Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings/Transcriptions

VII. Transcriptions
(Note)

1. A Plantation Chant
Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-fo’, Christ done open dat He’v’mly do’— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer; Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-five, Christ done made dat dead man alive— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me ter run home, Little childun— Run home, dat sun done roll— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer.

Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-six, Christ is got us a place done fix— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer; Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-sev’m Christ done sot a table in Hev’m An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me ter run home, Little childun— Run home, dat sun done roll— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer.

Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-eight, Christ done make dat crooked way straight— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer; Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-nine, Christ done tu’n dat water inter wine— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me ter run home, Little childun— Run home, dat sun done roll— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer.

Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-ten, Christ is de mo’ner’s onliest fr’en’— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer; Hit’s eighteen hunder’d forty-en-lev’m, Christ ’ll be at de do’ w’en we all git ter Hev’m— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me ter run home, Little childun— Run home, dat sun done roll— An’ I don’t wanter stay yer no longer.

2. A Plantation Serenade
De ole bee make de honey-comb, De young bee make de honey, De niggers make de cotton en co’n, En de w’ite folks gits de money.

De raccoon he’s a cu’us man, He never walk twel dark, En nuthin’ never ’sturbs his mine, Twel he hear ole Bringer bark.

De raccoon totes a bushy tail, De ’possum totes no ha’r, Mr. Rabbit, he come skippin’ by, He ain’t got none ter spar’.

Monday mornin’ break er day, W’ite folks got me gwine, But Sat’dy night, w’en de sun goes down, Dat yaller gal’s in my mine.

Fifteen poun’ er meat a week, W’isky for ter sell, Oh, how can a young man stay at home, Dem gals dey look so well?

Met a ’possum in de road— Brer ’Possum, whar you gwine? I thank my stars, I bless my life, I’m a huntin’ for de muscadine.