A BANJO SONG

Oh, dere‘ s lots o’ keer an’ trouble

In dis world to swaller down;

An’ ol’ Sorrer‘ s purty lively

In her way o’ gittin’ roun’.

Yet dere's times when I furgit em,—

Aches an’ pains an’ troubles all,—

An’ it's when I tek at ebenin’

My ol’ banjo f'om de wall.

‘ Bout de time dat night is fallin’

An’ my daily wu'k is done,

An’ above de shady hilltops

I kin see de settin’ sun;

When de quiet, restful shadders

Is beginnin’ jes’ to fall,—

Den I take de little banjo

F'om its place upon de wall.

Den my fam'ly gadders roun’ me

In de fadin’ o’ de light,

Ez I strike de strings to try‘ em

Ef dey all is tuned er-right.

An’ it seems we‘ re so nigh heaben

We kin hyeah de angels sing

When de music o’ dat banjo

Sets my cabin all er-ring.

An’ my wife an’ all de othahs,—

Male an’ female, small an’ big,—

Even up to gray-haired granny,

Seem jes’ boun’ to do a jig;

‘ Twell I change de style o’ music,

Change de movement an’ de time,

An’ de ringin’ little banjo

Plays an ol’ hea't-feelin’ hime.

An’ somehow my th'oat gits choky,

An’ a lump keeps tryin’ to rise

Lak it wan'ed to ketch de water

Dat was flowin’ to my eyes;

An’ I feel dat I could sorter

Knock de socks clean off o’ sin

Ez I hyeah my po’ ol’ granny

Wif huh tremblin’ voice jine in.

Den we all th'ow in our voices

Fu’ to he'p de chune out too,

Lak a big camp-meetin’ choiry

Tryin’ to sing a mou'nah th'oo.

An’ our th'oahts let out de music,

Sweet an’ solemn, loud an’ free,

‘ Twell de raftahs o’ my cabin

Echo wif de melody.

Oh, de music o’ de banjo,

Quick an’ deb'lish, solemn, slow,

Is de greates’ joy an’ solace

Dat a weary slave kin know!

So jes’ let me hyeah it ringin’,

Dough de chune be po’ an’ rough,

It's a pleasure; an’ de pleasures

O’ dis life is few enough.

Now, de blessed little angels

Up in heaben, we are told,

Do n't do nothin’ all dere lifetime

‘ Ceptin’ play on ha'ps o’ gold.

Now I think heaben‘ d be mo’ homelike

Ef we‘ d hyeah some music fall

F'om a real ol’ - fashioned banjo,

Like dat one upon de wall.