"Gumbo Chaff" (circa late 1837-1839
[Words and Music -- anonymous]

Baltimore, MD: G. Willig, Jr.
[Source: 017/100@Levy]

1. On de Ohio bluff in de state of Indiana,
Dere’s where I live, chock up to de Habbanna,
Eb’ry morning early Massa gib me licker,
I take my net and paddle and I put out de quicker,
I jump into my kiff, And I down de river driff,
And I cotch as many catfish as ever nigger liff.

2. Now dis morning on a drifflog tink I see an Alligator,
I scull my skiff around and chuck him sweet potato,
I cratch him on de head and try for to vex it,
But I couldn’t fool de varmint so how I could fix it;
So I picks up a brick an’ I fotch’d him sich a lick,
But twant nothin’ but a pine know ’pon a big stick.

3. Now old Massa build a barn to put de fodder in,
Dis ting an dat ting an’ one ting anodder;
Thirty ninth December time come a rise ob water,
An’ it carry Massas born much farder dan it ought to;
Then old Massa swear he cuss an’ tare his hair,
Because de water tuck de barn off he couldn’t tell where.

4. Now old Massa die on the ’lebenteenth of April,
I put him in de troff what cotch de sugar maple,
I digs a deep hole right out upon de level,
An’ I do believe sure enough he’s gone to de debil,
For when his live you know he light upon me so,
But now he’s gone to tote de firewood may down below.

5. Den Missis she did marry Big Bill de weaver,
Soon she found out he was a gay deceiver,
He grab all de money and he put it in his pocket,
And de way he did put out was a sin to Davy Crocket;
So old Missus cry and ’gin to wipe her eye,
For she marry Bill de weaver she cou’d’t tell why.

6. Now one day de sun gone down an’ de days work ever,
Old Gumbo Chaff he tink he’d live in Clover;
He jump into a boat wid his old Tamborine,
While schnooneyhead Sambo’ play’d de Violin;
De way we sail’d to New Orleans never be forgotten,
Dey put me on de Levy dock to roll a bale of Cotton. P

7. When I catch hold de bale oh! den you ought to seen us!
First time dis child ’gan to show his genus;
I got hold de corner an’ I give him sich a hug;
An’ I light upon him like a duck, ’pon a june bug;
Oh! you ought to been dare to see de Niggers laff,
For dey swore it was de debil or old Gumbo Chaff.

8. I learn’d to talk de French oh; a la mode de dancey,
Kick him shoe, tare him wool, parle vo de Francey,
Bone jaw Madamselle, Stevadores and Riggers,
Apple jack and sassafras and little Indian Niggers;
De natives laff’d an swore dat I was corn’d,
For dey neber heard sich French since day was born’d.

9. I leab New Orleans early one day morning,
I jump’d aboard de boart jist as de day was dawning,
I hide behind de wood where de Niggers always toss ’um,
And lay low like de Coon when him tries to fool de Possom;
I lay dare still doe ’twas rather diffikill,
An dey did’n’t find me out ’till I got to Louisville.

10. Dare Jim beats de drum an’ old Joe’s de fifer,
An’ I is dat child what can read write an eifer,
Twice one is five den carry six to seven,
Twice six is twenty nine an eighteen’s eleven.
So ’twixt you and me it’s very plain to see,
That I learnt to play de Banjo by de double rule of three.

11. Now I ’rive on our farm on de Ohio Bluff,
An’ I tink of fun an’ frolick old Gumbo’s had enough;
Oh! de white folks at home I very much amuse,
When I sing dis song an tell ’em all de news;
So we’d music all night an dey set up sich a laff
When I introduced de Niggers to Mrs. Gumbo Chaff.