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American Ballads and Folk Songs |
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I thought I'd tell you what a nigger woman do— Have another man an' play sick on you. |
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DINK'S BLUES
A levee was being built along the Brazos River in Texas. The contractor had brought his mules and his mule-skinners with him from the Mississippi River. But he had neglected to provide one thing— women; and the men were raising Hell all over the bottom, with their midnight creeping, their fighting, and their razor play. It was a distinct hindrance to the progress of work on the levee. So it was that the contractor went to Memphis, hired a boatload of women, brought them down the river to the levee-camp, and turned them loose- It was not long before every man had a woman in his tent to wash his clothes, cook, draw water, cut firewood, and warm his bed. Dink was one of these women, and twenty-five years ago, after she had downed nearly a quart of gin, she sang these blues. The tune is lost.
Some folks say dat de worry blues am' bad, It's de wors' ol' f eelin' I ever had.
Git you two three men, so one won't worry you min'} Don' they keep you worried and bothered all de time?
I wish to God eas'-boun' train would wreck, Kill de engineer, break de fireman's neck.
I'm gwine to de river, set down on de groun*,
Ef de blues overtake me, I'll jump overboard and drown.
Ef trouble was money, I'd be a millioneer, Ef trouble was money, I'd be a millioneer.
My chuck grindin' every hole but mine, My chuck grindin' every hole but mine.
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