[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
a 1832 popular comic song
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Benjamin R. Tubb:
Lyrics
- In old Kentuck in de arternoon,
We sweep de floor wid a bran new broom,
And dis de song dat we do sing,
Refrain
Oh! Clare de kitchen old folks young folks
Clare de kitchen old folks young folks
Old Virginny never tire
- I went to de creek, I couldn’t git across,
I’d nobody wid me but an old blind horse;
But old Jim Crow came riding by,
Says he, “old feller, your horse will die.” - My horse fell down upon de spot,
Says he, “don’t you see his eyes is sot;”
So I took out my knife and off wid his skin,
And when he comes to life I’ll ride him agin - A jay bird sot on a hickory limb,
He wink’d at me and I wink’d at him,
I pick’d up a stone and I hit his shin,
Says he you better not do dat agin - A Bull frog dress’d sogers close,
Went in de field to shoot some crows;
De crows smell powder and fly away,
De Bull frog mighty mad dat day - Den down I went wid Cato Moore,
To see de steamboat come ashore,
Every man for himself, so I picked up a trunk,
“Leff off, said de Captain, “or burn you wid a chunk” - I hab a sweetheart in dis town,
She wears a yellow striped gown;
And when she walks de street around,
De hollow of her foot make a hole in de ground - Dis love is a ticklish ting you know,
It makes a body feel all over so.
I put de question to coal black Rose,
She as black as ten of spades, and got a lubly flat nose - “Go away,” says she, “wid your cowcumber shin,
If you come here agin I stick you wid a pin;”
So I turned on my heel and I bid her good bye,
And arter I was gone she began to cry - So now I’se up and off you see,
To take a julep sangeree;
I’ll sit upon a tater hill,
And eat a little whippoorwill - I wish I was back in old Kentuck,
For since I left it I had no luck,
De gals so proud dey won’t eat mush,
And when you go to court ’em dey say, O hush!
Sung here by Fred Feild: