"Oh,Galena" by Jim Post:L
Subject: Lyr Add: OH GALENA (Jim Post)
From: Melani - PM
Date: 23 May 04 - 04:08 PM

My papa is a slave on the Fever River,
Works all day in the burnin' sun.
Loadin' the wood in the red-hot smelter;
He's so tired when the day is done.
When the lead starts to flow into the ladle,
Scrape off the top and let the pig cool down.
Load the pig lead into the master's wagon,
Down Stagecoach Trail to Galena town.

Cho: Oh, Galena, oh, Galena,
    You're such a pretty little riverboat town;
    But I wish we could spend more time on the levee,
    Watchin' the riverboats come to town.

A slave is only worth what his back can carry;
So I guess my papa's worth about half of the world;
I heard him say to mama after supper,
"I wish that boy was lucky, like the girls.
'Cause the girls get to work in the nice warm kitchen,
Cookin' the food and fetchin' the clothes.
When the rocks freeze to the ground in the winter,
That boy will sweat like a mule in the falling snow."

Cho:

Now slavery's not legal in Illinois;
That's what I heard Reverend Cartwright say.
And if someday we get our freedom,
That's gonna be a dancing day.
We'll build us a cabin on the Fever River,
We'll file a claim and we'll dig for lead.
When we hit it, then we'll be rich folks,
And we'll sleep in a feather bed.

Cho: