A song from the solo minstrel days.
Published by Geo. Willig, Jr., Baltimore, 1833.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Benjamin R. Tubb:
Lyrics
1. I guess you do’n know how old Massa do
When him send Nigger Bob to hoe corn an’ ‘tater
Him hab a long whip, an’ he gib a strong clip
An’ he no let him go to hung Alligator
But guess he hab he fun when he git a rifle gun
He no ax de odds of any Nigger Nabob
He hunt de big racoon, by de sunshine ob de moon
Den don’t hang a lip, but laugh and grin away, Bob
2. Bob went todder day when de sun gone away
And he hunt, an’ he hunt all around de plantation
He see’d in a tree some bery, bery fine bee-gum
An’ he tought if he cotch him – be a wonder to de nation
So he crep’d into de hollow, an’ den he gan to swaller
De honey as fas’ as de ting-bee would let him
Until so much he eat, dat he could not move he feet
An’ he tuck so fas’ dat nothing out could get him
3. Bob tuck de whole day through, an’ he no know what to do
At las’ de night come on, oh! la! how he bodder
At las’ a hungry bear, tough honey mus’ be dare
An’ so he tought he creep in to eat mid he brodder
Bob tuck him by de skin as de bear was comin’ in
An he pull an he pull till down de hollow tree come
When Nigger Bob cum out an’ run like Nigger mought
An’ de bear tought he cotch de debil in a bee-gum
Sung here by Fred Feild: