[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
A popular song from 1900.
Words and music by Will A. Heelan & J. Fred Helf.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. The leader of the Blackville Club arose last Labor night
And said, “When we were on parade today
I really felt so much ashamed I wished I could turn white
‘Cause all the white folks march’d with banners gay
Just at de stand, de German Band
They waved their flag and played “De Wacht am Rhine”
The Scotch Brigade, each man arrayed
In new plaid dresses marched to “Auld Lang Syne”
Even Spaniards and Swedes, folks of all kinds and creeds
Had their banners except de coons alone
Ev’ry nation can brag ’bout some kind of a flag
Why can’t we get an emblem of our own?”
Chorus
For Ireland has her Harp and Shamrock
England floats her Lion bold
Even China waves a Dragon
Germany an Eagle gold
Bonnie Scotland loves a Thistle
Turkey has her Crescent Moon
And what won’t Yankees do
For the Old Red White and Blue
Ev’ry race has a flag but the coon
2. He says, “Now I’ll suggest a flag
That ought to win a prize
Just take a flannel shirt and paint it red
Then draw a chicken on it
With two poker dice for eyes
An’ have it wavin’ razors ’round its head
To make it quaint, you’ve got to paint
A possum, with a pork chop in its teeth
To give it tone, a big hambone
You sketch upon a banjo underneath
And be sure not to skip just a policy slip
Have it marked four-eleven forty-four
Then them Irish and Dutch
They can’t guy us so much
We should have had this emblem long before”