[Cover page:
"The Freedman's Song 
or the 
Song of the Negro Boatman" (1862)
[Title page: 
"The Freedman's
or
Negro Boatman's Song")
Words by J[ohn].G[reenleaf]. Whittier [1807-1892]. 
Music by Robert Goldbeck.

   The Singer will modify the rendering of the Music in the 
different Verses as their different character may demand; 
for this reason the ordinary indications of “Forte,” “Piano” &c. 
have been omitted by the Author.

New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 547 Broadway
Plate Number: 5281
[Source: 066/048@Levy]

NOTE: in the source the verses are "misnumbered", i.e.
1=1, but 4=2, 2=3, and 3=4.

1. O praise an’ tanks! de Lord he come 
To set de people free, 
O praise an’ tanks! de Lord he come 
To set de people free, 
An’ massa tink it day ob doom, 
An’ we ob jubilee; 
De Lord dat heap de Red Sea waves, 
He jus’ as ’trong as den; 
He say de word, we las’night slaves, 
Today de Lord’s freemen! 
He say de word, we las’night slaves, 
Today de Lord’s freemen!

2. We know de promise neber fail, 
An’ neber lie de word,— 
We know de promise neber fail, 
An’ neber lie de word, 
So like de ’postles in de jail, 
We waited for de Lord; 
An’ now he open eb’ry door 
An’ trow away de key, 
He tink we lub him so before,— 
We lub him better free! 
He tink we lub him so before,— 
We lub him better free!

3. De massa on he trabels gone,
He leab de land behind;
De massa on he trabels gone,
He leab de land behind;
De Lord’s breff blow him furder on,
Like cornchuck in de wind!
We own de hoe, we own de plow,
We own de hand dat hold;
We sell de pig, we sell de cow,
But neber chile be sold!
We sell de pig, we sell de cow,
But neber chile be sold!



4. We pray de Lord, he gib me signs
Dat some day we be free;
We pray de Lord, he gib me signs
Dat some day we be free;
De Norfwind tell it to de pines,
De wildduck to the sea!
We hear it when de churchbell ring,
We dream it in de dream—
De ricebird mean it when he sing,
De eagle when he scream!
De ricebird mean it when he sing,
De eagle when he scream!


De yam will grow,     de cotton blow, We’ll hab de rice an’ corn; Oh! nebber you fear, if nebber you hear De dri ber blow his horn!