The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169199   Message #4089093
Posted By: Steve Gardham
21-Jan-21 - 10:08 AM
Thread Name: Minstrel songs and chanties
Subject: RE: Minstrel songs and chanties
This one is quite well known.
It comes from p62 in The New Negro Forget Me Not Songster. for 1850

Clar De track (Tune, Dan Tucker)by James Kierman

Oh here's a song that never was sung
By any n----- old or young   (my deletion)
An if you all will listen to me,
I'll sing about some n-----s that's free
   So clar de track, de bullgine's coming,
      Clar de track, de bullgine's coming
      Clar de track, de bullgine's coming
      See de n-----s how dey're running

Oh dandy Jim an my Aunt Sally
Both live down in Shinbone Alley
Lucy Neal and Mister Brown
lives in a house that's out ob town.

2 verses I've omitted as not relevant.

De Guinea Maid an my old Dad,
One night a little fun dey had,
Ring the bells, an Jim crack corn
I never see the like since I was born.

P70 has 'Jenny git your hoe cake done'
Sung by J. W. Sweeny & W (Billy) Whitlock, the celebrated banjo players.

p75 has 'Long Time Ago'

As I was gwoin down Shin Bone Alley
Long time ago.
To buy a bonnet for Miss Sally
Long time ago. (has 11 verses)

Shinbone Alley seems to crop up a lot and numerous yellow gals.

A new title page and pagination then starts up on the same book so at p52 we have
Down Below, a Doleful Ballad of the Olden Time, as sung by T. G. Booth

Oh! the sons of Uncle Sam's
Down below, down below,
Oh, the sons of Uncle Sam's
They're all as poor as damns
But they be mighty fond of clams
Down below, down below
Oh, yes! they are tarnation fond of clams,
Down Below

V3
I've been down to Uncle Sam's
Down below, down below

Oh potatoes they are small
For they plant them in the fall,
And then eat them skins and all
Down below, down below
And then eat them skins and all
Down below.

Lots to think about here 'The Praties they grow small' the 'Captain Kidd' format, and the 'Dahn Below' song published as a Cockney song about the sewer workers in London of WWII.