II. 4. LULLABIES
[Daddy Shot a Bear is Old Molly Hare.]
CONTENTS II. 4. Lullabies
Mamma's Gone to the Mail Boat
Ol' Hag, You See Mammy?
Daddy Shot a Bear
Hush, Li'l Baby
Crabe dans Calalou
Mary Was a Red Bird
Cotton Eye Joe
II. 4. LULLABIES
Seven lullabies from five Southern states—two from low-country South Carolina, two from middle Alabama, one from Creole New Orleans, one from the pine woods of southeast Texas, and one from the Tennessee mountain country.
MAMMA'S GONE TO THE MAIL BOAT
b. No. 1033. "Mom" Tina Russell, Negro. Murrells Inlet, S.C., 1937.
1. Bye-o, baby, bye,
Bye-o, baby, bye,
Mamma's gone to the mail boat,
Mamma's gone to the mail boat, Bye.
2 Go to sleepy, baby, bye, (2)
Father's gone to the mail boat, (2) Bye.
OL' HAG, YOU SEE MAMMY?
eK No. 909. Aunt Stella Horry, Negro, Murrells Inlet^ S.C., 1935.
1. Ol' hag, you see Mammy? No, no.
OP hag, you see Mammy? No, no.
Mammy carry bubby goin? to ilant,*
Pappy goin? to seasho\ Row boat for catfish, row boat.
* Island.
DADDY SHOT A BEAR
No. 948. Annie Brewer, Montgomery, Ala., 1937. Patting song.
Daddy shot a bear,
Daddy shot a bear.
Shot him through the keyhole
An' never touch a hair . . .
On and on as long as the baby likes it.
HUSH, LI'L' BABY
No. 878. Annie Brewer, Montgomery, Ala., 1937. See Sh, 2:342.
Hush, li'l' ba-by, don' say a word,
Mam-ma's gon-na buy you a mock-in' bird.
1 Hush, li'l' baby, don' say a word,
Mamma's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
2 If that mockin' bird don' sing,
Mamma's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
3 If that diamond ring turn brass,
Mamma's gonna buy you a lookin' glass.
4 If that lookin' glass gets broke,
Mamma's gonna buy you a billygoat.
5 If that billygoat won' pull,
Mamma's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
6 If that cart and bull turn over,
Mamma's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
7 If that dog named Rover won' bark,
Mamma's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
8 If that horse and cart fall down,
You'll be the sweetest girl in town.
CRABE DANS CALALOU
ft. No. 889. Ernestine Laban and Amelie Alexandre, New Orleans, La., Lafont Catholic Home, 1937.
This Creole Negro lullaby from New Orleans is sung in an almost identical form in Haiti. It was probably brought to New Orleans by the slaves of those French planters who escaped to Louisiana after the successful revolt of the Haitian Negroes.
1. Fais dodo, mon fils,
Crabe dans calalou;
Fais dodo, mon fils,
Crabe dans calalou.
Papa, li couri la riviere, Maman, li couri pecher crabe.
2 Fais dodo, mon fils, Crabe dans calalou,
Fais dodo, mon fils, Crabe dans calalou.
Papa moin couri la riviere,
Maman moin couri pecher crabe,
1 Go to sleep, my son,
Crabs are in the pot,
Go to sleep, my son,
Crabs are in the pot.
Paw, he's gone to the riverside,
Maw, she's gone off a-catching crab.
2 Go to sleep, my son,
Crabs are in the pot
3 Go to sleep, my son, Crabs are in the pot.
My paw's down at the riverside, My maw's gone off a-catching crab.
3 Dodo, ma filie, Crabe dans calalou;
Dodo, ma filie, Crabe dans calalou.
3 Sleep, baby mine,
Crabs are in the pot;
Sleep, baby mine.
Crabs are in the pot.
MARY WAS A RED BIRD
No. 2662. Henry Truvillion, Newton, Texas, 1939, assisted by Ruby Lee Truvillion, 8 years. "An old slavery-time song, come down through our white folks an' our family to me, Henry Truvillion, Jr., and my little girl, Ruby Lee."
1. Mary wore her red dress, red dress, red dress,
Mary wore her red dress
All day long.
2 Mary wore her red hat, red hat, red hat,
Mary wore her red hat
All day long.
3 Mary wore her red shoes, etc.
4 Mary wore her red gloves, etc.
5 Mary made a red cake, etc.
6 Where'd you git yo? shoes fum, etc.
7 Got 'em fum de dry goods, etc.
8 Where'd you git yo' butter * fum, etc.
9 Got it fum de grocy, etc.
10. Where'd you git yo? gloves fum, tic.
11 Got 'em fum de dry goods, etc.
12 Mary was a red bird, red bird, red bird,
Mary was a red bird
All day long!
* "If the baby don* go to sleep by now, you can jes* keep on an' on, th'ough all de ingreemunts oJ de cake."
COTTON EYE JOE
Margaret Valiant and Tannis Tugwell, 1937. They learned the song from a mountain woman in Tennessee. See L0.2, p. 2625 Whi, p. 3595 Sc.i, p. 69. See No. 1619.
1. Where did you come from,
Where did you go?
Where did you come from,
Cotton Eye Joe?
2 Come for to see you,
Come for to sing,
Come for to show you
My diamond ring.