“Natural Born Reacher”
Description
"De white man say de times is hahd, Nigger never worries, 'case he trust in de Lawd. No matter how hahd de times may be, Chicken never roost too high foh me." He recalls "Freeze," who died in a fight and now cuts no ice. He is a "nachel-bawn reacher."
Supplemental text
Natural Born Reacher
Partial text(s)
*** A ***
I'm a Nachel-Bawn Reacher
From Dorothy Scarborough, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs,
pp. 232-233. Supplied by Mrs. M. L. Riddle; the ultimate source
is not listed but was probably from east Tennessee.
De white man say de times is hahd,
Nigger never worries, 'case he trust in de Lawd.
No matter how hahd de times may be,
Chickens never roost too high foh me.
Chorus
I'm a nachel-bawn reacher,
Jus' a nachel-bawn reacher,
Jus' a nachel-bawn reacher,
Dat's no lie.
Once I knew a man by de name of Freeze,
Among de gals he was all de cheese.
He was twice as frosty as his name,
He never lacked de letter dat never came.
(1 additional stanza plus variant chorus)
References
- Scarborough-NegroFS, pp. 232-233, "I'm a Nachel-Bawn Reacher" (1 text, 1 tune)
- ST ScNF232B (Partial)
- BI, ScNF232B