"Uncle Jesse" is sometimes confused with another very old African American folk song called "Ole Jesse". In her 1925 book "On The Trail Of Negro Folk Songs" (pp 71-72} Dorothy Scarborough includes this chorus and verse from "Ole Jesse" that she says comes from Alabama:

Chorus:
Old Jesse was a gemman {gentelman}
Among de olden times.

"N--- never went to free school,
Nor any odder college.
An' all de white folks wonder whar
Dat N--- got his knowledge.
He chawed {chewed} up all de Bible.
An' den spat out de Scripter,
An' when he 'gin {begin} to arger {argue} strong,
He were a snortin' ripter!

-snip-

It's my opinion that the "never went to free school" portion of this rhyme lives on as a floating verse in several African American children's rhymes {that were still being performed in the 1970s}, though I haven't seen any of them performed in my area {Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania} recently.

Here is one relatively common rhyme that features {or featured} this verse:

Soloist: Aunt Jenny died.                .
Group:   How did she die?               
Soloist: She died like this.
Group:   She died like this.

Soloist: She died like that.
Group:   She died like that.

[Soloist and group repeat the same sequence with other relatives and
end with these words]:

Soloist: My momma livin'.
Group:    Where she livin'.
Soloist
and group: Well she lives in a place called Tennessee.
          jump up Tenna Tennessee
          jump back Tena Tennesse
          jump in Tena Tenness
          jump out Tena Tennessee
   
          Well I've never been to college
          I never been to school.
          But when it comes to boogie.
          I can boogie like a fool.
          You go in, out, side to side.
          You go in, out, side to side.

         (Repeat with new soloist}
****               

The accompanying actions for Aunt Jenny died:
First line: the soloist makes a funny pose.
Second line: the other members of the group try to exactly
imitate the soloist's pose. This continues until the 'Never went to college' verse. The 'Never went to college' verse has a faster more syncopated tempo. The group chants this verse together as they peform the indicated motions. The group dances on the word 'boogie'. The group usually chooses the same currently popular dance, but each girl performs it in her own way {each puts their own flava to the mix}.

And what a delight this is to see!


Azizi Powell