UNCLE JESSE
Bessie Jones & Bess Lomax Hawes: "Step It Down" {pp 112-113}.

Lead Voice/and or                  
Group Voice
Now, here comes Uncle Jesse         
Coming through the field            
With his horse and buggy               
And I know just how he feels         
{the next verse may be added         
now or substituted for the            
first verse}                        

Here comes Uncle Jessie,
He's looking very sad.
He's lost his cotton and corn
and everything he had.

Step, Uncle Jessie, step, step.      
Step, Uncle Jessie, step, step.      
Walk, Uncle Jessie, walk, walk.
Walk, Uncle Jessie, walk.               

Now if you want a sweetheart         
I'll tell you what to do               
Just take some salt and pepper
And sprinkle it in your shoe.         
                                       

Step, Uncle Jessie, step, step. etc.

Now if you want Uncle Jesse            
To do what you want him to do.         
You take some garlic and onion
and put it in his shoe.               
                                       
Step, Uncle Jessie, step, step.      
Step, Uncle Jessie, step, step.         
Walk, Uncle Jessie, walk, walk.      
Walk, Uncle Jessie, walk.               

         
-snip-

Notes from book:
"I tell you what this means, it mean a boss man coming across the field. He sometimes feeling good, and sometimes he's not..."

"Uncle Jesse" seems to be one of the oldest of the Islanders' plays [dramatic games]: one evidence of its age is the mention of love and power charms in the form of salt, garlic, and onion. The formal dancing by the central partners puts it almost in the category of dance rahter than rign play: in action, actually, it feels like a cross between the two."