416. My Long Tail Blue
S. Foster Damon, in Series of Old Ajiicriccvi Songs, says that
'My Long Tail Blue' was the first song of the Negro dandy and
that George Washington Dixon, who sang it as early as 1827,
claimed authorship of it. Damon prints a copy of the early sheet
music. One of the earliest blackface minstrel favorites, the song
appears in Christy's Negro Songster (New York, 1855), pp. 149-50
(pagination of the book irregular), with chorus. The following
version corresponds roughly to stanzas i. 2, and 4 in Christy's.
It has changed locale and dropped political allusions to Andrew-
Jackson.
"My Long Tail Blue.' From Miss Zilpah Rebecca Frisbie, Marion,
McDowell county, c. 1923.
1 I's come to town to see 3'ou all.
And ax ye howdy do,
And sing a song not very long
Abotit my long tail blue.
2 Some darkies has but one coat.
But you see I's got two.
I wears my jacket all the week.
And Sunday my long tail blue.
3 As I went up Tutton Street,
I hollered atter Sue.
A watchman came and took me up,
And tore my long tail blue.
4 I took it to a tailor's shop
To see what he cotild do ;
He took a needle and some thread
An' mended my long tail blue.
5 Jim Crow was courting a yaller gal,
De darkies called her Sue,
You bet I backed that nigger out.
And swung my long tail blue.
6 If you want to win a lady's heart,
I'll tell you what to do —
Go down to a tiptop tailor's sliop.
And bu\' you a long tail blue.