Chapter I: Tol’ Yo’ So

Playin’ out dah
Wid dat white trash’,
I tol’ yo’ so.
Dat yo’ back
Wood git er lash;
I tol’ yo’ so.
Pay no ’tenshun
Whut I say,
Allus got
Sum uddah way,
Wished yo’ haddah,
P’haps, sum day.
I tol’ yo’ so.

Yo’ de wusses’
Chile in town,
I tol’ yo’ so.
Foll’rin’ all
De white trash ’roun’
I tol’ yo’ so.
Aftah Peedah,
John and Paul,
Fus’ thing fightin’
Wid ’em all;
Den de niggah’s
Fus’ to fall.
I tol’ yo’ so.

Licked de ’lasses
Off yo’ bread,
I tol’ yo’ so.
Den dey knocked
Yo’ in de head.
I tol’ yo’ so.
Called yo’ niggah
Sich ez dat
Said yo’ hyah
Wuz lak er mat.
Umph! Dem white fo’ks
Made yo’ scat.
I tol’ yo’ so.

Umph! Dey skaid
Yo’ mos’ to def.
I tol’ yo’ so.
Look ee dah,
Yo’ out o’ bref.
I tol’ yo’ so.
Run so fas’
Dun los’ yo’ hat,
Got no idea
Whah it’s at;
Gwine to whoop
Yo’ good fo’ dat.
I tol’ yo’ so.

THE PASSING OF NIGHT.

De moon’s dun sneaked
Clah out er sight,
De stars dun quit
Dey peepin’;
De shaddahs dun gone
Stole erway,
De world’s dun quit
It’s sleepin’.

De hours dey’s slowly
Creeped erlong
Until de world’s in light
An’ song;
De sun smiles on
Creation’s throng—
Er cross de worl’
Goes sweeping.

A TALE O’ WOE.

Manny am de battle
Dahky’s got to fight.
Ebbry tarn he’s makin’
Trouble’s dah in sight.
Ef he’s got de ’liggun
Puffec’ to de spot,
Hard to keep fum cussin’
Losin’ all he’s got.

White fo’ks got de money,
White fo’ks got de lan’,
Doan’ wan’ a po’ dahky
Hab er place to stan’.
Ef dey miss er chicken
Ef dey miss er goose,
Fus’ thing grab er dahky
Fo’ de calerboose.

Long ez he’s er hoein’,
Diggin’ in de san’,
Bress yo’ soul, say, mistah,
He am jes’ de man.
Let him git de money
Cumin’ mos’ too fas’,
White fo’ks git to skeemin’,
Say it mussen’ las’.

LULLABY.

Pickahninny, Pickahninny,
Close yo’ little eyes.
Evenin’ am er ’proachin’,
Tells yo’ sleep an’ quit yo’ cries,
Mammy’s gwine to keep
All o’ de boogahman erway—
Gyahd her little pickahninny
Till de cumin’ day.

Pickahninny, pickahninny,
Sleep an’ take yo’ res;
Sleep wid all de cumfort
Ub de birdies in dey nes’.
When de sun’s dun sinkin’,
In de eas’ begin to rise,
Mammy’s little pickahninny
Den kin ope’ its eyes.

Pickahninny, pickahninny,
Mammy’s little love,
May de gyahdin’ angels
Hubbah ’roun’ de fum erbove.
Wid dey sof’en sweeten whispahs
Keep de lull’d er sleep,
While de weary lonely hours
Slowly onward creep.

Pickahninny, pickahninny,
Keep er fas’ er sleep,
While de weary, lonely hours
Slowly onward creep.
Day will soon be breakin’,
Sun er creepin’ ’cross de skies,
Mammy’s little pickahninny
Den kin ope it’s eyes.

THE ECSTASY OF UNCLE JOE.

Feel lak shoutin’ hallelooyah,
Habben’ got an’ ache ner pain.
Los’ dat kahnsahn roomertism,
No mo’ hobblin’ wid dat cane.

Things look lak de Eden Gawden,
Hardly bleeb dis am mah se’f.
Dis am bliss in ebbry ’ticklah,
Tickles mah ol’ soul to def.

Dat snake oil sho’ did de bizzness,
Geddah wid dem herbs an’ roots.
Bress de Lawd! umph! grayshus Mahstah!
Hardly stay in mah ol’ boots!

Go ’way, chillun, let yo’ daddy
Hab de place all to hisse’f.
Kaze de ol’ man’s jollyfyin’
An’ he’s drawin’ bran’ new bref.

Dis ol’ frame am no mo’ shaky,
Doh I is mos’ eighty-eight.
Dem ol’ jints am jes’ ez soople’s
When Ise in mah youthful state.

Feel lak lay’n erside mah ’liggun,
Once mo’ dance de buck an’ wing.
Is dah ’mong yo’ doubtin’ Thomas,
Think dat I kaint do dat thing?

Oh, I ustah cut it, chillun,
When ol’ fiddlin’ Peet was ’roun’.
Had all o’ de white an’ brac’ fo’ks
Beat, dat lived er bout de town.

An’ yo bet he was er fiddlah,
Make yo’ dance yo’se’f leg bowl.
Played de sweetes’ kine o’ ditties
Dat jes’ ’joiced yo’ berry soul.

Look hyeah, Rastus! drap dat fiddle,
Doan’ yo’ sot dat thing er chune.
Ef yo’ do, in spite mah ’liggun,
Make out me er dancin’ coon.

See, de debbil’s allus skeemin’
Fo’ to make de Chris’shuns sin.
Usein’ chillun in his bizzness,
Dat’s de way he takes to win.

Now, he put it in li’l Rastus
Fo’ to git dat fiddle down.
Tho’t I kooden’ r’sist tem’tayshun
Fo’ to dance at its ol’ soun’.

Not dis time, oh, no! Brer Satan,
Kin yo’ make out me er clown.
Git me dancin, lose mah ’liggun
On de las’ day lose mah crown.

Guess I beddah git de Bible,
Read de Mahstah’s bressed Wurd.
Leeb deez hyeah mischebus raskuls,
Kaze dey’s sum de debil’s herd.

KEEP ER GOIN’.

Yo’ dat’s in de race o’ life,
Keep er goin’!
Nebah stop fo’ little strife,
Keep er goin’!
Sum one kick yo’ on de co’n,
Nuddah prick yo’ wid er thorn,
Toot loudah on yo’ horn,
Keep er goin’!

Ef yo’ sortah lose de track,
Keep er goin’!
Doan’ tarn fool an’ saunter back,
Keep er goin’!

Take no time to ax an’ ’quire,
Keep er headin’ fo’ de wire.
Push out in de mud an’ mire.
Keep er goin’!

Ef de road leads ’roun’ an’ ’roun’,
Keep er goin’!
Sumtimes up an’ sumtimes down,
Keep er goin’!
Ef yo’ fall an’ crack yo’ shin,
Git up, koch yo’ secun’ win’.
Spruce up, try de thing ergin.
Keep er goin’!

CLIMIN’ UP DE HILL.

Fo’ to climb de hill o’ fame,
Bet it takes er lot o’ tussel.
It takes er lot er scratchin’
An’ it takes er lot er hus’le.
It’s now an’ den er slip,
An’ it’s now an’ den er stumble.
Ef yo’ ’spec’ to reach de summit
Yo’ mus’ keep on meek an’ humble.

Ez yo’ climin’ up de hill,
Yo’ will git er lot er clubbin’,
Yo’ll git er lot er knockin’,
An’ yo’ll git er lot er drubbin’!
Now an’ den yo’ll mope,
Den ergin yo’ll be er creepin’.
Yo’ll git so tiad an’ weary,
Wan’ to res’ an’ go to sleepin’.

Ez yo’ climin’ fo’ de prize,
Yo’ mus’ do er lot o’ scramble,
Yo’ll run into de briars,
An’ yo’ll strike er lot o’ bramble.
Yo’ll fine er lot o’ thorns
’Stead er findin’ lots o’ roses.
Keep er headin’ fo’ de summit,
Dah is whah success reposes.

Yo’ mussen’ spec’ er crown
Fus’ widdout sum tribyoolayshun,
Kaze dat’s de rule o’ ordah
Fo’ de white an’ brackes’ nation.
Yo’ kno’ it’s sumtimes up,
Den ergin it’s in de valley,
Den ergin yo’ go er scootin’
Towards de goal yo’ go er sally.

Yo’ run on fo’ er spell,
Den ergin yo’ git to slippin’,
Yo’ now an’ den’ll reel,
Git to trippin’ an’ er tippin’,
But lak de ship o’ Zion,
When de waves it am er dashin’
Yo’ ride right th’ew de storm,
In de harbor cum er splashin’.

SISTAH RUFFLE.

No use tawkin,’ sistah Ruffle
Am a gittin’ out de kinks;
Gittin’ up to date in fashun,
She out-dresses sistah Jinks;
Got a bran new dress o’ satin,
Wid a hot stuff ruffl’d skirt;
Way she’s lookin’ ebry dahky
At her grinn’d an’ tried to flirt.

An’ she’s gone an’ got a mobeel
Cumin’ down klah to her feet;
One dem silks trimm’d in white kawdin,’
It’s a stunnah, kain’t be beet;
An’ her hat, oh goodness grashus!
Lak a flowah bed o’ bloom;
An’ she fewmigate de breezes,
Wid de sweetes’ kine o’ ’fewme.

Oh, yo’ know ol’ sistah Ruffle,
Ustah wash erbout de town;
Had a husbahn dat was leg-bowl,
Jes’ as ugly as a clown;
Yes de ol’ gal we’ de goggles,
Hobblin’ ’roun’ wid roomotick,
Diden’ hab ’em on dat ’kayshun,
She was flouncin’ double quick.

Doan’ yo’ know, she am bawlhaided,
But dat dey she we’ er wig;
Dog mah cats ef yo’ kood tell it,
Ef yo’ could I’d dance’d a jig;
Twasn’t made fum hyah dat’s kinky,
But fum dat call’d awbun hyah;
Looks so poody slick, an’ wabey,
Kine yo’ see de white fo’ks wah.

Had it done an’ roll’d in ribbon,
On de pompydoro style;
Had deez great big whut yo’ call ’em?
Hyahpins yais yo’ right mah chile;
At de sides she lef’ it bushy
Fo’ to kibbah up her yeahs;
Kose she seed de white fo’ks do it
Fo’ de las’ free o’ fo’ yeahs.

Yais, she had on glasses, go ’way!
Dem dat habs de gol’en rim
An’ a chain wuz fas’en to ’em,
Cumin’ down beneef her chin;
An’ her bowkey, go’ way honey!
It wahs flowahs o’ all kine,
Oh, it look’d mos’ loud an’ spickyus,
Wish’d de lawd it had bin mine.

Oddah seed her when she pass’d us,
Thow’d her head clah to de cloud;
Switch’d her se’f an’ kooden’ see us,
Kaze she’s togg’d up mos’ to loud;
Now an’ den shed’ gib us, honey,
Whut yo’ call de cake wa’k gran’,
An’ her big feet cut no figgah;
Was’ she right? she beet de ban’.

When she’d pass sto’ windahs, honey,
She’d size up her se’f an’ smile;
Twis’ her-se’f an’ lif her trailah,
Cose she tho’wt she’s poody, chile;
Why, I know’d dat dah ol’ dahky
When she haden’ braid to eat;
When it cum to shoes an’ sockin’s,
Dey was stranjahs to her feet.

Now she needn’t be o’ spreadin’
On befo’ me any ahs,
Kaze de Lawd in heaben knows it,
Dat I ’bout her doesn’t kyahs;
She jes’ lately got a penshun,
An’ it’s sortah swell’d her haid,
It’s a wondah diden’ bus’ it,
An’ de dahky isn’t daid.

Doan’ yo’ ’membah when she usetah
Wah dat bumzeen yallah dress?
Whah she’s gwine to git de nex’ one,
Kep’ her allus on de guess;
Whut I say a ’bout sum dahkies,
Ef dey git a rag er to,
’Speshly dems po’ as Jobe’s tukehy,
Dey’ll wa’k obah me an’ yo’.

I jes’ feed dem kine o’ dahkies,
Wid er big long hanel spoon;
Bet dey needen’ take dis sistah,
Fo’ er hankshef haided coon;
Kaze it’s bawn in all ah kin fo’ks,
To be stylish an’ be proud,
Nebbah habs dis lady, honey,
To sech dahkies ebah bow’d.

THE GALLANT BLACKS OF SAN JUAN HILL.

Without a tremor or a pause,
Enlisted for their country’s cause,
’Mid shout and song the gallant boys
Charge up the hill of San Juan.

Like war-scarred veterans of old,
Made with patriot ardor bold,
Press they forward towards the goal,
Not a soldier falters.

Blood and carnage everywhere,
Detonations rend the air,
Not for once do they despair,
But press on to conquer.

See them charge with matchless splendor
Heart to heart each one’s defender,
All praise for the part they render,
For them is the victory.

See the starry emblem high;
This they’ll keep or all will die.
Forward! Is their battle cry,
See them still advancing.

Hell of fire ’tis their’s to greet,
Comrades falling at their feet.
Still for them to fight ’tis sweet,
See them still advancing!

See the foe’s ranks try to rally,
Thank God! They’ve made their last tally.
Ne’er again will they forth sally,
Lost their hopes forever!

Another charge! They reach the summit,
And the prize at last they’ve won it,
Fighting ev’ry inch they’ve done it,
Vic’try on their banner.

Columbia, thou hast won the day,
Tribute on the altar lay.
Plaudits to those brave boys pay,
They thy brave defenders.

Heaven swing thy gates a-wide,
Forever in thy walls abide,
Let those who so nobly died,
Be this, their reward.

In the starry firmament,
Thou bright gem of government,
Brightest in the firmament,
Still thy encircling light.

As a beacon and a sign,
To oppressed men ever shine,
Till on this terrestrial ball,
God shall end the reign of all.