"Roll Out! Heave That Cotton" (1877)
[Roll Out! Heave Dat Cotton]
Song
by William Shakespeare Hays, 1837-1907

1.
I hear dat bell a ringin',
I see de Captain stand,
Boat done blowed her whistle,
I know she's g'wine to land;
I hear de mate a callin'
"Go git our de plank,
Rush out wid de head line,
And tie her to de bank."

CHORUS
Roll out! Heave dat cotton,
Roll out! heave dat cotton,
Roll out! heave dat cotton,
Aint got long to stay.

2.
Its early in de mornin'
Before we see de sun,
"Roll aboard dat cotton,
An' git back in a run,"
De Captain's in a hurry,
I know what he means,
Wants to beat de Sherlock,
Down to New Orleans.

(CHORUS)

3.
I hear dat mate a shoutin',
An' see him on de shore,
Hurry boys! be lively,
Aint but fifty more;
We aint got time to tarry
Here at dis Cotton pile,
We gwine to git another,
Below here forty mile.

(CHORUS)

4.
We done took on de cotton,
Shove out from de shore,
Sailing down de river,
We gwine to land for more,
When you hear de whistle,
An' de big bell ring,
We gwine to land for cotton,
Roll out, boys, an' sing.

(CHORUS)