Swing dat hammer—hunh—
Steady, bo';
Swing dat hammer—hunh—
Steady, bo';
Ain't no rush, bebby,
Long ways to go.
Burner tore his—hunh—
Black heart away;
Burner tore his—hunh—
Black heart away;
Got me life, bebby,
An' a day.
Gal's on Fifth Street—hunh—
Son done gone;
Gal's on Fifth Street—hunh—
Son done gone;
Wife's in de ward, bebby,
Babe's not bo'n.
My ole man died—hunh—
Cussin' me;
My ole man died—hunh—
Cussin' me;
Ole lady rocks, bebby,
Huh misery.
Doubleshackled—hunh—
Guard behin';
Doubleshackled—hunh—
Guard behin';
Ball an' chain, bebby,
On my min'.
White man tells me—hunh—
Damn yo' soul;
White man tells me—hunh—
Damn yo' soul;
Got no need, bebby,
To be tole.
Chain gang nevah—hunh—
Let me go;
Chain gang nevah—hunh—
Let me go;
Po' los' boy, bebby,
Evahmo' . . .
Notes
Oft times in the cottenfield of the deep South, cotton pickers (slaves)chanted songs that were about their masters, but because of broken dialect, the masters were unable to understand the lyrics. The masters often mocked the slaves who were in actuality mocking them.
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Meaning of Poem
From guest Ian Rab (contact)
I believe that this poem is meant for railroad workers, or "gandydancers." The -hunh- would have been when they hit the spike, the title would refer to a railroad name(i.e. the Southern RR), and the fact that slavery had been abolished well before 1901.
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