What You Goin' Do When the Rent Comes 'Round?

This rent lament is a classic from the late 19th century minstrel song school, and is also known by the compound name of its protagonist, Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown. Music historian Sigmund Spaeth in his entertaining and instructive songbook READ 'EM & WEEP, p. 231, describes how the author became inspired to write this song:

Harry Von Tilzer was standing on the platform of the railway station at Miami listening to the conversation of two negroes. The woman was berating the man, and after using every possible adjective to describe his low-down shiftlessness, she worked up to a climax with the question, "What you goin' to do when de rent comes 'round?" The rest was easy.

WHAT YOU GOIN' DO WHEN THE RENT COMES 'ROUND?

(Words by Harry Von Tilzer; music by Andrew Sterling, circa 1900)

Who dat a knockin' at the door below,
Who dat a shiv'rin' in the hail and snow,
I can hear you grumblin' Mister Rufus Brown,
Just keep on a-knockin', Babe, I won't come down;
I wants to tell you that you can't get in,
Have you been a-gamblin', Honey, did you win?
What's that you tell me, Man, you lost your breath?
I hopes you freezes to death!

Chorus:

Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown,
What you goin' do when the rent comes 'round?
What you goin' say?
How you goin' pay?
You'll never have a bit of sense till Judgment Day;
You know, I know, rent means dough,
Landlord's goin' put us out in the snow,
Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown,
What you goin' do when the rent comes 'round?

Keep on a-bangin' on the old front door,
In just a minute, Babe, you'll hear me snore;
If I goes to bed you'll be out of luck,
Find yourself an icicle when I wake up;
Where's all the money that you said you'd bring?
Melted all away just like the snow last Spring;
Rufus, I loves you but this serves you right,
Guess that's sufficient, "Good night!"

I would appreciate any comments to this entry in the Draft Housing Songbook.

Cordially,
Landlady's Daughter, not to be confused with Charley Noble