482
Sugar Babe
It seems best to retain this title for the present medley, because it is the refrain that gives it such coherence as it has. The first stanza, about bringing the speaker the chicken wing, is found — commonly in connection with the explanation that his woman works in the white folks' yard" — in North Carolina (ANFS 322), Ala-
bama (ANFS 242, 301-2), Mississippi (JAFL xxviii 135-6), and
without definite location in JAFL xxiv 356, NS 214-15, TNFS 235,
and in Spaeth's text of 'Mona' {Read 'Em and U'ccp 124-5). The
mule-driver and his singletree appear in Alabama (ANFS 229)
and without specific location in Talley 42 and JAFL xxiv 264.
None of these have the "Sugar Babe" refrain, though some of them
have something like the "this-u mornin'" tag.
'Sugar Babe.' From the singing of Marvin Bowman, Olin Township
and Third Creek, Iredell county, probably in 1922.
1 Oh. kill-a me a chicken and bring me the wing, this-ti
mornin'.
Oh, kill-a me a chicken and bring me the wing, this-u
mornin',
My honey babe, my little babe, my sweet baby, so sweet ;
Oh, kill-a me a chicken and bring me the wing ;
You may think I work-a but I won't do a thing, this
mornin", this mornin',
My honey babe, my little baby, so sweet.
2 I had an old mule and the mule wouldn't gee, this-u
mornin',
I had an old mule and the mule wouldn't gee, this-u
mornin'.
My honey babe, my little babe, my sweet baby, so sweet,
I had an old mule and the mule wouldn't gee ; I hit him
on the head with a singletree, this mornin', this evenin',
My honey babe, my little baby, so sweet.
3 I took my girl to the crawfish stand, this mornin',
I took my girl to the crawfish stand, this mornin'.
My honey babe, my sugar babe, my sw'eet baby, so sweet ;
I took my girl to the crawfish stand, she fell in love with
the crawfish man, this mornin', this evenin'.
My honey babe, my sugar babe, my sugar baby so sweet.
4 I took my girl to the milkshake stand, this mornin',
I took my girl to the milkshake stand, this mornin'.
My honey babe, my sugar babe, my sweet baby so sweet ;
I took my girl to the milkshake stand, she fell in love
with the milkshake man, this mornin'. this evenin'.
M}- honey babe, my sugar babe, my sugar baby so sweet.
5 1 slipped in tlu' kilchfu and slipped olT the lid. this
niornin".
1 slip])ed in the kitchen and sli])ped (A'i the lid. this
nujrnin'.
My honey hahe. my sui^ar hahe. ni}- sweet hahy so sweet;
1 slip])e(l in the kitchen and slipped off the lid.
1 slipped my jxtckets full of sJKjrtenin' hread. this mcjrnin',
this evenin'.
My honey hahe. my sugar hahe, my sugar hahy so sweet.
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482
Sugar Babe
'Sugar Babe.' Sung by Marion Bowman, Olin Township and Third Creek,
Iredell county, about 1922. For additional texts cf. RaW 124; ANS 241;
FSUSA 106 (same text). Bascom Lamar Lunsford told this writer that he
sang this tune to Dr. Gordon in 1903. Somehow, this tune seems to point to
the black-face period for its origin.
F-443
Oh, kUl - a chick - en and - a bring
me the wing, this - u morn - in'. Oh, kill
chick -en and - a bring me the wing, this - u mom -in', My
hon - ey babe, my Ut - tie babe, my sweet ba - by, so
sweet; Oh, kill - a me a chick - en, and - a bring me
the wing; You may think I work - a but I won't do
a thing, this * mom - ing,
this even - in' My
hon - ey babe, my lit - tie ba - by, so sweet.
Scale : Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center : e-flat. Structure : abcbiddiecifdS
(2,1,2,1,1,1,2,2,4,4) = abcbidci (3,3,4,2,4,4) ; d^ of the first subdivision is
considerably modified.