The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-06-25
The Run Of Negro Songs.

The great popular successes In music OF
recent years preceding the revival Of ne
gro song were Of sentimental character, In
dicated by such ballads as Sweet Mare"
Say Au Revoir,' etc. But these melo-
dies were relegated to the past about year
ago when May Irwin appeared behind the
footl.ghts In the deiineat.on Of the coarsest
and most brutal characteristics OF the ne
gro race. She sang song descriptive of
negro bully with razor in his hand
searching for a rival whose wien he .n-
tended TO slit. But there was such a catch
irg melody to the song, and Miss Irwin
infused into it so much nerve. movement
and vieor, that within a week IN every pub
lie place It could be heard:
When I walk dat levee round. round.
I'm looking for dat bully and he must be
found"
The New York Herald says: It q esti-
mated by the most informed music pub
fishers that since Miss Irwin sang her
BULLY" song. nearly 600 negro songs have
been written and printed OF this number
probably twenty-five contain some degree
of musical and poetical ability. But no
more than a dozen have really attained to
large degree Of popularity.
Perhaps the best of these, from a metri-
cal standpoint. is the ono first mentioned,
by Paul West. The music is Of q distinct
ly pleasing character and the words are Is
follows:
MY gal Tidy, she's gone shook me,
Shook me good and smart;
She done say she'd be nah wife.
But she gimme de marble heart
She skipped out wild a low down Niger,
Amt got half my stack;
She can go whar she's a mind to,
Fer doan't care whar she's gwine TO-
But 1 wants my presents back!
Iwant DAT bran new cook stove
/ want dat char;
I want dat loolsir' glass, de comb
To comb NAH ha'r:
] want dat carpet, yes, Sir.
Won't get II? Well l guess, sirI
Carve me and starve me,
want dem presents back!
Next in order of literary and musical
merit comes My Gals High Born Lady"
BY this time negro melody had captured
the town. Following closely in the tracks
of Miss Irwin, Lillian Perry. Clarice Vance
and other foothght favorites produced the
High Born Lady" song. and the musical
story Of the sang1linary bully took a back
seat CuriousIy enough this very success
fui song WAS written by an Irishman. Mr..
Barney Pagan. q clever sketch writer for
the minstsels. The following words will
indicate Mr.. Fagans literary ability:
Oar is gwine to be festival dis eoenin',
And a gadderin' of color mighty rare;
Dar'll be noted individuals OF prominent
distinctiveness,
To permeate de colored atmosphere
Oar viii be grand ovation of special os-
tentatiOn,
When he parson gives des dusky bride
away.
Chorus:-
My gal is high born lady.
She's black, but not too shady;
Feathered ike peacock. just as gay
She is not colored, she was born dat way;
I'm proud of my black Venus,
No coon can come between us,
Long de line dey can't outshne
DIS high born gal Of mine!
When de preacher man propounds de vital
question,
Does you take de gal for better or for
wus?'
I will feel as II my soul had left my body,
gone to glory.
And know my heart will make an awful
fuss,
anticipate a very funny feelin'
Nigger's eyeban Ike diamond sure to
shine,
But I'll bask in honeyed clover when de
ceremony's over,
An press de ruby lips Of baby mine.
The next negro song TO catch the ear OF
the public was entitled "All Coons Look
Alike to Me-" This was also written by
an Ir!shman, named Ernest Hogan. to
whom is due whatever credit obtains from
writing both words and music. The fol-
lowing lines will give an idea Of the senti-
ment Of the song:
Talk about a coon havin' troubles,
I think / have enough o. my own.
It's all about my Lucy Jane Stubbles.
And she has caused my heart to moan;
There's another coon barber from Nirginny
In society he's the leader of the day,
And now my honey gals agwine 10 quit me
Shes gone, yes, an drove dis coon away.
She'd no excuse to turn me loose.
I've been abused, I'm all confused,
Cause desc words she did say: