Boys, Put Yo’ Hands on It

O boys, put yo’ hands on it,
O boys, put yo’ hands on it,
When I say go, boys, go!
O boys, put yo’ hands on it,
O boys, when I holler set it on time,
Everybody goes around.
Say pick up, boys, pick up high,
Goin’ line that track steel,
O boys, pick it up high.
Say, boys, when you get back here,
Pick up that steel,
Say, put your hands on it.
Say, boys, put your hands on it,
Everybody goin’ to jump at it.
Set it in the bed, boys.
Say, boys, raise your hand higher,
Says, boys, raise your hand higher,
Everybody goin’ to jump at it.

Never Turn Back[48]

No mo’, oh, no mo’!
No mo’, oh, never no mo’!
My Lord
Be here.
I will never
Turn back,
Never turn back
No mo’, no mo’.
If you get there
Befo’ I do,
Oh, you can tell ’em
I’m comin’ too.
I will never turn back,
Never turn back no mo’.
An’ I would never turn back,
Never turn back no mo’.
Jesus my all
To heaven is gone,
An’ whom may I fix
My hopes upon?
No mo’, no mo’,
No mo’, never, my Lawd,
I would never turn back,
Never turn back no mo’.

[48] Here a spiritual theme is used as a gang song.

No More

No—more,
No—more,
No—more,
O—Lord.
O—Lord,
O—Lord,
O—Lord,
No—more,
I’m—through,
I’m—through,
I’m—through,
O—Lord.
O—Lord,
O—Lord,
O—Lord,
I’m—through.
I’m—tired,
I’m—tired,
I’m—tired,
O—Lord.
O—Lord,
O—Lord,
O—Lord,
I’m—tired.
I’m—goin’,
I’m—goin’,
I’m—goin’,
O—Lord.
O—Lord,
O—Lord,
Yes, O—Lord,
I’m—tired.

All Right

All—right,
O—Lord,
All—right,
Push—on.
All—right,
O—Lord,
Let’s—go,
Little—mo’.
All—right,
O—Lord,
Get—it—over,
Let’s—go.
All—right,
O—Lord,
Get—around—it—boys,
Let’s—go.
All—right—boys,
Pick—it—up,
Gang—around—it,
Let’s—go.

Help Me Drive ’Em[49]

O King’s Mountain,
O King’s Mountain,
O King’s Mountain,
So high!
O run here, buddy,
O run here, buddy,
O run here, buddy,
O boy!
O help me drive ’em,
O help me drive ’em,
O help me drive ’em,
All day!

[49] This is an example of a steel-driving song. As the driver raises his hammer he sings a line, then stops singing for a moment, brings the hammer down with a grunt, then sings another line, and so on. The technique is the same as the digging technique described in some detail in Chapter XIV.

I Belong to Steel-drivin’ Crew

O shake ’em up, buddy,
An’ I’ll drive ’em down;
O shake ’em up, buddy,
An’ I’ll drive ’em down;
I belong to steel-drivin’ crew,
Lawd, I belong to steel-drivin’ crew.
O lovin’ buddy,
Where you been so long?
O lovin’ buddy,
Where you been so long?
I belong to steel-drivin’ crew,
Lawd, I belong to steel-drivin’ crew.

O Buckeye Rabbit

The rabbit run, the rabbit jumped,
The rabbit skipped the river.
O buckeye rabbit, hey, hey!
O buckeye rabbit, Susan!
O buckeye rabbit, hey, hey!
The rabbit skipped the river!

U—h, U—h, Lawdy[50]

U—h, u—h, Lawdy,
I wonder why
I got to live
Fer de by an’ de by.
U—h, u—h, Lawdy,
Don’t you bother me.
I’m always mighty happy
When I’m on a spree.
U—h, u—h, Lawdy,
U—h, u—h, Lawdy,
U—h, u—h, Lawdy,
U—h, Lawdy, u—h, Lawdy, po’ me!

[50] This is an example of a pick song, although it could be used, of course, for almost any kind of rhythmic work. For a description of the singing-digging technique see Chapter XIV.

This Ol’ Hammer

This ol’ hammer, hammer
Mus’ be loaded;
This ol’ hammer, hammer
Mus’ be loaded;
This ole’ hammer, hammer
Mus’ be loaded;
Do bear down,
Do bear down.
Bitin’ spider, where did
You leave Trottin’ Sallie?
Bitin’ spider, where did
You leave Trottin’ Sallie?
Bitin’ spider, where did
You leave Trottin’ Sallie?
In Birmingham, O Lawd,
In Birmingham.

We Are Clambin’ Jacob’s Ladder[51]

Get ’em over yonder,
Get ’em long,
Get ’em short.
Lord, get ’em over yonder,
Get ’em over yonder.
We are clambin’, clambin’
Jacob’s ladder,
Jacob’s ladder.
Oh, we are clambin’ Jacob’s ladder,
Almos’ home, yes, almos’ home.
Every little roun’ gets
Higher and higher,
Higher and higher.
Every little roun’ gets higher and higher,
Almos’ home, home, almos’ home.

[51] Here a theme from a spiritual is made to do service as a pick song.

Reason I Stay on Job So Long[52]

Reason I stay on job so long,
Lawd, dey gimme flamdonies
An’ coffee strong.
Reason I love my captain so,
’Cause I ast him for a dollah,
Lawd, he give me fo’.
Reason why I love Boleen,
She keeps my house
An’ shanty clean.
Why I like Roberta so,
She rolls her jelly
Like she do her dough.

[52] For music see Chapter XIV.

Hot Flambotia an’ Coffee Strong

Reason I stay on job so long,
Oh, reason I stay on job so long,
O Lawd, reason I stay on job so long:
Hot flambotia an’ coffee strong.
Hot flambotia an’ coffee strong,
Yes, Lawd, hot flambotia an’ coffee strong.
O Lawd, hot flambotia an’ coffee strong,
Reason I stay on job so long.

I’m Goin’ On[53]

I’m gonna row here,
I’m gonna row here,
I’m gonna row here few days longer,
Then, Lawd, I’m goin’ on.
Oh, I’m gonna row here,
Lawd, I’m gonna row here,
Yes, Lawd, I’m gonna row here few days longer,
Then I’m goin’ on.
Yes, Lawd, I’m goin’ on,
Then, Lawd, I’m goin’ on,
Yes, Lawd, I’m gonna row here few days longer,
Then I’m goin’ on.

[53] This song has been heard also as “I’m on road here few days longer” and “I’m gonna roll here few days longer.” “Row” may well be a corruption of “road” or “roll.”

I Don’t Want No Trouble With de Walker[54]

I don’t want no,
Want no trouble with de walker.
I don’t want no,
Want no trouble with de walker.
I wanta go home,
Lawd, Lawd, I wanta go home.
Oh, me an’ my buddy
Jes’ came here this mornin’.
Wanta go home,
Lawd, Lawd, wanta go home.
I can drive it,
Drive it long as anybody.
Wanta go home,
Lawd, Lawd, wanta go home.
Cap’n, did you hear about,
Hear about two your womens gonna leave you?
Wanta go home,
Lawd, Lawd, wanta go home.
I’m gonna roll here,[55]
Roll here a few days longer.
I’m goin’ home,
Lawd, Lawd, I’m goin’ home.
Cap’n an’ walker,
Walker been raisin’ san’.
Cap’n told walker
He could git ’im another man.
Lawd, dey got my buddy,
Buddy an’ his forty-fo!
Next ’lect’ocution
Dey’ll git him sho’.

[54] This is a pick song commonly heard around Chapel Hill, N. C. The “walker” refers to the walking boss or overseer on the job. The first two lines of each stanza are repeated as shown in the first stanza. For music see Chapter XIV.

[55] See footnote, p. 112.

I Don’t Want No Cornbread[56]

I don’t want no,[57]
Want no cornbread, peas, an’ molasses;
I don’t want no,
Want no cornbread, peas, an’ molasses,
At supper time,
Lawd, Lawd, at supper time.
Oh, hand me down a
Can o’ corn an’ tomatoes,
For my meal,
Lawd, Lawd, for my meal.
My little woman,
She don’t treat me like she used to.
No she don’t,
Lawd, Lawd, no she don’t.
She used to feed me,
Feed me on biscuits an’ butter
For my meal,
Lawd, Lawd, for my meal.
She used to give me,
Give me lots o’ huggin’ every mornin’.
Now she don’t,
Lawd, Lawd, now she don’t.

[56] This is sung to the same tune as the preceding song, I Don’t Want No Trouble With the Walker, the music of which is given in Chapter XIV.

[57] All of the stanzas have this form, first two lines always repeated.

Turning from the songs of construction or railroad gangs, some of the mixed songs, partly remnants of former years, partly products of sophistication, may be cited. There are many songs about the white man and the captain, excellent samples of which have already been cited in this chapter. Some were given in The Negro and His Songs and many more are to be found. Indeed, songs about the white man may well constitute a separate chapter in a later volume. A stock joke among the older Negroes used to be that of telling how the white man always brought “nigger out behind.” The modern singer, albeit not always in joking mood, still thrusts “at” his “captain” or “boss” or “white man.” “Captain,” he sings, “you look mo’ lak farmer than railroad man,” and with considerable glee asks, “Captain, captain, where’d you come frum?” On the other hand, reminiscent of farm days and echoing current life, he still sings:

Niggers plant the cotton,
Niggers pick it out,
White man pockets money,
Niggers does without.

In another song the Negro complained that no matter if he worked all the time, “Boss sho’ bring nigger out behin’.” So now in some Georgia scenes he sings:

Nothin’ to Keep

Up at fo’ ’clock,
Work till dark,
Wages han,’
I’m de man.
Twelve a month an’ boa’d,
Lawd, twelve a month an’ boa’d.
Hope I die,
Mo’ I try,
I comes out
Owin’ boss mo’,
I comes out,
Lawd, owin’ boss mo’.
Plenty to eat,
Place to sleep,
All night to stray about;
But nothin’ fer a feller,
Lawd, nothin’ fer
A feller to keep.

Everybody Call Me the Wages Man

Early in the spring I’m plowin’ my lan’,
Early in the spring I’m plowin’ my lan’,
Early in the spring I’m plowin’ my lan’,
Everybody calls me the wages man,
Baby, baby.
Next down de row with guano horn,
Next down de row with guano horn,
Next down de row with guano horn,
Never work so hard since I’ve been born,
Baby, baby.
Little bit later I swings de hoe,
Little bit later I swings de hoe,
Little bit later I swings de hoe,
I’se de nigger dat leads de row,
Baby, baby, baby.
Sack an’ basket all that I pick,
Sack an’ basket all that I pick,
Sack an’ basket all that I pick,
Never stop for nothin’, even if you sick,
Baby, baby.
White man in starched shirt settin’ in shade,
White man in starched shirt settin’ in shade,
White man in starched shirt settin’ in shade,
Laziest man that God ever made,
Baby, baby.

Missus in de Big House

Missus in de big house,
Mammy in de yard.
Missus holdin’ her white hands,
Mammy workin’ hard,
Mammy workin’ hard,
Mammy workin’ hard.
Missus holdin’ her white hands,
Mammy workin’ hard.
Ol’ marse ridin’ all time,
Niggers workin’ ’roun’.
Marse sleepin’ day time,
Niggers diggin’ in de groun’,
Niggers diggin’ in de groun’,
Niggers diggin’ in de groun’.
Marse sleepin’ day time,
Niggers diggin’ in de groun’.