I came across the following three songs in a 1853 slave narrative, Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. Can anyone tell me anything about them? Particularly, what do they mean? Some words that I don't get: Harper's creek, josey, Hog Eye, Hosey, and yo' (as in "stole my yo'")? Here they are: 1) Harper's creek and roarin' ribber / Thar, my dear, we'll live forebber; / Den we'll go to the Ingin nation, / All I want in dis creation, / Is pretty little wife and big plantation. / Chorus. Up dat oak and down dat ribber, / Two overseers and one little nigger. 2) Who's been here since I've been gone? / Pretty little gal wid a josey on. / Hog Eye! / Old Hog Eye! / And Hosey too! / Never see de like since I was born, / Here come a little gal wid a josey on. / Hog Eye! / Old Hog Eye! / And Hosey too! 3) Ebo Dick and Jurdan's Jo, / Them two niggers stole my yo'. / Chorus. Hop Jim along, / Walk Jim along, / Talk Jim along, &c. / Old black Dan, as black as tar, / He dam glad he was not dar. / Hop Jim along, &c.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!