Mississippi Melodies
I. LI’L BLACK BLOW-BALL
LI’L black blow-ball, res’ an’ res’,
While de win’ am wooin’ de watah-cress;
You’s dim as de watah,
Mah dark li’l daughtah,
Wid a shadder fo’ yo’ haid an’ breas.'
While de win’ am wooin’ de watah-cress;
You’s dim as de watah,
Mah dark li’l daughtah,
Wid a shadder fo’ yo’ haid an’ breas.'
Sof’ li’l blow-ball, bent an’ bowed,
Kiver yo’ haid wid a big black cloud,
An’ sleep fo’ an hour,
Mah fine li’l flowah,
A-settin’ on yo’ stem so proud.
Kiver yo’ haid wid a big black cloud,
An’ sleep fo’ an hour,
Mah fine li’l flowah,
A-settin’ on yo’ stem so proud.
De win’ rise up an’ de dark fall t’rough
T’ smudge up de sky what use t’ be blue—
Sweet li’l niggah,
De win’ kain’t figgah
Which am de night an’ which am you.
T’ smudge up de sky what use t’ be blue—
Sweet li’l niggah,
De win’ kain’t figgah
Which am de night an’ which am you.
Li’l black blow-ball, de melons know
Yo’ bare li’l foots am gwine-a go
Runnin’ from sorrow —
But dat’s termorrow!
Li’l black blow-ball, blow . . . an’ blow...
Yo’ bare li’l foots am gwine-a go
Runnin’ from sorrow —
But dat’s termorrow!
Li’l black blow-ball, blow . . . an’ blow...
II. DE SHANTY WHAT GROWED ON A STEM
BUTTON. See dat shanty? Chimney? Thatch?
Pea-ladder? Yesta’day a brawl
Ob daisies in a yellah patch
Kivered de hill — an’ dat was all!
Pea-ladder? Yesta’day a brawl
Ob daisies in a yellah patch
Kivered de hill — an’ dat was all!
BLISTER. Ah sees it plain uz noon. What make
You shivah lak a pollywog pool?
Jus’ ovahnight a shack don’ break
Outa de groun’ — Ah ain’ no fool!
You shivah lak a pollywog pool?
Jus’ ovahnight a shack don’ break
Outa de groun’ — Ah ain’ no fool!
BUTTON. But Blistah, yesta’day Ah scour’
Dat daisy hill. No shack in sight!
Ef daisies bloom inside a hour,
Why kain’t a shanty ovahnight?
Dat daisy hill. No shack in sight!
Ef daisies bloom inside a hour,
Why kain’t a shanty ovahnight?
BLISTER. De oxeye daisy neber sprout
Till rain-clouds give a yappin’ yawn —
An’ ef dat shanty flowah’d out,
Den whar de stem it flowah’d on?
Till rain-clouds give a yappin’ yawn —
An’ ef dat shanty flowah’d out,
Den whar de stem it flowah’d on?
BUTTON. Mebbe it broke. No, ef it broke
De shanty would ‘a’ lop’ an’ fell
Sideways. Was dat a frog what croak’?
Sweet Jesus, what’s dat ghostie smell?
De shanty would ‘a’ lop’ an’ fell
Sideways. Was dat a frog what croak’?
Sweet Jesus, what’s dat ghostie smell?
BLISTER. NO stem — no stem — no stem t’ grow —
An’ yesta’day a daisy brawl.
An’ yesta’day a daisy brawl.
BUTTON. Let fly yo’ heels! Dat shanty’s no
Shanty at all — shanty at all!
Shanty at all — shanty at all!
III. COTTON CHORUS
NIGGAH standin’, niggah squattin’,
Flirt, yo’ fingahs in de cotton
Boles what huddle thick;
Tag along de Aprul harrow
What wedged wobbly, deep, an’ narrow —
Pick, pick, pick!
Flirt, yo’ fingahs in de cotton
Boles what huddle thick;
Tag along de Aprul harrow
What wedged wobbly, deep, an’ narrow —
Pick, pick, pick!
Drap no riffraff in de cotton,
Nothin’ sharp an’ nothin’ rotten
Lak a leaf o’ stick;
Swang it on yo’ gian’ shouldah
’Foh de racin’ sun am oldah
Pick, pick, pick!
Nothin’ sharp an’ nothin’ rotten
Lak a leaf o’ stick;
Swang it on yo’ gian’ shouldah
’Foh de racin’ sun am oldah
Pick, pick, pick!
All de cankahs in de cotton,
Wo’ms an’ weevils am fohgotten
An’ fohgotten quick,
When de bended backs an’ fingahs
Ob a hund’ud blackbird singahs
Pick, pick, pick!
Wo’ms an’ weevils am fohgotten
An’ fohgotten quick,
When de bended backs an’ fingahs
Ob a hund’ud blackbird singahs
Pick, pick, pick!
Gunny sacks ob cleanes’ cotton,
Lak a goss’mah cloud a-clottin’,
Once was flowah-sick —
Pink an’ pale an’ vi’let gloomin’,
Color ob a ‘latto ‘ooman -
Pick, pick, pick!
Lak a goss’mah cloud a-clottin’,
Once was flowah-sick —
Pink an’ pale an’ vi’let gloomin’,
Color ob a ‘latto ‘ooman -
Pick, pick, pick!
Augus’ sun am pow’ful hot an’
Set on arguin’ wid de cotton
Lak a luni-tick —
But de cool ob night am comin’
An’ de dimmy stars am hummin’
Pick, pick, pick!
Set on arguin’ wid de cotton
Lak a luni-tick —
But de cool ob night am comin’
An’ de dimmy stars am hummin’
Pick, pick, pick!
IV. DE RAIN MISERY
DE redwood road am muck an’ mud,
An’ Ah’s too wooden-stiff t’ beg
De Lohd t’ stop dis second flood
An’ smite de misery outa mah leg.
An’ Ah’s too wooden-stiff t’ beg
De Lohd t’ stop dis second flood
An’ smite de misery outa mah leg.
Looka heah, rain, no mo’ ob yo’ sass —
De yams am sof’ an’ de melons am slack;
All’s too old t’ munch wet grass —
Me wid de misery in mah back.
De yams am sof’ an’ de melons am slack;
All’s too old t’ munch wet grass —
Me wid de misery in mah back.
Looka heah, rain, jus’ what y’ mean?
You an’ de Debit am pow’ful smart
A-beatin’t’ uth de blossomin’ bean
An’ chockin’ de misery in dis heart!
You an’ de Debit am pow’ful smart
A-beatin’t’ uth de blossomin’ bean
An’ chockin’ de misery in dis heart!