[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
A popular song from 1918
Words by Chas. A. Mason
Music by Richard A. Whiting
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Dixie dimples deepen
Dixie hearts are beatin’
Dixie heads and hands are keepin’ time
Down in Cotton Hollow
They just sort of wallow
In an atmosphere of melody and rhyme
That hamlet harmonizes night and day
Singin’ when they fight or when they pray
Chorus
Hear those cotton pickers moan
Hear the deacon’s baritone
The mammies sweep in rythm
Their pickaninnies with ’em
Prancin’ dancin’ all around the cabin clearin’
See that long lean lazy bass
Makin’ such an awful face
With the band a jazzin’ like a jubilee
Darkies actin’ like they just got free
That’s Cotton Hollow Harmony
- Dixie voices singin’
Dixie banjos ringin’
Cotton Hollow’s syncopatin’ grand
Each gal has a fellow
Moonlight makes ’em mellow
Even Uncle Tom’s a-holdin” some gal’s hand
List’nin’ to those chords sure does inspire
Kettles can’t help hummin’ on the fire