Annotation:Old Joe (3)

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OLD JOE (3). American, Air (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. A minstrel song . The lyrics to the Ethiopian Serenader's version [1], published in 1848 and attributed to T. Halliday, go:

The Ethiopian Serenaders, 1848

A man down south I once did know;
His head it was as white as snow;
He went down to de Ball one night,
De fust Gal he saw, she was clear out ob sight.

Chorus:
Ole Joe, ole Joe, a kicking up a hind and a foe,
And a yellow Gal a kicking up a hind ole Joe,
Ole Joe a kicking upa a hind and a foe;
And a yellow Gal a kicking up a hind ole Joe.

To a man at de door he den did say,
O who's dat color'd Gal I pray;
Ob de Balldis night she is de Wenus,
Dey call her Roas Clementenus.

Old Joe he walk wid her aside,
And said ole Gal will you be my bride;
She says, dear Joe I must confess,
I really lubs you much de best.

Dey married, but 'tis sad to say,
Dat ole Joe's wife went dead one day;
Dis gib old nigger Joe de blue,
He turn'd round and went dead too.

Last Chorus:
Old Joe, Joe's done kicking up a hind and a foe,
For Death stopp'd de kicking up ob poor old Joe.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Gumbo Chaff (The Complete Preceptor for the Banjo), 1851; p. 16.

Recorded sources:

See also listing at:
See/hear the tune played on gourd banjo on youtube.com [2]

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