[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial language. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
From the 1908 musical “A Broken Idol”.
Words by Harry Williams.
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. The sun am bright and the heart am light
Way down in Alabam
Coons are free for a jubilee
Way down in Alabam
‘Nuf to eat and a place to sleep
Way down in Alabam
And they don’t give a cent, who’s President
Way down in Alabam
Chorus
Way down in sunny Alabam
Land of Watermelon, cane and ham
Law dem niggers how they shake their feet
When they hear somebody hollar possum sweet
Basted all around with candy yam, yam, yam, yam
Way down in sunny Alabam
All dem coons are happy as a clam
They wrote the answer to the word called “shirk”
They don’t want anything that looks like work
Way down in Alabam
2. A coon and dog hid behind a log
Way down in Alabam
He saw a hog through the mornin’ fog
Way down in Alabam
He raised his fun for the have some fun
Way down in Alabam
And he missed that hog and shot his dog
Way down in Alabam
3. Old Jasper Toole bought a Jinny mule
Way down in Alabam
He hit that mule with a milkin’ stool
Way down in Alabam
The mule “he hawed” ’cause her name was Maud
Way down in Alabam
And a barrell stave now marks the grave
Way down in Alabam