“The Poor Old Slave”
Description
"The poor old slave is dead and gone, We know that he is free. Disturb him not, but let him rest, Away down in Tennessee." "The poor old slave is gone to rest, No master does he fear, Disturb him not...."
Supplemental text
Poor Old Slave, The
Complete text(s)
*** A ***
The Po' Ole Slave
From Mary Wheeler, Steamboatin' Days, p. 118. No background information
given.
The po' ole slave is dead an' gone,
We know that he is free.
Disturb him not, but let him rest
Away down in Tennessee.
The po' ole slave is gone to rest,
No master does he fear,
Disturb him not, but let him rest
Away down in Tennessee.
*** B ***
Poor Old Slave
The Digital Tradition version, contributed by Susan Friedman.
No source is listed, but her keyword tags imply that she (or
someone) learned it as a camp song.
The poor old slave has gone to rest
We know that he is free.
His bones, they lie, disturb them nay.
Way down in Tennessee.
The poor, poor old slave, slave has gone, gone, to rest, rest
We know, know that he, he is free, free, free
His bones, bones, they lie, lie dis-turb, -turb them nay, nay
Way down, down in Tenn-, Tennessee, see, see
The pop-poor old slop-slave has gop-gone to rop-rest
We knop-know that hop-he is free, free, free
His bop-bones they lop-lie dis-top-turb them nop-nay
Way dop-down in Top-Tennesee, see see.
The piggily-poor old sliggily-slave has giggily-gone to riggily-rest
We kniggily-know that higgily-he is free, free, free
His biggily-bones they liggily-lie dis-tiggily-turb them niggily-nay
Way diggily-down in Tiggily-Tennessee, see, see.
Notes
The Digital Tradition has a (camp?) version of this in which the singer inserts nonsense syllables. But Wheeler's text, though short, seems to ensure that this is a parody -- or rather an expansion -- of a serious song (perhaps a spiritual). - RBW
References
- MWheeler, p. 118, "Th Po' Old Slave" (1 text, 1 tune)
- DT, POORSLAV
- ST MWhee118 (Full)
- Roud #10049
- BI, MWhee118