The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #162477   Message #3867036
Posted By: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
19-Jul-17 - 01:47 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Minstrel Coonjine Songs
Subject: Lyr Add: Minstrel Coonjine Songs
There is a serious thread dedicated to 'authentic' riparian roustabout songs here:

Steamboat coonjine songs

The only riverboats this thread's coongines ever saw were showboats and those didn't even have an engine.

Written for the Chief.
BECKY'S NUMBER 'LEVENS
BY TOMMY J.


Jim Shine's ole 'ooman kin scrape a heap er cotton,
Tom Porter's she kin shuck a sight of corn,
And Duncan's lead de row when de cane am feelin so,
But dey can't fling dar footses wuf a gorn,

Dat ar Emma slings a hoe wif a mighty nimble twis.
Malinda knocks de wadden outer Jane,
Ole Dinah makes dem scratch when dey jump de cotton patch,
But dey can't shook dar footses all the same.

But Becky – niggers, hush! She's de bossest of dem all –
Cook de possum, roas' de coon and bake de yam,
An my mouf it allers waters when I lands about the quarters,
Till it hits the somewhar dat my Becky am.

She's the coongine little niggar what can slap her 'leven foots.
When Jim Lampton wacks his fiddle inter chune,
She can sling the dubble-shuffle an' never muss a ruffle,
Or jump Jim Crow wid any in the room.

On er Sunday gwine to church she am almagorgeousdrest,
An dem dudy coons about dar dat she meets,
Say, "Hayar come de dandy pat, lemme gin yer tip on dat.
Who am just chuck full of music in her feets."

But fore long Unk Ander Green gwine'r git the job agin
For to pour our troubles out de sinners' cup.
An jine us bofe in one; yas, I gwine'r hab it done
'Fore does footses gits dem niggers tangled up.

The Donaldsonville (LA) Chief, 11 April 1885, p1
"Tommy J." is most likely Master Tommy J. Peel of Campbell's Minstrels