474
Cold Frosty Morning
A variant of the second stanza of a song in WHiite ANFS 382.
Cf. a song in John A. Lomax's "Some Ballads and Songs of North
Carolina," Xorth Carolina Booklet, Vol. XI, No. i, pp. 2j-i): and
'On a Cold Frosty Morning,' Randolph OFS 11 365-6.
From Miss Clara Hearne, Pittsboro, Chatliam county (also Roanoke
Rapids, Halifax county, c. 1923).
1 Cold frosty morning, nigger mighty good.
Axe on his shoulder, choppin' up de wood.
2 Little piece of ash cake, an' a little piece ti' fat —
White folks grumhle ef you eat all u' dat.
'Hop Up de Doodle' (with music). From W. N. \'auglian, Durham
(later Lillington, Harnett county): text undated (c. 1921).
On a cold frosty morning when a nigger feels good.
He'll hop up de hoodie doodle do ;
Have his axe on his shf)ulder, he's off to de woods,
He'll hop up de hoodie doodle do.
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474
Cold Frosty Morning
'Hop Up de Doodle.' Sung by W. N. Vaughan, Durham, about 1921. The
initial skip of a seventh seems somewhat doubtful, the more so, as the
repetition (measure 5) would indicate that the singer overshot his mark. For
textual variants cf. FSoA 116 (Work Song) and TNFS 71 'Old Jessie,' be-
ginning only; also JAFL vi 131.
F-437
On cold frost morn - in when nig - ger feels good, He'll hop
up de hoo - die doo - die
do; Have his axe on his shoul - der, he's off to
the woods, He'll hop up de doo - die doo - die do.
Scale: Pentachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abaib^ (2,2,2,2)
= aai (4,4).