Oh! Lemuel! Go Down to de Cotton Field
Written & Composed by Stephen C. Foster
Baltimore: F. D. Benteen, 1850

As Done by the Christy Minstrels
Also by the Campbell's Minstrels &c. &c.

Oh! Lemuel my lark,
Oh Lemuel my beau,
I's guine to gib a ball tonight
I'd hab you for to know;
But if you want to dance,
Just dance outside de door,
Becayse your feet so berry large
Dey'll cover all de floor.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Lemuel I say!
Go down to de cotton field,
And bring de boys away.


CHORUS:
Go down to de cotton field!
Go down, I say!
Go down and call de Nigga boys all,
We'll work no more today.

Oh! Lemuel my hope,
Oh! Lemuel my joy
I'll tell you who'll be at de ball
My woolly headed boy.
Dere's Nelly Bly, you know,
And Juliana Snow,
Dere's cane-brake Kitty likes de boys,
And she'll be sure to go.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Lemuel I say!
Go down to de cotton field,
And bring de boys away.

Oh! Lemuel is tall,
Oh! Lemuel is fair,
Oh Lemuel has gone today
To take de morning air.
He makes de fiddle hum,
He makes de banjo tum,
He rattles on de old jaw bone,
And beats upon de drum.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Lemuel I say!
Go down to de cotton field,
And bring de boys away.


The Lester S. Levy Collection


ARTISTS:
  THE CANEBRAKE MINSTRELS
FIDDLE: "Justin Case"; BANJO: "Amos Nandy";
FLUTE & LEAD VOCALS: "Juba Lee"; BONES:
"Williub Weaber"; TAMBOURINE: "Moses Linkum."


© 2004 THE CANEBRAKE MINSTRELS,
All rights reserved.



REFURBISHED BY
Adam Soroka
Digital Media Center, Clemons Library