Hi, Jenny, Ho, Jenny JohnsonOnce I loved a yaller gal, she said she’d marry me,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Saw her eatin’ apples at a huckleberry bee,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Took her to a ball an’ we never did get backTill the break of morn, when you hear the chickens quack.She wouldn’t take the cars, so I took her in a hack;Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Chorus:Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, come along with me,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Sweeter than the honey at a huckleberry bee,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!O my darling Jenny, she’s the sweetest girl in town,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Captivates the neighborhood for miles an’ miles aroun’,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Said she loved another an’ it broke my heart in two,An’ I had to get it mended with a little piece of glue;She gave me back my locket an’ a little silver shoe,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Now my Jenny’s married to a little yaller coon,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Take care for Jenny’s hubby, for he’ll kill you mighty soon,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Wooly-headed pickaninnies runnin’ roun’ the flo’,For they say there’s only two, but I wish they had a sco’;I’m gwine away to China, so I’ll never see her mo’,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Hi, Jenny, Ho, Jenny Johnson
Once I loved a yaller gal, she said she’d marry me,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Saw her eatin’ apples at a huckleberry bee,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Took her to a ball an’ we never did get backTill the break of morn, when you hear the chickens quack.She wouldn’t take the cars, so I took her in a hack;Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Chorus:Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, come along with me,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Sweeter than the honey at a huckleberry bee,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!O my darling Jenny, she’s the sweetest girl in town,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Captivates the neighborhood for miles an’ miles aroun’,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Said she loved another an’ it broke my heart in two,An’ I had to get it mended with a little piece of glue;She gave me back my locket an’ a little silver shoe,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Now my Jenny’s married to a little yaller coon,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Take care for Jenny’s hubby, for he’ll kill you mighty soon,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Wooly-headed pickaninnies runnin’ roun’ the flo’,For they say there’s only two, but I wish they had a sco’;I’m gwine away to China, so I’ll never see her mo’,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Once I loved a yaller gal, she said she’d marry me,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Saw her eatin’ apples at a huckleberry bee,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Took her to a ball an’ we never did get backTill the break of morn, when you hear the chickens quack.She wouldn’t take the cars, so I took her in a hack;Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Once I loved a yaller gal, she said she’d marry me,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!
Saw her eatin’ apples at a huckleberry bee,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Took her to a ball an’ we never did get back
Till the break of morn, when you hear the chickens quack.
She wouldn’t take the cars, so I took her in a hack;
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Chorus:
Chorus:
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, come along with me,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Sweeter than the honey at a huckleberry bee,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, come along with me,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!
Sweeter than the honey at a huckleberry bee,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
O my darling Jenny, she’s the sweetest girl in town,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Captivates the neighborhood for miles an’ miles aroun’,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Said she loved another an’ it broke my heart in two,An’ I had to get it mended with a little piece of glue;She gave me back my locket an’ a little silver shoe,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
O my darling Jenny, she’s the sweetest girl in town,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!
Captivates the neighborhood for miles an’ miles aroun’,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Said she loved another an’ it broke my heart in two,
An’ I had to get it mended with a little piece of glue;
She gave me back my locket an’ a little silver shoe,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Now my Jenny’s married to a little yaller coon,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!Take care for Jenny’s hubby, for he’ll kill you mighty soon,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!Wooly-headed pickaninnies runnin’ roun’ the flo’,For they say there’s only two, but I wish they had a sco’;I’m gwine away to China, so I’ll never see her mo’,Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Now my Jenny’s married to a little yaller coon,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny, ho, my Jenny Johnson!
Take care for Jenny’s hubby, for he’ll kill you mighty soon,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Wooly-headed pickaninnies runnin’ roun’ the flo’,
For they say there’s only two, but I wish they had a sco’;
I’m gwine away to China, so I’ll never see her mo’,
Hi, Jenny, ho, Jenny Johnson!
Pullman PorterRuns from CaliforniaPlumb up to Maine.I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s de Negro porterOn de pullman train.Braid on the cap an’Buttons in a row,On that blue uniformRight down the fo’.In pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.It’s a tip right hereAn’ a tip right thar,Tip all alongUp an’ down de pullman car.Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.Pocket full o’ money,Stomach full o’ feed,What next in the worl’Do a fellow need?Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.
Pullman Porter
Runs from CaliforniaPlumb up to Maine.I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s de Negro porterOn de pullman train.Braid on the cap an’Buttons in a row,On that blue uniformRight down the fo’.In pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.It’s a tip right hereAn’ a tip right thar,Tip all alongUp an’ down de pullman car.Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.Pocket full o’ money,Stomach full o’ feed,What next in the worl’Do a fellow need?Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.
Runs from CaliforniaPlumb up to Maine.I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s de Negro porterOn de pullman train.
Runs from California
Plumb up to Maine.
I’s a Negro porter
On de pullman train.
Pullman train,
Pullman train,
I’s de Negro porter
On de pullman train.
Braid on the cap an’Buttons in a row,On that blue uniformRight down the fo’.In pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.
Braid on the cap an’
Buttons in a row,
On that blue uniform
Right down the fo’.
In pullman train,
Pullman train,
I’s a Negro porter
On de pullman train.
It’s a tip right hereAn’ a tip right thar,Tip all alongUp an’ down de pullman car.Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.
It’s a tip right here
An’ a tip right thar,
Tip all along
Up an’ down de pullman car.
Pullman train,
Pullman train,
I’s a Negro porter
On de pullman train.
Pocket full o’ money,Stomach full o’ feed,What next in the worl’Do a fellow need?Pullman train,Pullman train,I’s a Negro porterOn de pullman train.
Pocket full o’ money,
Stomach full o’ feed,
What next in the worl’
Do a fellow need?
Pullman train,
Pullman train,
I’s a Negro porter
On de pullman train.
Kitty Kimo[82]Dar was a frog lived in a spring,He had such a cold dat he could not sing,I pulled him out an’ frowed him on de groun’,Ol’ frog he bounced an’ run aroun’.Chorus:Camo, kimo, daro, war,My high, my ho, my rumstipumstididdle,Soot bag, pidly-wickem, linch ’em, nip cat,Sing song, Polly, won’t you kime, oh?Milk in de dairy, nine days ol’,Rats an’ skippers are gettin’ hol’;A long-tailed rat in a bucket of souse,Jes’ come from de white folks’ house.In North Carolina de niggers grow,If de white man only plant his toe.Water de ground with ’bacco smoke,An’ up de nigger’s head will poke.Way down South in Cedar street,Dere’s where de niggers grow ten feet,Dey go to bed, but ’tain’t no use,Deir feet hang out for a chicken’s roos’.
Kitty Kimo[82]
Dar was a frog lived in a spring,He had such a cold dat he could not sing,I pulled him out an’ frowed him on de groun’,Ol’ frog he bounced an’ run aroun’.Chorus:Camo, kimo, daro, war,My high, my ho, my rumstipumstididdle,Soot bag, pidly-wickem, linch ’em, nip cat,Sing song, Polly, won’t you kime, oh?Milk in de dairy, nine days ol’,Rats an’ skippers are gettin’ hol’;A long-tailed rat in a bucket of souse,Jes’ come from de white folks’ house.In North Carolina de niggers grow,If de white man only plant his toe.Water de ground with ’bacco smoke,An’ up de nigger’s head will poke.Way down South in Cedar street,Dere’s where de niggers grow ten feet,Dey go to bed, but ’tain’t no use,Deir feet hang out for a chicken’s roos’.
Dar was a frog lived in a spring,He had such a cold dat he could not sing,I pulled him out an’ frowed him on de groun’,Ol’ frog he bounced an’ run aroun’.
Dar was a frog lived in a spring,
He had such a cold dat he could not sing,
I pulled him out an’ frowed him on de groun’,
Ol’ frog he bounced an’ run aroun’.
Chorus:
Chorus:
Camo, kimo, daro, war,My high, my ho, my rumstipumstididdle,Soot bag, pidly-wickem, linch ’em, nip cat,Sing song, Polly, won’t you kime, oh?
Camo, kimo, daro, war,
My high, my ho, my rumstipumstididdle,
Soot bag, pidly-wickem, linch ’em, nip cat,
Sing song, Polly, won’t you kime, oh?
Milk in de dairy, nine days ol’,Rats an’ skippers are gettin’ hol’;A long-tailed rat in a bucket of souse,Jes’ come from de white folks’ house.
Milk in de dairy, nine days ol’,
Rats an’ skippers are gettin’ hol’;
A long-tailed rat in a bucket of souse,
Jes’ come from de white folks’ house.
In North Carolina de niggers grow,If de white man only plant his toe.Water de ground with ’bacco smoke,An’ up de nigger’s head will poke.
In North Carolina de niggers grow,
If de white man only plant his toe.
Water de ground with ’bacco smoke,
An’ up de nigger’s head will poke.
Way down South in Cedar street,Dere’s where de niggers grow ten feet,Dey go to bed, but ’tain’t no use,Deir feet hang out for a chicken’s roos’.
Way down South in Cedar street,
Dere’s where de niggers grow ten feet,
Dey go to bed, but ’tain’t no use,
Deir feet hang out for a chicken’s roos’.
[82]Cf. Scarborough,On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs, pp. 156-7.
[82]Cf. Scarborough,On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs, pp. 156-7.