A 1861 popular song used in the minstrel show
Words and music by Stephen C. Foster
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Werner Tomaschewski:
Lyrics
1. De Shanghai chicken, when you put him in de pit
He’ll eat a loaf of bread up, but he can’t fight a bit
De Shanghai fiddle is a funny little thing
And ebry time you tune him up he goes ching ching
Chorus
Oh! de Shanghai!
Don’t bet your money on de Shanghai
Take de little chicken in de middle ob de ring
But don’t bet your money on de Shanghai
2. I go to de fair for to see de funny fowls
De double headed pigion an de one eyed owls
De old lame goose wid no web between his toes
He kills himself a laughing when de Shanghai crows
3. De Shanghai’s tall but his appetite is small
He’ll only swallow ebry thing that he can overhaul
Four bags of wheat just as certain as your born
A bushel of potatoes and a tub full of corn
Sung here by Fred Feild: