Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-12
SONGS OF SLAVE DAYS.
VANDALISM OF MODERN NEGROES
IN DEALING WITH OLE MELODIES.
Did You Ever See a'Possum in a Paw.
paw Patch, a-Pickin' up Paw
paws and Putin EN- In
His

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The oldtime plantation songs of the
slavery days have about passed away, and
the negroes now cut the original melo-
dies into scrappy discords and minor notes.
A negro had rather strike a minor note
than to rub the waistband of his pants
against a we'll filled table and eat.
l have spent many a pleasant hour lis
tening to the quaint songs of an old gray
headed negro on my grandfather's farm,
as he would rasp the screeching chords in
accompaniment on his banjo. When he
would sing he would get q humming start
with the chords, and begin with Il long
drawn out note. rear way back, pat his
feet, and shake his old gray head. He
enjoyed singing and l enjoyed listening.
/ would tax him little pieces of colored
ind to get him to sing for me. and to
repeat the far-famed verse of ALTERATION:
Did you ever see a 'possum in a pawpaw
patch. u pickin' up pawpaws and a put
tin EN- In his pocket to make a pawpaw
pie for his papa?' This is the joy of his
life and it never grew old or tiresome to
Nose was his name. and not long since
I concluded to pay him n visit and to hear
aSI1n the songs b ! had SO enjoyed when a
home. being unable to get about much.
l shook hands with the honest old negro
and sat down. The light which came into
iiEo d't Sllo"to ~" "tlCOIle i WAS. allu
We had a long talk.
Finally 1 asked him to take the dusty
banjo from The wall and give me a few
lively clip. He did as 1 asked and the
oldtime vigor came upon him again. After
playing awhile l asked him to sing me
to sing while they danced the rabbit
dance" after the corn was all husked
and the white folks had gone to he'd.
way back on his chair and his feet eX-
tended to keep time with the banjo. he
sang:
Early one morning on my massa's farm.
Cut dat pigeon wing, Lily Jane;
I heard dem chickens a-givin' de alarm,
Shake yo' feet. Miss Lily lane.
Shoot along lively. Miss Lily Jane:
Massa ketch US dancin' there1l be - to
pay.
We got to dig %,taters and hoe dat corn.
Hit dat dubble-shut.ie. Lily lane;
You'd better be a-humpin', coz il soon he
Shake dat balmoral, Lily Jane.
After Nose had finished singing this song
an eight-inch grin played across his face
from ear to ear. his eyes sparkled, and the
old negro was happy. again. as if young
folks fol ssh had f Hn s through their dancing while
lays OBJ de old nigse's life am lone gone.
but when think OBJ de good old times we
gets young, and l want to git right up and
hit de jig step agen like l used 10 do"
Then he told how he was considered the
best dancer in his section. and that there
wasn't a buck anywhere around who could
hold a light to him.
/ told him l was something of n dancer
myself. and that if he would cut down
lively on the old "barnyard cackle' I
would show him a. few steps in Jig dancing.
This tickled the wrinkled faced coon, and
he sang and played in earnest:
Rooster in de chicken coop CROWN TO- day,
! Horses in de stable go nay, nay. nay;
Ducks in de yard go quack. quack, quack,
And de goose goes iilley-I-fee.
Pigs in de pen keep a-squealin' fo' slop.
Big dogs barkin' like dey never will stop;
Guineas in de tree go pot-rack, pot-rack.
And de goose goes flley-I-fee.
l stopped him because he was out of
breath. and he lay back in his chair and
laughed till his sides were aching. l pulled
out a rabbits foot and tossed it to him,
and the effect was magical. He jumped
three feet on a rise and six feet on the
stretch n gave a whoop which was
equal to a Comanche chiefs. After his
fright was over he told me, whatever I
did, not to put any more of those hoodoos
on him. I did not intend to brighten him,
but wished to see if the superstition he
had possessed in his young days had de-
parted from him. 1 gave him a shining
dollar for soaring him so. and he was
himself again. We had a fine time in
the few hours 1 stayed with him.. and 1
asked him to pick up his banjo again and
! play and sing the tune he used to call "Mr.