Loss of the "Central America"
[Air: "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"]

The "Central America',"' painted so fine,
Went down like a thousand of brick,
And all the old tubs that are now on the line
Will follow her, two at lick.
'Twould be very fine were the owners aboard,
And sink where they never would rise;
'Twould any amount of amusement afford,
And cancel a million of lies.

Repeat
'Twould be very fine were the owners aboard,
And sink where they never would rise;
'Twould any amount of amusement afford,
And cancel a million of lies.

These murdering villains will ne'er be forgot,
As long as America stands;
Their bones should be left in the ocean to rot,
And their souls be at Satan's commands.
They've murdered and swindled the people for years
And never will be satisfied
Till death puts an end to their earthly careers,
Then may they with demons reside.

Repeat
They've murdered and swindled the people for years
And never will be satisfied
Till death puts an end to their earthly careers,
Then may they with demons reside.

Put's Golden Songster, page 7

Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 36-37

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Click to play (pdmusic.org)

[Tune notes by Artful Codger]
"Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" was the refrain of a song Charles Albert White wrote (or at least claimed authorship for) in 1847 titled "Oh! De Floating Scow ob de Ole Virginia"; it was also published by Christy in the same year under the "Carry Me Back" title. The now-familiar song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" was a reworked version by James A. Bland in 1878, decades after Stone's songster was published.

Sheet music (1847) in the Brown University Library.
Sheet music [PDF; 1847] in the Lester S. Levy Collection.
Mudcat thread: History of Carry Me Back To Old Virginn[y]
Mudcat thread: Origins: Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

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