Old Dan Tucker

[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]

One of the first of the group minstrel show songs, 1843
words and music by Daniel Decatur Emmett

The sheet music:

Old-Dan-Tucker – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by Werner Tomaschewski:

Old-Dan-Tucker – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. I come to town de udder night
    I hear de noise an saw de fight
    De watchman was a runnin roun
    Cryin Old Dan Tucker’s come to town, so

Chorus
Get out de way! Get out de way!
Get out de way, Old Dan Tucker
You’re to late to come to supper

  1. Tucker is a nice old man
    He use to ride our darby ram
    He sent him whizzen down de hill
    If he had’nt got up he’d lay dar still
  2. Here’s my razor in good order
    Magnum bonum – jis hab bought ’er
    Sheep shell oats, Tucker shell de corn
    I’ll shabe you soon as de water get warm
  3. Ole Dan Tucker an I got drunk,
    He fell in de fire an kick up a chunk
    De charcoal got inside he shoe
    Lor bless you honey how de ashes flew
  4. Down de road foremost de stump
    Massa make me work de pump
    I pump so hard I broke de sucker
    Dar was work for ole Dan Tucker
  5. I went to town to by some goods
    I lost myself in a piece of woods
    De night was dark I had to suffer
    It froze de heel of Daniel Tucker
  6. Tucker was a hardened sinner
    He nebber said his grace at dinner
    De ole sow squeel, de pigs did squall
    He ’hole hog wid de tail and all

Sung here by Fred and Penny Feild: