[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
From the 1909 musical “Mr. Load of Koal”
words by Alex Rogers
music by Bert A. Williams
The sheet music:
Accompaniment:
Lyrics
1. Now what I’m goin’ to tell to you
Are things my ole man said
And it makes no diff’rence what you think
Remember Father’s dead
Yes, papa dear could tell some tales
And he’d always begin
By saying, “Son, one touch of nature
Makes the whole world kin”
Chorus
Said I was some kin to the sons of Ham
‘Lated to the folks from Bam
Mixed up with old Alacazam
Daddy to the house of Lam
Some kind of kin to Jimson Jams
Brother to the King called Dropsand Drams
So, all the colored people in any lan’
Must a been some kin to my ole man
2. Yes, daddy said he had relations
Throughout many lands
He said he was a foster brother
To ole Bill Kersands
He also said, “To show you, son
Just how my record stands
My neice’s brother’s stepson
Was related to Joe Gans
3. One time my ole man told to me
A tale that sounded great
He said his great, great grand-dad was
The first great heavy-weight
That he fought Jack Johnson’s grand-dad
At three hundred pounds
And after a hard battle
Won in seven hundred rounds
4. He said, “Son, they were fighting some
Those two big strapping bucks
They fought three days and nights, son
And they fought with their bare knucks”
And from that fight there came a phrase
That my ole man just loves
That phrase you hear about a man
“being handled without gloves”
5. Here’s what my old man told me
About my dear Aunt Karo Kate
She was chief cook for “King Five Up”
In some big African state
One day King Five Up killed Aunt Kate
A story sad but true
‘Cause she spilled six quarts of mucilage in
King Five Up’s ostrich stew
6. I recollect one Christmans Eve
My old man came home full
And swore he was a second cousin
To old Sitting Bull
Another time they made him mad
And up he spoke says he
My great grand uncle’s son-in-law
Was kin to Booker T.
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Sung here by Fred Feild: