"Old Abe Has Gone and Did It, Boys" (1862)
Words by Sanford  Fillmore Bennett
Music Joseph Philbrick Webster, 1819-1875

1.
O, ye niggers, come along,
For I's gwine to sing a song,
An' I warn you dat you keep it mighty still;
But dis darkey hean dem say,
His own seld dis berry day,
Dat Ole Abe had went, an' gone and sign'd de bill.

CHORUS
Yes, Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!

2.
Now I tell you, by de way,
Massa Femont first did say,
In Missouri, where de bellion was so strong,
Dat de nigger must be free,
But Abe didn't jes agree,
So he "modify," an' dat we tink was wrong.

CHORUS
But now he's gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!

3.
Massa Burnside take de view,
Dat de nigger am as true
As de white folks, or as any oder man;
So he nebber dribe us back,
When de hound was on our track,
An' de Lord stan' by him ebry time he plan.

CHORUS
But, Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!


4.
But MeClellan tho't de way,
Was to hab de niggers stay,
Diggin' trenches for de rebels, in de sun,
While de Yankee sojers work,
With de shovel and de dirt,
When dey ought to use de saber an' de gun.

CHORUS
But, Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!

5.
Massa Hunter did contend
Dat de Government depend
On de nigger with his pick-axe an' his spade;
Dat de Yankee boys could fight,
But dey nebbertink it right,
For to take up diggin' ditches as a trade.

CHORUS
But, Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!

6.
I spose de white folks know
Dat ole massa Colyer go,
For to teach de niggers how to write an' read;
But dat Stanley, Linkum send,
To de people did contend,
Dat ob such a ting we niggers hab no need.

CHORUS
But, Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!

7.
O, de niggers like to tell,
Massa Halleck, mighty well,
When de rebels dere at Corinth run away,
But ob course dat couldn't be,
When his "order number tree,"
Dribe de niggers out beyon' de lines to stay.

CHORUS
But, Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!

8.
O, ye niggers, let us sing
Hallelujah to de King,
Dat de Lord may bless de Yankee sogers brave!
O, I tink I hear dey'r song,
As dey proudly march along,
To redeem de poor an' broken-hearted slave.

CHORUS
But, Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!

9.
Bress de Lord forebermore,
For we almos' see de shore
Ob de happy land ob Canaan in sight!
An' our eyes, dat look in tears
Through de long an' bitter years,
Catch de gleamin' ob de comin' ob de light!

CHORUS
For Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Glory, hallelujerum!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys,
Oh! Glory!
Ole Abe has gone an' did it, boys, he's
Signed de confiscation laws,
Liberty an' freedom ours,
Oh! Glory!