"The Darky's Boat Song" (1853)
[aka "Darkies Boat Song"]
Words and Music: anonymous
from "Murphy, West & Peel's Original Minstrels", No. 1 of 4 [8]

Louisville, KY: G. W. Brainard & Co., Fourth St.
[Source: 022/020@Levy]

1. 
Lightly my hark flies over the sea, 
Pull away merrily, sing away cherrily, 
Dinah is certainly waiting for me 
Den Pull away merrily row boys. 
The spar kling drops from the paddles dat fly, 
Are not half as bright as my Dinah’s bright eye, 
There’s nothing on earth so dearly I prize, 
Den pull away merrily row boys, 
Pull away merrily row boys.

2. 
Her skin am the fairest dat ever was seen,
Pull away merrily, sing away cherrily,
Tis finer den silk, black velvet I mean,
Den pull away merrily row boys–
The first time I see her she blush’d like a rose,
I thought it was Venus– You might I suppose,
But better that blush, than the blush on the rose,
Den pull away merrily row boys,
Pull away merrily row boys.

3. 
The night’s getting dark the darkies all say,
Pull away merrily, sing away cherrily,
To sing her dis song we cannot delay,
Pull away merrily, row boys–
She sits on one side, and I on the other,
I dare not say a word, or she’ll tell it to her brother,
But to end all disputes, I have married  another,
Den pull away merrily, row boys,
Pull away merrily row boys.