I found this song in a little booklet called "Holiday Song", published by The Holiday Fellowship, 2nd edition 1937. The book had been stamped - the Workers' Educational Association, Yorkshire District (South), Campo Lane, Sheffield.

The book is very similar in many respects to the old YHA songbooks, with many similar well known songs, but I haven't heard this one before and would be interested to know if it was well known in America, plus does anyone have the tune?

Sorry about the spelling mistake, but it doesn't seem to want to be corrected.

KINGDOM COMING.

Say, darkies, hab you seen de massa,
Wid de muff-stash on his face,
Go 'long de road some time dis mornin'
Like he gwine to leab de place?
He seen a smoke 'way up de ribber,
Whar de Linkum gunboats lay;
He took his hat an' lef' berry sudden,
An' I 'spec he's run away!
De massa run ? ha, ha,
De darkeys stay? ho, ho.
It mus' be now de kingdom comin'
An' de year ob Jubilo.

He six foot one way, two foot tudder,
An' he weigh tree hundred pound;
His coat so big, he couldn't pay de tailor
An' it won't go half way round.
He drill so much dey call him Cap'en.
An' he get so drefful tanned,
I 'spec he try and fool dem Yankees
For to tink he's contraband
De massa run ? etc.

De darkeys feel so lonesome, libing
In de log-house on de lawn,
Dey move dar tings to massa's parlour
For to keep it while he's gone.
Dar's wine an' cider in de kitchen
An' de darkeys dey'll hab some;
I s'pose dey'll all be confiscated
When de Linkum sojers come.
De massa run ? etc.

De oberseer he make us trouble
An' he dribe us round a spell,
We lock him up in de smokehouse cellar,
Wld de key t'rown down de well.
De whip is lost, de handcuffs broken
But de massa 'll hab his pay
He's ole enough, big enough, ought to known better
Dan to went and run away.
De massa run ? etc.

--- Line breaks <br> added ---
---Jeff (PA)---