Charley,

I shared my interpretation of this verse of the song "Gooseberry Wine" as found in African American educator & collector Thomas W. Talley's book "Negro Folk Rhymes" {Kennikat Press, p. 41, originally published 1922,Macmillan Press}.

Oh walk chalk Ginger Blue!
Git over double trouble.
You needn' min' de wedder
So's de win' don't blow you
double
-snip-

IMO, "Ginger Blue" is a referent for a particular type of Black skin coloring that is "ginger", meaning reddish tinged. I have seen other references to Ginger Blue elsewhere in my reading on African American history & culture.

"Walk a chalk line" comes from the dance later known as the "cakewalk" but here-in my opinion- means to walk through life with caution {given the dangerous, difficult circumstances one faces}.

See this information about "walking the chalk line":

"The Chalk Line Walk as it was originally known in 1850 in the Southern plantations and later became very popular from 1895-1905 as the Cakewalk with a resurgence around 1915. It originated in Florida by the African-American slaves who got the basic idea from the Seminole Indians (couples walking solemnly). Many of the special movements of the cake-walk, the bending back of the body, and the dropping of the hands at the wrists, amongst others, were a distinct feature in certain tribes of the African Kaffir dances. The African Ring Shout has a certain tie to this dance as well (see Ring Shout.)

These "Walkers" as they were called, would walk a straight line and balance buckets of water on their heads. Over time the dance evolved into a exaggerated parody of the white, upper class ballroom dancers who would imitate the mannerisms (namely the promenades and processionals) of the "Big House" (or masters house) that they observed the White's doing. These Slave's would have some fun with such a dignified walking, flirting, prancing, strutting, bowing low, waving canes, doffing hats, done in a high kicking grand promenade. The Master's and their guest found it amusing, while a few plantation owners frowned upon these shenanigans. For their 'Sunday' entertainment, the plantation owners started having contests to prove to the other who had the best slave walker.

---- The idea of the Cakewalk was that of a couple promenading in a dignified manner, high stepping and kicking, mimicking whitey's high society. Some of the better plantation owners would bake a cake on Sundays and invite the neighbors over and have a contest of the slaves, different prizes were given but originally it was a cake and whichever slave won, would get the cake... thus the term "That Takes The Cake!" (Plus others such as 'It's a Cakewalk' = very easy) and the name "Cakewalk" was now set. The dance grew in popularity even after the Civil War (1861-1865), but it would change.

-- The Breakdown and Chalk Line Walk would be mixed when the Minstrel Shows started using the Chalk Line Walk in their acts, a Minstrel parody, mixed, which later would be named the Cakewalk. The Minstrel shows of the time would paint their faces black and at the end of the show would do a "Grand Finale," which often times was the Cakewalk. The dance used little breaks in the prancing and strutting and only to allow the male to show off some dance moves and acrobatic like somersaults (Stearns: Jazz dance) while the woman would clap and admire his antics."

Source:http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3cake1.htm

-snip-

I'm not sure that I accept all of what this article states about the origin of this dance, but it is the best online source that I have found thus far.

There are other references in African American folk songs to "Walk Chalk" such as "Walk Chalk" and "Walk Chalk Chicken With Your Necktie On" .
Sources: http://www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/w02.htm

I also found an example of the African American folk songs to "Walk Talk Chicken With Your Head Pecked" in Talley's "Negro Folk Rhymes" {p.4}

Azizi Powell