The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #122493 Message #2686922
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
25-Jul-09 - 01:51 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Wake Up, Jake / The Old Iron City
Subject: Lyr. Add: Wake Up Mose!
Lyr. Add: Wake Up Mose!
19th c. song sheet.
1
Oh! white folks, now I sing a song,
Although it's not so witty;
I'll tell you 'bout a colored chap,
Dat's from de Empire City:
He used to run de railroad-
He was de bulgine tender;
Oh golly! he's de debil,
When he gets on a bender!
Chorus-
Wake up, Mose! wake up Mose,
Wake up Mose! de fire am burning;
Round de corner de smoke am curling.
Wake up, Mose, de engine's coming:
Take de rope and keep a-running!
2
Mose he went to college--
He said he was a poet,
And whilst he's young he's bound to blaze,
And says he means to go it.
He goes it wid a rush, my boys,
No matter what befalls him--
He's de fust man to de engine-house
Wheneber duty calls him.
3
Mose he went to Mexico,
And dar he saw Santa Anna;
He sent a message to de camp,
Tellin' Zack not to surrender:
Says Santa Anna, "Who are you-
You seem to be so witty?"
Says Mose, "Go 'long -- I'm one ob de boys--
I'm from de Empire City."
Wake up Mose, &c.
This seems to ba a change from the locomotive (bulgine) to the fire station engine-house; early steam fire engines also bulgines.
No date or attribution, song sheet at American Memory.