[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
A popular song from 1898.
Words and music by Walter Hawley.
Arranged by Lewis Reiterman.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. My baby gone and left me
And my heart’s done broke
He took all my money
Put my clothes in soak
He even stole my chickens
And my sweet potato pie
And gived ’em to another gal
Now dat ain’t no lie
But I certainly must remember
How good he’s been to me
Took me to the circus
All the funny things to see
And says, “Altho’ youse shady
Youse my only colored lady”
Den dat nigger went and shook me
But I know he loved his baby
Chorus
Dat nigger treated me all right
Deed, he cert’nly treated me out o’ sight
I saw the zeberee and the monkeys drinking tea
And all the other animals in that menagerie
Yes, dat nigger treated me all right
If you dared to insult me he would fight
Of course he stole my cloes
And wreck’d dis darkie’s heart
Still, dat nigger treated me all right
2. Last summer we was riding on a picnic boat
Just to make it pleasant, why we took a float
But when we was returning
Dat’s de time we had a row
Razors, pistols and lead pipe
Was used, I’ll allow
And a big Mister nigger
Tried to walk all over me
He grabbed him by the collar
And chicked him in the sea
Just den dey started biting
And the worst kind of fighting
In less than half a minute
We was found without a light, sa’
Chorus
Dat nigger treated me all right
Deed, he cert’nly treated me out o’ sight
He started in to kiss dis here dainty little miss
Right then I was mighty sure I had him on my list
For dat nigger treated me all right
If you dared to insult me, he would fight
I know he stole my cloes
And crush’d dis darkies’s heart
Still, dat nigger treated me all right
3. We went out one evening to a watermelon patch
We came across a hen coop, so we lifted up the latch
Inside was some chickens dar a roosting on a stick
Goodness me! I can’t see how dat nigger was so thick
Here come the farmer, had a gun long as dat
Done pulled the snapper and away went my hat
Oh my! I wanted chickens, but dat farmer raised the dickens
But I was glad to get away without those lovely chickens
Chorus
Dat nigger treated me all right
Deed, he cert’nly treated me out o’ sight
When he come from that hen coop
Round his neck he had a hoop
‘Twas filled with hens and roosters
So we had some chicken soup
Yes, dat nigger treated me all right
If you dared to insult me, he would fight
He robbed me of my clothes
And tampered with my heart
But dat nigger treated me all right
4. Now I want to tell you how we first fell in love
He called to see me, his little turtle dove
My mammy didn’t like it, so we planned to elope
Dat man got a plank and a long piece of rope
Well just at midnight, when everything was still
Here comes my baby a drivin’ up der hill
Of course we didn’t tarry, so assisted by my Harry
The plank was fixed for me to slide
Then we was gwine to marry
Chorus
Dat nigger treated me all right
Deed, he cert’nly treated me out o’ sight
I wsa quiet as a snail, I was scared and I was pale
I slid down upon that plank
But in the middle was a nail
Yes, dat nigger treated me all right
When I got off dat plank I was a sight
I tor my bestest cloes, I was bleeding at der nose
And dat nigger treated me all right
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