SOURCE: Phil. Rice's Correct Method for the Banjo (1858) [ wp.me/p2Gcqf-sR ]
MORE INFO & SOURCE LINKS: [ wp.me/p2Gcqf-z7 ]
lyrics
Such a gwine around de horn and a cotchin ob de cold,
And a waitin round de table on de white folks,
Such a scratchin ob de grabble, and a diggin ob de gold,
Oh [ NOW I'VE GOT TO ] trabble wid de white folks.
To de land,
Oh to de land,
To de land,
Oh to de land,
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh fare you well my lub, now I bid to you adieu,
For I’m off for Nicaragua in de mornin.
I stopped on de Isthmus my fortune for to try,
To sing dis song and play for Gen’l Walker,
Oh I neber shall forget until de day I die,
Dere was hard times den in Nicaragua.
To de land, &c.
I struck em up a tune, and dey all begin to plance,
Dis music ebry one took great delight in.
It made em think of home when dey got thro’ de dance,
Oh dey’re de boys dats got de game for fightin.
To de land, &c.
Dey blowed upon de fife, and beat upon de drum,
When dey found de Costa Ricans was advancin,
Gen’l Walker said, guess wed better let em come,
Dey shall hab a ball, to set em all a dancin.
To de land, &c.
De little grey eyed man begin to call aloud,
De figures for to set de ball in motion,
We’ll furnish dem wid music and feel it mighty proud,
Now go in boys, and make em change dare notion.
To de land, &c.
So we pull’d off our coats, and we rolled up our sleeves,
You ought to see de Costa Ricans trabble,
Jordan was a hard road dey all began to believe,
For de todder side dey gin to scratch a grabble.
To de land, &c.
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