LONG TIME AGO (Minstrel)
Original Song by Dan Rice

In a little log cabin on old Virginna,
Cousin John, hussa;
There I lived ever since I come from Guinea,
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh;
Put me in corn field to hoe the potatoes,
Long time ago.

I staid with old massa, good many summers,
Cousin John, hussa;
All the time we have good dinners,
Long time ago,
Oh every morn if we desire,
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh;
We use to bake the hoe cake before the fire,
Long time ago.

Old Dina was cook and none of the worstest,
Cousin John, hussa;
She use to bake the dodge without any crustes,
Long time ago.
De way dey bake de hoe cake in Virginna neber tire.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh;
Dey put it on de foot an hold it to de fire,
Long time ago.

Den I thought I have old Dina for a wife,
Cousin John, hussa;
So at old massa for to save de strifey,
Long time ago;
Old Dina consented to have old Caesar,
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh;
Soon popped the question and did no more tease'n,
Long time ago.

We always have to ax before we get married;
Cousin John, hussa;
So de ting was fixed I did not tarry.
Long time age.
Now I loves her to extraction;
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh;
And she loves me and hears de confexion,
Long time ago.

Massa soon found we was good property,
Cousin John, hussa;
He sold de little niggers and de money he did pocket,
Long time ago.
But when old Dina didn't have no more,
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh;
So he sell old Caesar and send him down de river,
Long time ago.

But I didn't stay long in de wild goose nation,
Cousin John, hussa:
There dey make de niggers work de plantation,
Long time ago.
Oh ebery morn massa look sower,
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh;
Give de niggers thirty-nine ebery half hour,
Long time ago.

@slavery @Negro
This song seems to have an anti-slavery intent; it isn't the usual minstrel song. Separation of family and the administration of lashes are not minstrel subjects. He "didn't stay long" suggests escape.
This song, credited in the Songster to Dan Rice, bears no relationship to the Shinbone Alley-Long Time Ago song also credited to Rice. See: Shinbone Alley
The words above from "Christy's Nigga Songster," as sung by Christy's, Pierce's, White's, and Dumbleton's Minstrels, song # 227, published by T. W. Strong, c 1850, New York. Masato Sakurai recently posted the following Univ. Virginia website in the thread, Blue tail Fly. The complete Songster is given on the site. Songster