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Jaybird II
Traditional Song, US
ARTIST: African-American collector Thomas Talley printed a version in his book Negro Folk Rhymes (reprinted in 1991, edited by Charles Wolfe)
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Early 1900’s
NOTES: Form AB. The “Jaybird”African-American collector Thomas Talley printed a version in his book Negro Folk Rhymes (reprinted in 1991, edited by Charles Wolfe), accompanied by a completely different tune than Jaybird I.
De Jaybird jump from lim' to lim',
An' he tell Br'er Rabbit to do lak him.
Br'er Rabbit say to de cunnin' elf,
"You jes want me to fall an' kill myself."
Chorus: I loves dem shorten gals!
I loves dem shorten gals!
Oh, have mercy on my soul!
Dat Jaybird a-settin' on a swingin' lim',
He wink at me an' I wink at him.
He laught at me when my gun "crack",
It kick me down on de flat o' my back.
Nex' day de Jaybird dance dat lim.'
I grabs my gun fer to shoot at him.
When I "crack" down, it split my chin,
"Ole Aggie Cunjer" fly lak sin.
Way down yon'er at de risin' sun,
Jaybird a-talkin' wid a forked tongue.
He's been down dar whar de bad mens dwell,
"Ole Friday Devil," fare-you-well!
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