A popular song from 1913
Words by William B. Delancy
Music by Jack Stanley
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- When de sun’s at rest, in de golden West
And de stars begin ter shine
Den I dress myself in my Sunday best
An’ I takes dat gal ob mine
Where we dance all night toward de mornin’ light
Should our feet begin to lag
At de dawnin’ glow, wid de rooster’s crow
Den dey play dat chicken rag
Chorus
Creep along, sweep along
Seize a chance to leap along
Everybody do it, sure you’ll never rue it
Glide along, slide along
Come on, honey, ride along
Here is where you open up de bag
Slip de chicken in it, over in a minute
Hear him squawkin’, quit your talkin’
Dance it, honey, don’t start walkin’
When you do that squeezin’
That ever-lovin’ teasin’
That happy, joyous, pleasin’, chicken rag
- When de sun shines hot, on de well-tilled plot
With its waving rows of corn
There I has ter hoe, workin’ sure, but slow
Waitin’ for de dinner horn
When de dinner’s o’er, I must toil once more
Though my feet will hardly drag
An’ I almost doze, ‘mid de long, hot rows
Dreamin’ ob dat chicken rag
3. Seven days away, till next Saturday
But de time comes ’round at las’
When dis darky gets his chance ter play
Where de hours fly so fas’
‘Tain’t no time at all, at de crowded hall
Till de dawn peeps o’er de crag
An’ de folks cry out, with a joyous shout
“Now dey’ll play dat chicken rag”