"A Down Easter's Visit to Saint Louis" (1859)
Comic Song
As sung by Birch & Bowers Minstrels
Written & Composed by S. W. Raine of Saint Louis

St. Louis, Missouri: Balmer & Weber, 56 Fourth St.
[Source: 026/022@Levy]

1.
Although I was never design'd for a poet,
Yet without an attempting one never can go it,
So awake ye kind muses and help me to mention
A few of the things which you claim our attention.

CHORUS [sung after each verse]
Sing tu tul lul to rol lol tu rol ti la
Sing tu tul lol la rol lol tu rol ti la.

2.
Ho! the town of St. Louis is one of the places,
For talent and [w--ld--d?] for beautiful faces,
And if any thing lacks 'tis no very great pity,
They caught up the stream and go out of the city.

3.
No place can be found either near or remote.
Where a man can embark on a railroad or boat.
For an easier, safer, pleasanter rule,
Or with lovelier woman to sit by his side.

4.
They have college, churches and schools without end,
Where their young men and maidens and childred they send,
To train them for teachers and doctors of physic
To teach them good morals and cure them of [pidisic?].

5.
They have mills and machine shops they've taverns and stores
As good as one found on American shores,
And what they can't get here, no one can deny it,
They've the "rocks" in their pocket to go off and buy it.

6.
Their borders are safe from encroachments without,
They've militia on hand who know what they're about,
And their foeman will manage the foe that's within,
For the way they can hold down the brakes is a sin.

7.
They can work in the day time and sing when it's night,
With a spirit that's free and a heart that is light
They can roam in their streets or at home they can loiter
And when tired on the land they can sail on the water.

8.
We might add to our list a variety more.
For by no means as yet have exhausted our store.
But for fear that our hunters may be tired of our sport,
We will cut off the rest of our long story short.

[Part 2d]

9.
But a friend at our table--a gallant your beau
Who is deadly in love says we boast'd stop so
For he wants a description of the "Belle of St. Louis,"
Who is fair as an Angel, and rich as a jewess.

10.
Her figure is [?] tall nor too short,
She seems as if left by some angel escort;
Who hade come to our earth on a mission of love
And gone back without her to the regions above.

11.
She's really bewitching, the truth he can't smother,
As she glides like a sylph from one place to another,
His eyes will quick follow wherever she goes,
So attractive is she from her head to her toes.

12.
The glance of her eye is a strange witching glance
Her voice like sweet music the senses entrance
And the smiles that so oft round her ruby lips play
Make him wich her presence he always could stay.

13.
Her hair unconfined in dark ringlets would flow,
O'er a neck pure a marble and bossom of snow,
Her rose tinted cheek makes him covet the bliss,
Of stepping beside her and stealing a kiss.

14.
Thus ends our description of that about town,
You see 'tis a place where they're all done up brown
And the first on the list are the ladies--God bless 'em!
Here's a joy to the men that shall shall ever possess 'em!