ON THE TRAIL OF NEGRO FOLK-SONGS

A Collection Of Negro Traditional & Folk Songs with Sheet Music Lyrics & Commentaries - online book

	IOO	NEGRO FOLK-SONGS
	It has a little swing that is individual and yet characteristically " darky." The Negro's music goes from one harmony to another, with no discord, and is like the harmony of nature. Dr. Wyeth gave an old dance-song, Jimmy Rose, which he said a Negro on his plantation had made up. "You can just hear in it a darky jog along in a jog­trot on a mule." JIMMY ROSE Jimmy Rose, he went to town, Jimmy Rose, he went to town, Jimmy Rose, he went to town, To 'commodate de ladies. Fare ye well, ye ladies all, Fare ye well, ye ladies all, Fare ye well, ye ladies all, God Ermighty bless you! Dr. Wyeth performed magical tricks with a banjo, as he had been taught by old Uncle Billy in slavery times. He evoked melodies of wistful gaiety by drawing a handkerchief across the banjo strings, and lively tunes by playing it with a whisk-broom. And when he danced some of the old breakdowns for me, just to show how they went, I felt transported to an old plantation of days before the war. Another of the dance-songs he gave me was Johnny Booker. I went down to de back of de fiel'; A black snake cotch me by de heel. I cut my dus', I run my bes', I run right into a horney's nes'. Chorus Oh, do, Mr. Booker, do I Oh, do, Mr. Booker, dol Oh, do, Mr. Booker, Johnny Booker, Mr. Booker, Mr. Booker, Johnny Booker, do!