If you ne’er look before you leap In trying to get money by the heap, To lengthen joy rides in beautiful cars, Soon you will land behind the bars, This spreads a shadow on the beauty of life.
If you’re easy persuaded in doing wrong Your heart will pay with a little sad song, When company isn’t right, travel alone. Then ask God to give you a mind of your own, And you’ll never shadow the beauty of life.
Each happy thought may be followed by sorrow, It can steal away your smiles for to-morrow. The hours we are happy to our lives means a goal, Value happy thoughts for we are fast growing old, Walk a narrow path and from happiness borrow, For happiness could change in the next hour Then sorrow, like rainfall, could pour in showers.
Oh! sinful shawl That holds me tight, Were you off my shoulders I’d be straight from this night.
My sorrow’s too great To e’er be told. I being so weak And easy to infold.
You have taken my strength And let me fall. May this be a lesson To us one and all.
When the sun goes down in the Golden West, Night blankets all nature at rest. Far in the east, creeps up the silvery moon, The night birds then begin to spoon.
A heart that is a dangerous one Is a heart that cannot hold a secret.
Fate rules, time brings about All of God’s blessing that’s in store for us.
A restful night makes bright the morn, This leads on to endless joy Making life worth while.
War is over, peace is signed, Will the colored man be in the place he used to find? Well, he really should not for in the war he was true And he’s waiting now to see what Democracy will do. Stand up! America, you’re the land of the noble and free, But you’re letting other countries mention things you ought to see. Oh! but we will live in hopes without a thought of feeling blue, But remember our little children knows what Democracy ought to do. Now to be frank, with you America and other countries know Just how you treat the colored man, with that awful old jimcrow. We can be intelligent, dressed sufficient, when we walk in, As a rule we are grossly insulted on the account of the color of skin.
I had a dream, America, just a dream of you. But I hope it was a nightmare only passing through. I saw you in another war, cannons roared, before declared, But if I were you I’d stay at home and clean my own golden stairs. Oh, but we will praise the Lord, from whom all blessings flow and sing And watch that word Democracy, for we know what it ought to bring.