The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #112268 Message #2375060
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
26-Jun-08 - 03:59 PM
Thread Name: It's Raining (songs about rain)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE RAIN SONG (Alex Rogers)
This poem by Alex Rogers has been used in shortened version in a song( by Af-Am composer Will Marion Cook), but here is the entire poem, from James Weldon Johnson, ed., 1922, "The Book of American Negro Poetry." (Online at Bartleby.com)
Lyr. Add: THE RAIN SONG
Alex Rogers, 1876-1930
Bro. Simmons
"Walk right in Brother Wilson- how you feelin' today?"
Bro. Wilson
"Jes Mod'rate, Brother Simmons, but den I ginnerly feels dat way."
Bro. Simmons
"here's White an' Black an' Brown an' Green; how's all you gent'men's been?"
Bro. White
"My health is good but my bus'ness slack."
Bro. Black
I'se been suffrin' lots wid pains in my back."
Bro. Brown
My ole woman's sick, but I'se alright-"
Bro. Green
"Yes, I went aftuh Doctur fur her 'tuther night-"
Bro. Simmons
Here's Sandy Turner, as I live!"
Bro. Turner
"Yes, I didn't 'spect to git here- but here I is!"
Bro. Simmons
"Now gent'muns, make yo'selves to home,
Dare's nothin' to fear- my ole woman's gone-
My stars, da weather's pow'ful warm-
I wouldn't be s'prised if we had a storm."
Bro. Brown
"No, Brother Simmons, we kin safely say-
'Tain't gwine to be no storm, to-day
Kase here am facts days mighty plain
An' any time you hears da cheers and tables crack
An' da folks wid rheumatics- dare joints is on da rack-"
All
"Lookout fuh rain, rain, rain.
"When da ducks quack loud an' da peacocks cry,
An' da far off hills seems to be right nigh,
Prepare fur rain, rain, rain!
"When da ole cat on da hearth wid her velvet paws
'Gins to wipin' over her whiskered jaws,
Sho' sign o' rain, rain, rain!
"When da frog's done changed his yaller vest,
An' in his brown suit he is dressed,
Mo' rain, an' still mo' rain!
"When you notice da air it stare's stock still
An' da blackbird's voice it gits so awful shrill,
Dat am da time fuh rain.
"When yo' dog quits bones an' begins to fas',
An' when you see him eatin', he's eatin' grass:
Shoes', trues', cert'nes sign ob rain!"
Refrain
"No, Brother Simmons, we kin safely say,
'Tain't gwine tuh be no rain to-day,
Kase da sut ain't fallin' an' da dogs ain't sleep,
An' you ain't seen no spiders fum dare cobwebs creep;
Las' night da sun went bright to bed,
An' da moon ain't nevah once been seen to hang her head;
If you've watched all dis, din you kin safely say,
Dat dare ain't a-gwine to be no rain to-day"
Bartleby.com, "Great Books Online."
Alex Rogers worked with the Black musicals and African-American theater of the period 1900-1920s and collaborated with J.Rosamond Johnson on some of the spirituals she arranged for James Weldon Johnson for "The Books of American Negro Spirituals." He collaborated on the stage presentations of "Sons of Ham," and "The Belle of Bridgeport," both 1900, and "In Dahomey," 1902, variously with James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson, Bob Cole, Jesse A. Shipp and Paul Laurence Dunbar, all of whom were important in bringing African-American performers and musicians to the public stage.
From "The Development of an African-American Musical Treatre 1890-1910":
Theatre