[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
From the musical “Mrs. Black Is Back”, 1904.
Words and music by Harry Brown and Chris Smith.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Did your Mammy or your Daddy
Ever pat you on de head
An’ say, “Child, ‘deed
You don’t know what you’re worth?”
They said to me “have manners
And you’ll never want for bread
For manners is the grandest thing on earth”
They said ‘twould take me further
Than my money ever could
And says, for want of things I’d never fret
But now I certainly knows enough
To say dat talk is cheap
Right now there’s things
I want and cannot get
Chorus
Dat ain’t nothin’ but talk, talk
Dat ain’t nothin’ but talk
Without a doubt, I’ve done found out
Dat de old folks don’t know
What they’re talkin’ ’bout
Dat ain’t nothin’ but talk, talk
Dat ain’t nothin’ but talk
They’ll tell you this and dat
‘Deed you don’t know where you’re at
Pshaw! dat ain’t nothin’ but talk
- Once a fortune teller said to me
“Just let me see your hand
There’s a line there that shows prosperity”
He said “You’ve got a rich old uncle
Livin’ in the South
Who’s gwine to will to you his property”
It’s true I’ve got an uncle
But he never owned a thing
Dat fortune teller had an awful gall
To sit and tell me what I’ll get
From poor old uncle Ned
When he’s just barely livin’ and dat’s all