The Washington herald., 1914-04-18
GEORGIA negro
IS UNSUNG BARD.
He Composes His Songs to
Fit Occasion and His
Humor.
MANY NEVER PRINTED
In Collection of Lyrics There Are
Many that Saw the Light Long
Before the Civil War.

Many that Saw the Light Long
Before the Civil War.
The Georgia negro is an uprecognized
bard. He takes his way through life
singing. and fits his song to the occasion.
Possibly he is urging a dray up a city
street on a cold mornin'. The mule is
bumped into a knot and amblin' on slow
and aggravatin'. The wind is blowing
with a drizzIing rain. and the negro pulls
his coat around him and huns:
The win sho do blow. ShO' God is
cold dis mornin'. Amt goin' to rain no
more he sings. deciding on the tune
and settling himself to the song. Coin
where chilly win don't blow.
He's picked himself out a refrain by
I now. and his voice rises in cheerful
repetition: Coin where chilly win
don't blow"
On up the street he goes. beating time
on the mules back, returning occasion
ally to the beginning: 'Sho' God is cold
dis mornin'." But dwelling chiefly on the
refrain: Coin where chilly win don't
blow"
That's how the Georgia negro songs
SldTl-NOTuS plChtO Oul u III NHt Ottds-
ion and sung with a comforting chant.
These songs have come down from gen.
Grafton to generation. and have become
, as much a part of Georgia as the negro
himself and the mule. But only a few
have been printed. just one here and
there. For this reason. the collection of
songs which follows Is dOubly interest
ing. Georgia had as soon forget its red
hills as these old folk melodies. Here's
one about the mule:
Say. look here. Jane
Don't you want 10 take a ri1e!'-
We'll | dosn care II dog
So he hitch up his mule an started out.
REFRAIN
Well. it's whoa. mule git up an down,
Til say vhoa'er. mule.
Well. it's git up an down
Jus fast you can.
Fer goin' TO buy you
All u the oats an brSn.
REFRAIN
And SIS whoa 'er null st up an down.
TIL sAy whoaeT. mule;
Amt he mule. Miss Jane -m'-huh.
sings About Male.
DR.. Howard w Odum. Of the Cniver-
| sity OF Georgia, has spent years collect
| ing negro songs and has published a
! DOOk tndl tluuN Vi SuND
Following is one from his collection.
goin' up Zion Hill:
I went up Zion Hill this mornin' a wagon.
! went a wagon, up lions Hill this moruin';
The durn ole mule stop night still this uornin. this
| mornin'. soon.
got oUt an went round to his head this mnrnin
got out an went round 10 his head this mornin
\ The durn ole mule stsndin there dead, this
moTnin'. % soon
Yes hollo at the mule an the nle void not Eee.
| this mOrnin':
Yes. bolIo at the mule an the mule would see.
An hit s1Uss the head with the single tree. %
| soon.
Amt it hard. amt it hard.
Amt il hard to be niger Niger. Niger!
Amt it hard. amt ii hard
For you can't git 20 money when its due.
| Well il makes no difference
How you make uut yo' time;
White man sho hTlng
Niger out benin.
Niger an white
PlAyin' seTen-ups:
Niger win de money
Skeered TO pick en- up.
ia niger git rested
| An can't pay his fine.
They sho send him out
| To the county gang.
A Niger went to a white man
An asked him for wur:
White nan told niger.
Yes. git out O. yo shirt
Niger got out o his shirt
An went TO work;
When poy day cumc.
White man say he Amt work nuf.
II you work all the week
An work all the time,
White man sho' TO bring
Niger cut behin.
Song Never Printed.
Fanny l. Leverett writes from Eatou-
ton as follows: I'm gathering written
melodies of old days in Dixie. I talked
with Mrs B. W. Hunt. a schoolmate of
Joel Chandler Harris. The Negro of the
South she said. sang songs about his
master-utterly unlike the negro songs
| that musical genius. Stephen Foster
ing. sung by the Georgia negro as he
| plowed:"
Go day come day
Lord. send de Sunday;
Go day. cone day
Lord send de Sunday!
Buttermilk all de week.
Brandy on Cr Sunday;
Only time has ter res
Sadly right till Monday.
| Chorus-Go day, come day etc.
Master is er mean man,
Everybody knows il.
Sabbath day he says his prayers
" In de week he shows il.
Chorus-Go day. come day etc.