420
Uncle Ned
The original 'Uncle Ned' was composed by Stephen C. Foster,
copyrijfht 1848. As a song, or more often as a rhyme, it is known
by most Southern people. It was early parodied (see B, below),
aiid the parody, too, has achieved some traditional diffusion. See
Randolph OFS ii 335-6.
A
'Uncle Ned.' From K. P. Lewis, Durham, c. 191 5, as set down in
November 1910 from Dr. Kemp P. Battle. Chapel Hill.
1 There was an old darkey, and his name was Uncle Ned,
And he lived a long time ago.
And he had no wool on the top of his head.
In the place where the wool ought to grow.
Chorus:
Lay down the shovel and the hoe.
Hang up the fiddle and the bow.
There's no more work for poor old Uncle Ned,
For he's gone where the good darkies go.
2 His fingers were as long as the cane in the brake,
And he had no eyes for to see.
And he had no teeth for to eat the corn cake.
So he had to let the corn cake be.
3 \\'hen Uncle Ned died. Missus took it very hard.
And the tears ran down like the rain,
And the darkies all said when they saw the old man dead,
They would never see his like again.
B
From the same informants, with note: "First verse of above [parodied]
as smig by Hon. R. H. Battle of Raleigh." S. Andrews, New York,
one of the early penny song publishers, printed this parody. The Battle
version of it shows a number of variations.
There was an ancient colored individual, and his cog-
nomen was Uncle Edward,
And he lived in the time long since past.
506 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And he had no capillary substance on the summit of his
])ericranium.
In the place where the capillary sul)stance is accustomed
to vegetate.
Lay the agricultural implements prone upon the floor,
Let the musical instruments be suspended on the wall,
For there's no more arduous labor to be performed by
ancient Uncle Edward.
For he's gone to the place designated by kind Provi-
dence for good kind colored individuals.
c
'Uncle Ned.' From Miss Lucille Cheek, Chatham county; no date. This,
like the Battle A version, shows numerous changes of the original printed
text of 1848.
1 There was an old darkey, and his name was Uncle Ned ;
He died long ago, long ago.
He had no hair on the top of his head
The place where the hair ought to grow.
Chorus:
Then lay down your sho\el and your hoe,
Hang up your fiddle and your bow ;
For there's no more work for poor Uncle Ned,
He's gone where the good darkies go.
2 One cold frosty morning when Uncle Ned died
The tears streamed down like rain,
For we knew when we put that darkey in his grave
We'd never see his like again.
-----------------------------
420
Uncle Ned
'Uncle Ned.' Sung by Dr. I. G. Greer to this editor at the former's home
at Chapel Hill, in 1953. The stanza is a mixture of the A and C versions;
part of the chorus is new. For other versions cf. MSON 84 and OFS ll
385.
F-390
old dar - key, and his name was
There was Un - cle Ned, And he died long a go,
long a ' He had wool the top of his
head, In the place where the wool ought to grow. Won't you
lay down your shov - el and your hoe? Won't you
tune up your fid - die and your bow? There's no more work for
poor old Ned; He's gone where the good- dark - ies go.
Scale: Hexachordal. Tonal Center: c. Structure: abacaibiaic (2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2)
= aa^a^aS (4,4,4,4). The tonal center is the lowest tone.
'Old Uncle Ned.' Sung by Miss E. F. Jones, Bladen county, August 4, 1921.
There is no text given in the ms score, and none of the texts of the printed
versions (III 505-6) will fit our tune. The first eight measures definitely
point to 'Yankee Doodle,' and measures 9-12 to 'He's a Jolly Good Fellow.'
F-391
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: abccd (4,4,2,2,4)
= ab plus mmn = strophe plus bar. The beginning of b is like that of a.