[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
From the solo minstrel performers, 1837
Published by G. Willig, Jr., Baltimore
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Benjamin R. Tubb:
Lyrics
1. On de Ohio bluff in de state of Indiana
Dere’s where I live, chock up to de Habbana
Eb’ry mornin early Massa gib me likker
I take my net and paddle and I put out de quicker
I jump into my kiff and I down the river driff
And I cotch as many cat fish as ever nigger liff
2. Now dis morning on a driff log tink I see an Alligator
I scull my skiff around and chuck him sweet potatoe
I cratch him on de head and try for to vex it
But I couldn’t fool de varmint now how I could fix it
So I picks a brick an’ I fotch’d him sich a lick
But twant nothin’ but a pine knot ‘pom a big stick
3. Now old Mass build a barn to put de fodder in,
Dis ting an dat ting an’ one ting anodder;
Thirty ninth Decembur time come a rise ob water,
An’ it carry Massas barn much farder dan it ought to;
Then old Massa swear, he cuss an’ tare his hair,
Becase de water tuck de Barn off he cou’dnt tell where.
4. Now old Massa die on de lebenteenth of April,
I put him in de troff what cotch de sugar maple,
I digs a deep hole right out upon de level,
An’ I do believe sure enough he’s gone to de debil,
For when he live you know he light upon me so,
But now he’s gone to tote de firewood way down below.
5. Den Missis she did marry Big Bill de weaver,
Soon she found out he was a gay deceiver,
He grab all de money and he put it in his pocket,
And de way he did put out was a sin to Davy Crocket;
So old Missis cry and ‘gin to wipe her eye,
For she marry Bill de weaver she cou’dnt tell why.
6. Now one day de sun gone down an’ de days work over,
Old Gumbo Chaff he tink he’d live in Clover;
He jump into a boat wid his old Tamborine,
While shoonerhead Sambo play’d de Violin;
De way we sail’d to New Orleans never be forgotten,
Dey put me on de Levy dock to roll a bale of Cotton.
7. When I cotch hold de bale oh! den you ought to seen us!
First time dis child ‘gan to show his genus;
I got hold de corner an’ I give him such a hug,
An’ I light upon him like a duck ‘pon a june bug;
Oh! you ought to been dare to see de Niggers laff,
For dey swore it was de debil or old Gumbo Chaff.
8. I lern’d to talk de French oh! a la mode de dancey,
Kick him shoe, tare him wool, parle vo de Francey,
None jaw Madamselle, Stevadors and Riggers,
Apple jack and sassafras and little Indian Niggers;
De natives laff’d an swore dat I was corn’d,
For dey neber heard sich French since dey was born’d.
9. I leab New Orleans early one day morning,
I jump’d aboard de boat jist as de day was dawning,
I hide behind de wood where de Niggers allways toss’um,
And lay low like de Coon when him tries to fool de Possum;
I lay dare still doe ’twas rather diffikill,
An dey did’nt find me out ’till I got to Louisville.
10. Dare Jim beats de drum an old Joe’s de fifer,
An I is dat child what can read an cifer;
Twice one is five den carry six to seven,
Twice six is twenty nine an eighteen’s eleven,
So ‘twixt you and me its very plain to see,
Dat I learnt to play de Banjo by de double rule of three.
11. Now I rive on our farm on de Ohio Bluff,
An’ I tink of fun an’ frolick old Gumbo’s had enough;
Oh! de white folks at home I very much amuse,
When I sing dis song an tell ’em all de news;
So we’d music all night an dey set up sich a laff
When I introduced de Niggers to Mrs Gumbo Chaff.
Sung here by Fred Feild: