Then I fought this old, rough world, For I had lost my valued pearl. And now she sleeps beneath the sod; It brought me deep sorrow though it’s the will of God.
Just think of my mother, she guides me yet, And keeps me away from those sinful nets. All through life, from place to place, She ne’er let alcohol enter my taste.
And I’ve ne’er lived a day I want to live o’er, Unless it was school days which I could love more, Now I’ll thank God and that sweet little her, My life’s been rough, but never a blur.
A heart without love And nowhere to build, The mind wanders far, Leaving the soul to chill.
She’ll always be Sweet like the breath you give In trying to console me. I hope you’re not leaving, ’Twould break my heart to think, I love you better than all the rest, For your petals are all over pink. Cheer up! little rose, With your petals looking mad, My sweet heart is dying, That’s why I’m looking sad. Oh! there is your companions And they are blooming all gay, But I wonder if you know My love is to pass away, But forever in my memory.
Lody, Lody, chile am yo heard de nues, Ole Ruby Gee go dem late stile shoes (no!) Yo noes dem kin wid de heel so high, An all de men’s jist looks when she goes by, Course she ain’t as swell as she thinks she am, ef all ports am true. She oder member, dat I noder, when she worned a boot an a shoe. Mursey me, I kin seed her now in church a gazen aroun Tryen to make eber body seer, so de nues, kin spread de town. But um goner taut alls in de quar jist how to act renoun An when Ole Ruby Gee comes in church we kin gider one pison frown. Oh! but I loves dat uman jist like I loves a snake, An I ain’t fogot how tonny she acted don at Ras Johnson’s wake. Eber time dey passed de coffee she’d tuck it an kinder linger, An put on de mostest airs, posen her little finger. Dar she sit an sip, an saped, An droped de hol cup in her lap. Mursey me, I laughed, tell my sides almos buss, Den we had one awful fuss, But bleave me, chile, I helt my groun, Ef things did look powful dark aroun. An ef it hadn’t ben fo waken uv de dead Dah ben one awful pullen uv de heads. Yo nows fo a minit I acted refine, But after dat she got a piece uv my mine. Den eber body look all eck mased, Sam Thomptson whispered to drunken Hays, What yo spose dey am fusen about. Well sur we broke up dat wake, widout a dout, Den all along de streets on our wah home ’twas a site befo de king, We was a gibberen an a gabberen, an bof un us sushed When dat troll-bell ring. Den we was quiet where de siety folks lived An we hardly drewed our breff, But when we’s out uv dat part uv toun I nocked her rite an lef.