HIGH-TONED SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN

Down in the sunny Southern clime, the curious ones may find
A ripping, tearing gentleman of an uncommon kind.
A stagg'ring, swagg'ring sort of chap that takes his whiskey straight
And frequently condemns his eyes unto an awful fate,
A high-toned Southern gentleman, one of the present time.

He always wears a full-dress coat, pre-Adamite in cut
With waistcoat of the broadest style, through which his ruffles jut
Six breastpins deck his horrid front, and on his fingers shine
Whole invoices of diamond rings
(spoken) which would hardly pass muster with the "Original Jacobs" in
Chatham Street
(sung)for jewels genuine
This "high-toned" Southern gentleman, one of the present time.

He takes to euchre kindly, too, and plays an awful hand
Especially when those he tricks his style don't understand;
And if he wins, why then he stops to pocket all the stakes
But if he loses, then he says
(spoken) to the unfortunatwe stranger wjo had chanced to win, "It's my
opinion that you are a cursed Abolitionist, and if you don't leave
South Carolina in an hour, you'll be hung like a dog!" but no offer
(sung) to pay his lossed make,
This "high-toned" Southern gentleman, one of the present time.

Of course, he's all the time in debt to those who credit give,
Yet manages upon the best the market yields to live.
But if a Northern creditor asks him his bill to heed,
This honorable gentleman
(spoken) instantly draws his Bowie knife and pistols, dons a blue cockade,
and declares that, in consequence of the repeated aggressions of the
North and its gross violations of the Constitution, he feels that it
would utterly degrade him to pay any debt whatever, and in fact that
he has at last determined to SECEDE!
This "high-toned" Southern gentleman, one of the present time.

From Songs of the Civil War, Silber
@American @Civil @war
filename[ HIGHTONE
TUNE FILE: HIGHTONE
CLICK TO PLAY
RG
APR99
mudcat.org

---

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the volunteer nature of The Digital Tradition, it is difficult to ensure proper attribution and copyright information for every song included. Please assume that any song which lists a composer is copyrighted ©. You MUST aquire proper license before using these songs for ANY commercial purpose. If you have any additional information or corrections to the credit or copyright information included, please e-mail those additions or corrections to us (along with the song title as indexed) so that we can update the database as soon as possible. Thank You.