A popular song from the year 1900.
Words and music by C. C. Clark.
The sheet music:
Coon That Wore the First Shirt Waist – Sheet Music
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
The_Coon_That_Wore_The_First_Shirt_Waist – MIDI
Lyrics
1. Sam Jackson had some money saved
Oh! how thoughtful
To dress in style he always craved
Um! so stylish
To get the money he had pinch’d
Economized for fair
But keepin’ what you’ve got’s no sinch
He often did declare
For gamblin’ games like shootin’ craps
He had no use at all
But on the ladies like most chaps
He always liked to call
He got to thinking in his head
Um! how painful
When he got through his brain was dead
And dis is what he said
Chorus
Well! I cert’ny got to have some style
And I’ll have it if it costs my pile
So, I’ll dress in taste, buy a red shirt-waist
And I’ll be the warmest nigger dat’s ’round dis place
Ev’ry lady in de land will see
Dar’s no darky dat’s as warm as me
An dey’ll roll der eyes, in grand surprise
At de coon dat wore de first shirt-waist
2. He went to see his gal one day
My how scrumptious
And on his bended knees did say
Who’s oos-oo-sy
If you will take me as I am
An be my Dinah do
An call me yo’ own true lub Sam
Den I’ll love you honey too
But ‘fore he had a chance to think
About the clothes he wore
She flash’d her razor ‘fore his eyes
And roll’d him on the floor
Said go ‘way coon yo make me mad
She was awful!
Dat coon was forty miles from glad
And dis is what he said
Chorus
Well! I cert’ny thought I had some style
And I mighty nearly lost my pile
So, I’ll shake dat waist
For I’m in disgrace
Then I’ll go and tell the barber to shave my face
So de ladies in de land can’t see
What dat yaller gal she did to me
And dar he paused, at de trouble caused
By de coon dat wore de first shirt-waist