To my friend, Malin McCollough, Esq., Cincinnati[, Ohio].
"Busted, an' a Long Ways from Home" (1876)
[on cover: "BUSTED! and a long way FROM HOME."]
by William Shakespeare Hays, 1837-1907

New York: J. L. Peters, Plate No. 9,458-4.
Source: 14729@LoC

1.
I used to hoe de cotton, an' tote de sugar cane,
An' live on de fat ob de lan'.
An' Hannah libed wid me in de cabin in de lane,
Away down souf in Alabam
But de war broke out, an' old massa went away,
An' de darkies seed de sojers come;
I struck from dar, kase dey said I could'nt stay;
Now I'm busted an' a long ways from home.

CHORUS
I'm old an' I'm feeble,
Let Gabriel blow de horn,
An' Call me early 'an I'll come,
Go an' get ole Hannah an'
I'll meet her in de morn,
For I'm busted an' a long way from home.

2.
I used to be so happy, an' a trouble never seen,
Was happy as de days am long.
I played upon de fiddle, an' I beat de tamborine,
An' den I'd sind de white folks a song,
But I put down de hoe an' I run away from dar
I did'nt know whar' I'se gwine to roam;
I wish to de Lord dat I'd nebber come away;
Kase I'm busted an' a long ways from home.

(CHORUS)

3.
Old massa an' old missus, dey say, am libin yet,
Somewhar down in Tennessee;
An' Hannah, so dey tell me, is still libin' dar wid dem,
But dey aint any better off dan me;
So what will I do to stop a hungry mouf wait for de good time to come;
Dar aint nobody got a bit a use for me,
Kase I'm busted an' a long ways from home.

(CHORUS)