HA HA THISAWAY
from Negro Folk Songs As Sung By Lead Belly; "King of the Twelve String Gitar Players of The World", Long-Time Convict In The Penitentiaries of Texas And Louisiana"
Transcribed, Selected and Edited by John A Lomax and Alan Lomax (New York-The Macmillan Company Mcmxxxvi), Pages 78-80

Chorus
Hi! this-a-way. Hi, that-a-way
Hi! this-a-way. Then, oh, then


When I was a little boy, little boy, little boy,
When I was a little boy, twelve years old,
Papa went an' left me, left me, left me,
Papa went an' left me, to save my soul.

Chorus

Mamma come an' got me, got me, got me,
Mamma come an' got me, to save my soul.
Mamma didn't whiff me* whiff me, whiff me,
Mamma didn't whiff me, so I was tol'.

Papa drinked whisky, whisky, whisky,
Papa drinked whisky, so I was tol'.
Mamma was frisky, frisky, frisky,
Mamma was frisky, so I was tol'.

I went to school, went to school, went to school, boys,
I went to school when I was twelve years old;
Obeyed the rules, the rules, the rules, boys.
Obeyed the rules as I was tol'.

Learned my lessin, lessins, lessins,
Learned my lessin, as I was tol',
Wasn't that a blessin', blessin', blessin'?
Wasn't that a blessin', to save my soul.

Liked my teacher, teacher, teacher,
Liked my teacher, as I was tol';
Prayed like a preacher, preacher, preacher,
Prayed like a preacher, to save my soul.

I went to school, went to school, went to school, boys,
I went to school when I was twelve years old;
Teacher didn' whiff me, whiff me, whiff me,
Teacher didn' whiff me, to save my soul.

Chorus
Ho! Ho! thisaway,
Ha! ha! thataway!
Ha! ha! thisaway!
Then, oh, then.


* Lead Belly used the words "whip" and "whiff" interchangeably.

+ For some reason, Lead Belly now and then omits the chorus which usually follows each four-line stanza.

-snip-

These are the exact words and notes from Negro Folk Songs As Sung By Lead Belly. The chorus to this song is now usually given as

Ha! Ha! thisaway,
Ha! ha! thataway!
Ha! ha! thisaway!
Then, oh, then.