Lyr. Add: Here, Rattler, Here

Why don't you here, Rattler, here,
Oh don't you here, Rattler, here.
This Old Rattler was a walker dog,
Says he'll trail you 'cross a live oak log.
Says Old Rattler hit the man's trail,
Says he run and bit him on the heel,
And you oughta heard that man squal.
You holler, here, here, Rattler,
Hollerin' here, here, Rattler.
Says old Rattler was a walking dog,
He could trail you 'cross a live oak log.

Says the captain come a'riding,
Asking where is that sergeant,
Says I believe there's a man gone.
Says the sergeant come riding,
Popping his whip upon the ground,
And Old Rattler turning round and round.
He said here, Old Rattler,
Says Old Rattler, here's a marrow bone,
You can eat it, you can leave it alone.
I don't want no marrow bone.
I just want the man that's long gone.
Says Old Rattler went a-skipping through the morning dew,
And old sergeant pop the whip upon the ground
And Old Rattler begin to turn round and round.
He cried, here, Old Rattler,
Crying, here Old Rattler.

Says Old Riley got worried,
He come running with a letter,
Says you oughta to heard what that letter read.
Says Old Riley says that irene's dead,
Say come home, pretty papa,
Yes, come home, pretty papa.
Says Old Riley he got worried,
Says to the captain that you was a-running,
You just tell him I was flying.
If he asks you was I laughing,
You can tell him I was crying.

And it's here, Old Rattler,
And it's here, Old rattler,
And Old Rattler got to the Brazos,
Well, he left him there a-howling.
Old Rattler hollered, oooh, ooh, ooh,ooh!
He hollered ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!
And I heard that sergeant blowing his horn,
Oughta heard that sergeant blowing his horn,
Blowed it doo, doo, doo, doo!
Blowed it oo, oo, oo, oo!
Says I believe he crossed the river,
Believe he crossed the big Brazos.
He gonna give up Old Riley,
Take another day back on the way.
I'm going to call Old Rattler,
Hollering here, Rattler, here,
Won't you here, Rattler, here, here,
Won't you here, Old Rattler.

Sung by Rev. Moses Mason, originally recorded by Paramount, 12702A, reissued by Folkways on No. FA 2952, American Folk Music, Vol. II.

Published in Negro Folk Music U. S. A., Harold Courlander, 1963, Columbia University Press, pp. 103-105. An extended version of this classic prison song.