"Massa Is a Stingy Man," composed and sung by R. W. Pelham and pupil Master G. W. Pelham (The Little Ace of Spades). Firth & Hall, NY, 1841. Indiana Univ. Sheet Music Collections.

Lyr. Add: MASSA IS A STINGY MAN
G. W. Pelham, 1841

Old master is a stingy man and ebry body nowes it,
He keeps good brandy in his house and neber sez here goes it.

(Dance inserted by the Pelhams)
2
Mr.: Unkel John he came to toun he had a load of Peaches
Masr.: The wagon broke down he slipt and mashed dem all to pieces,
3
Mr.: A strayed dog he come to town and had on calaco trouses
Masr.: He swore he could not see the town dar was so many houses.
4
Mr.: My sister sal she dremt a dream she dremt she was a jumping
Masr.: She tort she eat a musharoon as big as any pumpkin.
5
Mr.: And then she went to climb a tree and two or three to boost her
Masr.: And dar she sot a flinging corn on our bob tail rooster.
6
Mr.: Now far you well my sally dear and far you well my honey
Masr.: Far you well my dearest love I am going to make some money.

The changes in these songs seem capricious, but they were constantly modified to suit different audiences and to avoid repetition at succeeding performances, and when they were 'borrowed' by different troupes.

In 1943, Firth and Hall included it in a folio of Ethiopian Quadrilles, with Lucy Long, Old Dan Tucker, De Boatman Dance, and Ginger Blue. (Virginia Minstrels given on the title page). Musical scores only, no lyrics. In the Lester Levy collection.

Also in 1843, "Come Day, Go Day" was the title used by Buckley's Minstrels. http://www.circushistory.org/Cork/BurntCork3.htm

"Massa Is ..." appears in a MS of 48 tunes collected by Dan Emmett, dating c. 1845-1860. They are discussed in a paper by Hans Nathan, "Early Banjo Tunes and American Syncopation," The Musical Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 455-472 (not seen, first page at jstor.org).