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Carve That Possum (Carve 'im To the Heart)
Old-Time Breakdown and Minstrel Song- Oklahoma, Tennessee, Southeast; Words and Music by Sam Lucas Pub in Boston: John F. Perry & Co, 1875.
ARTIST: JOAFL Howard Odum 1911
View Original Sheet Music: Page 1; Page 2
Listen: Uncle Dave Macon- Carve That Possum
RECORDING INFO: Macon, Uncle Dave. Go 'Long Mule, County 545, LP (1981), cut# 5 . Macon, Uncle Dave; & the/his Fruit Jar Drinkers. Going Down The Valley; Vocal & Instrumental Music from the South, New1 World1 NW 236, LP (1977), cut# 9.
OTHER NAMES: “Possum Meat;” “Carve That Possum Lucas,” "Possum Pie"
SOURCES: Thede’s Fiddle Book, Oak, Bk (1967), p 69 (Possum Pie) Randolph 276, "The Possum Song" (3 texts, 2 tunes); Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc;
NOTES:Key of G- One Part; Similar melody to Boil 'Em Cabbage Down. Sam Lucas was one of the leading African-American minstrel composers and performers in the late 1800’s. His “Shivering and Shaking Out in the Cold" shows Lucas in the role portrayed by the song, and the song was sung in the pioneering African-American drama Out of Bondage, but the song itself contains neither dialect nor racial references. In the 1880's Lucas would be joined by Gussie L. Davis as an African-American writer of popular songs that were not racially specific; by the turn of the century such songs would be fairly common (Chris Smith would write "The Irish Were Egyptians Long Ago"), but Sam Lucas was the pioneer.
CARVE 'IM TO DE HEART- JOAFL Howard Odum 1911
For a long time the 'possum and the 'tater, the chicken and the watermelon, have been considered the requisites of the negro's happiness. He himself admits that this would make a good heaven. Formerly he sung of two seasons when "the good Lord fed the *negro;" namely, in blackberry time and when the watermelons were ripe. He
is much the same to-day, and the 'possum is still proverbial. "Carve dat 'Possum" smacks with good times for the negro. His recipe is quite appetizing. This is a well-known song, and much quoted.
Well, 'possum meat's so nice an' sweet,
Carve 'im to de heart;
You'll always find hit good ter eat,
Carve 'im to de heart.
Carve dat 'possum,
Carve dat 'possum, chillun,
Carve dat 'possum,
Oh, carve 'im to de heart.
My ole dog treed, I went to see,
Carve 'im to de heart;
Dar wus a 'possum in dat tree,
Carve 'im to de heart.
I went up dar to fetch 'im down,
Carve 'im to de heart.
I bus' 'im open agin de groun,
Carve 'im to de heart.
De way ter cook de 'possum nice,
Carve 'im to de heart;
Fust parbile 'im, stir 'im twice,
Carve 'im to de heart.
Den lay sweet 'taters in de pan,
Carve 'im to de heart;
Nuthin' beats dat in de lan',
Carve 'im to de heart.
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