"Way Down in Ca-I-Ro" (1850)
Written and Composed for
James F. Taunt of the Empire Minstrels
by Stephen Collins Foster, 1826-1864

1.
Oh! ladies dont you blush when I come out to play;
I only mean to please you all, and den I's guine away.

CHORUS
I hear my true-lub weep,
I hear my true-lub sigh,
'Way down in Ca-i-ro dis nigga's guine to die.

2.
Sometimes de nigga's life is sad, sometimes his life is gay,
When de work dont come too hard he's singin all de day.

(CHORUS)

3.
Now we libs on de fat ob de land, now we libs on de lean
When we hab no cake to bake we sweep de kitchen clean.

(CHORUS)

4.
Massa bought a bran new coat and hung it on de wall,
Dis nigga's guine to take dat coat, and wear it to de ball.

(CHORUS)

5.
All de ladies in de land, and all de gemmen too,
Am guine to hear de darkey band and see what dey can do.

(CHORUS)