Suke of Tennessee

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

A 1848 popular song.
Arranged and sung by A. Forrest.

The sheet music:

Suke-of-Tennessee – SHEET MUSICDownload

Accompaniment by Benjamin Robert Tubb:

Suke-of-Tennessee -MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. I’m tired of life; I cannot find
    My suke of Tennessee,
    For I used to meet her in the old corn field,
    She’s mine whereever she be.

Chorus
Have any of you seen her?
She’s mine whereever she be,
O tell where I can find her,
My suke of Tennessee?

  1. She’s listen’d to the preaching of old Father Miller,
    She’s up in the clouds I b’lieve,
    Says she, go a way, all you wicked color’d nigger,
    For this world, I’m going for to leave.
  2. She told Ole Massa, fore she left,
    That she was young for to leave him,
    She look’d like her Fader, cause he was black
    And so was her brother Stephen.
  3. She put all her ’sention robes on her back;
    She climb up de big pine tree,
    But weder she went up, or weder she went down
    I did not stop for to see