, her bacon, an tried to save her bacon,
Sal dodge on todder side an tried to save her bacon,
Sally, O, Sally, my old aunt Sally!
Ra ree ri ro round de corner Sally.

5
Now I want to hab you all pay particlar 'tention,
To a sarcustancial fact I'm gwine now to mentio;
I want to hab you all to know - for spunk I isn't a lackin,
Sept when I'se goin to hab a fite, an den I wants good backin,
Backin, backin, and den I wants good backin,
Sept when I'se goin to hab a fite, and den, &c.

6
I brace my back agin a stump, de bull he look so savage,
Sez he "old hoss I'll eat you up, jist like I would a cabbage!"
I saftly creep up to him den, (Like a nigger stealin)
I lites upon 'em like a pig upon a tate peelin,
Peelin, de peelin, upon a tater peelin,
Sally, O, Sally, my old aunt Sally,
Ra ree ri ro round de corner Sally.

7
I gib her a piece ob my advice, to hunt some udder lodgin,
De bull kept gwine round de stump, an Sally kept a dodgin,
She jump a rod or two aside, you orter seen her bound it,
If de bull ain't broke de stump, he still is gwine round it,
Round it, round it, he still is gwine round it,
If de bull ain't broke de stump, he still is gwine round it, &c.

Miss Lucy Neale. Or the Yellow Gal.

I was born in Alabama,
My master's name was Deal,
He used to own a yellow gal,
Her name was Lucy Neale,
Oh! poor Lucy Neale, Oh! poor Lucy Neale,
If I only had you by my side
How happy I would feel.

2
She used to go out wid us,
To pick cotton in de field,
And dare is whar I fell in love
Wid my pretty Luch Neale.
Oh! poor Lucy Neale, &c.

3
I ask'd Miss Lucy would she hab me,
How glad she made me feel,
When she gib to me her heart,
My pretty Lucy Neale.
oh! poor Lucy, &c.

4
Den de Niggas gib a ball,
Miss Luch danced a reel,
But none was dar dat could compare
Wid my pretty Lucy Neale.
Oh! poor Lucy, &c.

5
My Massa he did sell me,
Because he thought I'd steal,
Which caused a separation
Of myself and Lucy Neale.
Oh! poor Lucy, &c.

6
My boat it was a pine log,
Widout rudder or keel,
And I floated down de ribber
Crying poor Lucy Neale.
Oh! poor Lucy, &c.

7
Miss Lucy she was taken sick,
She eat too much corn meal,
De Doctor he did gib her up,
Alas! poor Lucy Neale.
Oh! poor Lucy, &c.

8
One day I got a letter,
And jet black was de seal,
It was de announcement ob de death
Of my poor Lucy Neale.
Oh! poor Lucy Neale,
Oh! poor Lucy Neale,
If I only had you by my side,
How happy I should feel.

The Old Gray Goose, a popular banjo song.

Monday was my wedding day,
Tuesday I got married,
Wen'sdy night my wife lay sick,
Sunday she was buried.
Oh! looky har, Oh! looky whar,
Look right ober yander,
Don't you see de Old Gray Goose
Smiling at de Gander.

2
Wen'sdy night my wife took sick,
Despair ob death cum o'er her:
Oh! some did cry, but I did laff
To see dat death go from her.
Oh! looky dar, &c.

3
I ask Miss Dinah Rose one day
In de old cart to ride,
She way, by gosh, so berry fat
I couldn't sit beside her.
Oh! looky dar, &c.

4
When she was gittin out de cart
Miss Dinah lose her shoe,
And den I spied a great big hole
Right in her stocking through.
Oh! looky dar, &c.

5
Says I to her: you Dinah gal
Only looky dar,
Dem heels are sticking out too far,
As a nigger I declar.
Oh! Looky dar, &c.

6
Says she to me, you nigger Jo,
What are you about?
Dere's science in dem 'ere heels,
And I want em to stick out.
Oh! looky dar, &c.

Going Ober de Mountain

I just come out to sing a song,
I really hope it aint too long,
And if you listen while we sing,
We'll make it on de banjo ring.
Ree, ro, my true love
Oh! come along my darling,
Fare you well, Miss Dinah gal,
I'm gwine over de mountain.

2
O come my lub and go wid me,
I'm gwine to leave dis country,
A horse shall tote you round,
Walk up hill and foot it down.
Ree, ro, &c.

3
A nigger come from Arkansaw,
De biggest fool I ebber saw,
At mornin when dis nigger rose,
He put his mittens on his toes.
Ree, ro, &c.

4
Dis nigger went to feed de sheep,
He gib em green tobacker leaf;
He went some water for to get,
And carried it in a corn basket.
Ree, ro, &c.

5
He went to shell corn in de shed,
He shell'd his shins all bare instead;
He went to feed de horse at de barn,
He put himself in de trough for corn.
Ree, ro, &c.

6
Ebery day when Sunday come,
He comb'd his head wid a horse jaw-bone;
He went to split some oven-wood,
And split himself up clar to foot.
Ree, ro, &c.

'Twill Neber Do To Gib It Up So
A favourite banjo song

I'm ole Mr. Brown, jist from de souf,
I left Lynchburg in de time ob de drowth;
De times dey got so bad in de place,
Dat de niggers dare not show dar face:
T'will neber do to gib it up so;
'Twill neber do to gib it up so, Mister Brown,
'Twill neber do to gib it up so.

2
Old Jim ribber I floated down,
My backer boat it run upon de groun;
De pine log come wid a rushin din,
An stove bote ends ob de old boat in.
It will neber do, &c.

3
De old log rake me aft an fore,
It left my cook-house on de shore;
I thought it wouldn't do to gib it up so,
So I scull myself ashore wid de old banjo.
It will never do, &c.

4
I gits on shore an feels berry glad,
I looks at de banjo and feels berry mad;
My foot slip an I fell down,
'Twill never do to gib it up so, Mr. Brown.
It will never do, &c.

5
By golly but it made de old nig laff,
Wid my boat I made a raff,
I had a pine tree for a sail,
And steer'd her down wid my coat-tail.
It will neber do, &c.

6
O met wid a cat-fish in de riber,
I gosh, but it made dis nigger shiber;
I steer'd right straight for de critter's snout,
An turn de ole catfish inside out.
It will neber do, &c.

7
Dat same night, as de sun did set,
I ribed in town wid my clothes all wet,
De niggers built up a great fire,
If dat's not true den I am a liar.
It will neber do, &c.

8
Master on de wood-pile barkin like a dog,
Toad in de mill-pond, settin on a log,
Possum up a gum tree, saucy, fat and diryt,
Come kiss me, gals, or I'll run like a turkey
It will neber do to gib it up so,
It will neber do to gib it up so,
It will never do to gib it up so, Mr. Brown,
It will never do to gib it up so.

Boatman's Dance. A popular song sung by the Virginia Minstrels.

De boatman dance and de boatman sing,
De boatman up to eb'rrting;
And when de boatmen come on shore
Dey spend dere money and dey work for more.
Dance, de boatman dance,
Oh! dance, de boatman dance;
We dance all night till broad daylight,
Go home wid de gals in de mornin.
Hi ho, de boatman row,
Floatin down de riber ob de Ohio,
hi ho, de boatman row.

2
I went on board de oder day,
To hear what de boatman had to say,
Dar I let my passion loose,
Dey clapp'd me in de callaboose.
Dance, de boatman, &c.

3
I've come dis time, I'll come no more,
Let me loose, I'll go on shore;
Says de old boy we're a bully crew,
Wid a hoosier mate and captain too.
Dance, de boatman, &c.

4
When you go to de boatman's ball,
Dance wid my wife, or dont dance at all,
Sky-blue jacket, tarpaulin hat,
Look out boys for de nine tail cat.
Dance, de boatman, &c.

5
When de boatman blows his horn
Look out ole man your hog is gone,
He stole my sheep, he stold my shoat,
Chuck em in a bag and tote em to de boat.
Dance, de boatman, &c.

6
Ober de mountain, slick as an eel,
De boatman slide down on his heel;
De wind did blow, de waves did toss
i belieb my sould de boatman loss.
dance, de boatman, &c.

Old Dan Tucker. A celebrated banjo song.

I come to town de udder night,
I hear de noise an saw de fight,
De watchman was a runnin roun,
Cryin Old Dan Tucker's come to town,
So get out de way, Ole Dan Tucker,
get out de way, Old Dan Tucker,
get out de way, Old Dan Tucker,
You're too late to come to supper.

2
Ole Dan he went down to de mill
To get some meal to put in de swill,
De miller he swore by de point of his knife
He never seed such a man in his life,
So get out de way, &c.

3
Ole Dan and I we did fall out,
And what you tink it was about,
He tread on my corn, I kick him on de shin,
And dat's de way dis row begin,
So get out de way, &c.

4
Ole Dan begun in early life
To play de banjo and de fife,
He play de niggers all to sleep,
An den into his bunk he creep,
So get out de way, &c.

5
And now Old Dan is a gone sucker
And never can go home to supper,
Ole Dan he has had his last ride
And de banjo's buried by his side,
So get out de way, &c.

Download
COinS
 

The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.