BOLL WEEVIL SONG

1. Oh, de boll weevil am a little black bug,
Come from Mexico, dey say,
Come all de way to Texas,
Jus' a-lookin' foh a place to stay,
Jus' a-lookin' foh a home,
Jus' a-lookin' foh a home.

2. De first time I seen de boll weevil,
He was a-settin' on de square.
De next time I seen de boll weevil,
He had all of his family dere.
Jus' a lookin' foh a home,
Jus' a-lookia' foh a home.

3. De farmer say to de weevil:
"What make yo' head so red?"
De weevil say to de farmer,
"It's a wondah I ain't dead,
A-lookin' foh a home,
Jus' a-Iookin' foh a home."

4. De farmer take de boll weevil,
An' he put him in de hot san'.
De weevil say: "Dis is mighty hot,
But I'll stan' it like a man,
Dis'll be my home,
It'll be my home."

5. De farmer take de boll weevil,
An' he put him in a lump of ice;
De boll weevil say to de farmer:
"Dis is mighty cool and nice,
It'll be my home,
Dis'll be my home,"

6. De farmer take de boll weevil,
An' he put him in de fire.
De boll weevil say to de farmer:
"Here I are, here I are,
Dis'll be my home,
Dis'll be my home."

7. De boll weevil say to de farmer:
"You better leave me alone;
I done eat all yo' cotton,
Now I'm goin' to start on yo' corn,
I'll have a home,
I'll have a home."

8. De merchant got half de cotton,
De boll weevil got de res'.
Didn't leave de farmer's wife
But one old cotton dress,
An' it's full of holes,
It's full of holes.

9. De farmer say to de merchant:
"We's in an awful fix;
De boll weevil et all de cotton up
An' lef' us only sticks,
We's got no home,
We's got no home."

10. De farmer say to de merchant:
"We ain't made but only one bale,
And befoh we'll give yo' dat one
We'll fight and go to jail,
We'll have a home,
We'll have a home."

11. De cap'n say to de missus:
"What d' you t'ink o' dat?
De boll weevil done make a nes'
In my bes' Sunday hat,
Goin' to have a home,
Goin' to have a home."

12. An' if anybody should ax you
Who it was dat make dis song,
Jus' tell 'em 'twas a big buck niggah
Wid a paih o' blue duckin's on,
Ain' got no home,
Ain' got no home.

Source: American Songbag, by Carl Sandburg, 1927 - pp. 8-9