ON THE TRAIL OF NEGRO FOLK-SONGS

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

	102	NEGRO FOLK-SONGS
	She say, "I ain't got no time for to fool wid you, Dar's a white man comin' on behind." Chorus Marsa bought a yaller gal, He brought her right from de South, And de hayr on her head was wrop so tight Dat de sun shone in her mouth. Chorus Lips jes5 like a cherry, Cheeks jes' like a rose. How I loves dat yaller gal Lord Almighty knows! Chorus I had a little banjo, De strings was made of twine, And de only tune dat I could play Was, I wish dat gal was mine! Chorus Mr. Turner says, "There are numerous other verses to this song, but these are all that I can recall at this time. I am sure that others will be contributed from other sources." Another favorite instrument was the jawbone. This has been described to me by various people who knew the South in slavery times. It was the jawbone of a horse or ox or mule, with the teeth left in, which made a queer sound when a key or other piece of metal was drawn across the teeth. This is mentioned in a letter from an elderly Virginia woman. "I have in times past tried to learn something from old darkies here in Charlottesville, darkies even that had belonged to Thomas Jefferson, but without any success. There is one exception to this statement. When I was about ten years old a family from Fluvanna County settled within half a mile of us. They had several slaves who sometimes came to our house at night and gave us music, vocal and instrumental, the instruments being banjo, jawbone of horse, and bones (to crack together, two held in one hand). In singing, the player took any part. He would sing a few words here and there and let his banjo fill in the gap. One piece only do I remember anything about, and all I remember is: RISE, OLE NAPPER