[WARNING: This song contains antiquated racial stereotypes. It is presented here for historical and educational purposes only.]
A slumber song from 1898
Words and music by John Martin
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Benjamin R. Tubb:
Lyrics
- There’s a little pickaninny and he lives far away
Where birds are singing sweetly in the morn
His daddy is a working in the cotton all the day
While the south wind is a sighing thro’ the corn
His mammy thinks her baby is the sweetest little coon
As she kisses him and pats his curly head
And when the stars are winking at the old men in the moon
She’s a singing as she tucks him into bed.
Chorus:
When mammy’s pickaninny’s fast asleep
Then fairies ’round his cradle softly creep
In dreamland he will play until the break of day
When golden stars no longer slyly peep
He’s safe from ev’ry danger care and harm
While dreaming in his cradle song and warm
Then why should baby fear when mammy’s watching near
While her little pickaninny’s fast asleep.
- In the morning when the sun’s a shining thro’ the cabin door
Then mammy comes to wake her little prize
She smiles at all his capers as he toddles ’round the floor
And watches her with wond’ring baby eyes
When bells begin a chiming in the meeting house in town
And the crickets ’round the fireplace start to cheep
Then dusky eyes grow heavy when the sun’s a going down
And his mammy sings her little boy to sleep