Seeing the Elephant
[AIR—Boatman Dance.]

When I left the States for gold,
Everything I had I sold:
A stove and bed, a fat old sow
Sixteen chickens and a cow.

Chorus:
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave,
Take my advice, kill off your lice, or else go up in the mountains;
Oh no, lots of dust, I'm going to the city to get on a "bust,"
Oh no, lots of dust, I'm going to the city to get on a "bust."

Off I started, Yankee-like,
I soon fell in with a lot from Pike;
The next was, "D—n you, back, wo-haw,"
A right smart chance from Arkansaw.
So leave, you miners, etc.

On the Platte we couldn't agree,
Because I had the di-a-ree,
We there split up, I made a break,
With one old mule for the Great Salt Lake.
So leave, you miners, etc.

The Mormon girls were fat as hogs,
The chief production, cats and dogs;
Some had ten wives, others none,
Thirty-six had Brigham Young.
So leave, you miners, etc.

The d—d fool, like all the rest,
Supposed the thirty-six the best;
He soon found out his virgin dears
Had all been Mormons thirteen years.
So leave, you miners, etc.

Being brave, I cut and carved,
On the desert nearly starved;
My old mule laid down and died,
I had no blanket, took his hide.
So leave, you miners, leave, oh leave, you miners leave, etc.

The poor coyotes stole my meat,
Then I had nought but bread to cat;
It was not long till that gave out,
Then how I cursed the Truckee route!
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you leave, etc.

On I traveled through the pines,
At last I found the northern mines;
I stole a dog, got whipt like h—ll,
Then away I went to Marys'ville.
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

There I filled the town with lice,
And robbed the Chinese of their rice;
The people say, "You've got the itch,
Leave here, you lousy son of a b——."
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

Because I would not pay my bill,
They kicked me out of Downieville;
I stole a mule and lost the trail,
And then fetched up in Hangtown Jail.
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

Canvas roof and paper walls,
Twenty horse-thieves in the stalls;
I did as I had done before,
Coyoted out from 'neath the floor.
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

I robbed a nigger of a dollar,
And bought unguent to grease my collar;
I tried a pint, not one had gone,
Then it beat the d—l how I daubed it on,
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

The people threatened hard my life,
Because I stole a miner's wife;
They showed me a rope, to give me signs,
Then off I went to the southern mines.
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

I mined a while, got lean and lank,
And lastly stole a monte-bank;
Went to the city, got a gambler's name
And lost my bank at the thimble game.
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

I fell in love with a California girl;
Her eyes were gray, her hair did curl;
Her nose turned up to get rid of her chin—
Says she, "You're a miner, you can't come in."
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners leave, etc.

When the elephant I had seen,
I'm d—d if I thought I was green;
And others say, both night and morn,
They saw him coming round the Horn.
So leave, you miners, leave, oh, leave, you miners, leave, etc.

If I should make another raise,
In New York sure I'll spend my days;
I'll be a merchant, buy a saw,
So good-bye, mines and Panama.
So leave, you ininer. leave, oh, leave, you miners leave, etc.


Put's Original California SongsterThe Songs of the Gold Rush, pp. 53-55 (which attributes lyrics to D.G. Robinson)

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Click to play (pdmusic.org): [version 1] [version 2]

[Tune notes by Artful Codger]
"De Boatman Dance" was written by the famous minstrel Daniel Decatur Emmett in 1843.

Sheet music [PDF] in the Lester S. Levy Collection.
Digital Tradition: De Boatman Dance
Mudcat thread: The Boatmen (fiddle tune)
YouTube: The Huckleberry Brothers: [De Boatman Dance]
YouTube: locustvalleystring: Boatsman

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