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1. On de Ohio bluff in de state of Indiana
Dere’s where I live, chock up to de Habbana
Eb’ry mornin early Massa gib me likker
I take my net and paddle and I put out de quicker
I jump into my kiff and I down the river driff
And I cotch as many cat fish as ever nigger liff<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Now dis morning on a driff log tink I see an Alligator
I scull my skiff around and chuck him sweet potatoe
I cratch him on de head and try for to vex it
But I couldn’t fool de varmint now how I could fix it
So I picks a brick an’ I fotch’d him sich a lick
But twant nothin’ but a pine knot ‘pom a big stick<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Now old Mass build a barn to put de fodder in,
Dis ting an dat ting an’ one ting anodder;
Thirty ninth Decembur time come a rise ob water,
An’ it carry Massas barn much farder dan it ought to;
Then old Massa swear, he cuss an’ tare his hair,
Becase de water tuck de Barn off he cou’dnt tell where.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Now old Massa die on de lebenteenth of April,
I put him in de troff what cotch de sugar maple,
I digs a deep hole right out upon de level,
An’ I do believe sure enough he’s gone to de debil,
For when he live you know he light upon me so,
But now he’s gone to tote de firewood way down below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Den Missis she did marry Big Bill de weaver,
Soon she found out he was a gay deceiver,
He grab all de money and he put it in his pocket,
And de way he did put out was a sin to Davy Crocket;
So old Missis cry and ‘gin to wipe her eye,
For she marry Bill de weaver she cou’dnt tell why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Now one day de sun gone down an’ de days work over,
Old Gumbo Chaff he tink he’d live in Clover;
He jump into a boat wid his old Tamborine,
While shoonerhead Sambo play’d de Violin;
De way we sail’d to New Orleans never be forgotten,
Dey put me on de Levy dock to roll a bale of Cotton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. When I cotch hold de bale oh! den you ought to seen us!
First time dis child ‘gan to show his genus;
I got hold de corner an’ I give him such a hug,
An’ I light upon him like a duck ‘pon a june bug;
Oh! you ought to been dare to see de Niggers laff,
For dey swore it was de debil or old Gumbo Chaff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. I lern’d to talk de French oh! a la mode de dancey,
Kick him shoe, tare him wool, parle vo de Francey,
None jaw Madamselle, Stevadors and Riggers,
Apple jack and sassafras and little Indian Niggers;
De natives laff’d an swore dat I was corn’d,
For dey neber heard sich French since dey was born’d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. I leab New Orleans early one day morning,
I jump’d aboard de boat jist as de day was dawning,
I hide behind de wood where de Niggers allways toss’um,
And lay low like de Coon when him tries to fool de Possum;
I lay dare still doe ’twas rather diffikill,
An dey did’nt find me out ’till I got to Louisville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10. Dare Jim beats de drum an old Joe’s de fifer,
An I is dat child what can read an cifer;
Twice one is five den carry six to seven,
Twice six is twenty nine an eighteen’s eleven,
So ‘twixt you and me its very plain to see,
Dat I learnt to play de Banjo by de double rule of three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
11. Now I rive on our farm on de Ohio Bluff,
An’ I tink of fun an’ frolick old Gumbo’s had enough;
Oh! de white folks at home I very much amuse,
When I sing dis song an tell ’em all de news;
So we’d music all night an dey set up sich a laff
When I introduced de Niggers to Mrs Gumbo Chaff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSung here by Fred Feild:<\/p>\n\n\n\n