The day is done, night comes down
Ye are long ways from home--
Oh, run, nigger, run, patter-roller git you.
Yaller gal look and trine keep you overtime,
De bell done rung, overseer hallowing loud--
Oh, rull, nigger, run.
Do, please, marster, don't ketch me,
Ketch dat nigger behin' dat tree;
He stole money en I stole none,
Put him in the calaboose des for fun!
Chorus:
Run, nigger, run, de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
De nigger run, de nigger flew,
De nigger los' his Sunday shoe.
Run, nigger, run, de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
[and/or] Chorus:
Oh, run, nigger, run! de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
Oh, run, nigger, run! de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
Some folks say dat a nigger won't steal,
But I kotch one in my corn-fiel';
He run ter de eas', he run ter de wes',
He run he head in a hornet nes'!
De sun am set, dis nigger am free;
De yaller gals he goes to see;
I heard a man cry, "Run, doggone you,"
Run, nigger, run, patter-roller ketch you.
Wid eyes wide open and head hangin' down,
Like de rabbit before de houn',
Dis nigger streak it for de pasture;
Nigger run fast, white man run faster.
And ober de fence as slick as a eel
Dis nigger jumped all but his heel;
De white man ketch dat fast, you see,
And tied it tight aroun' de tree.
Dis nigger heard dat old whip crack,
But nebber stopped fur to look back;
I started home as straight as a bee
And left my heel tied aroun' de tree.
My ol' Miss, she prommus me
Dat when she die, she set me free;
But she done dead dis many year ago,
En yer I'm hoein' de same ol' row!
I'm a-hoein' across, I'm a-hoein' aroun'
I'm a-cleanin' up some mo' new groun'.
Whar I lif' so hard, I lif' so free,
Dat my sins rise up in front er me!
But some er dese days my time will come,
I'll year dat bugle, I'll year dat drum,
I'll see dem armies a-marchin' along,
I'll lif' my head en jine der song--
I'II dine no mo' behin' dat tree,
W'en de angels flock fer to wait on me!
[I run down to de ribber, but I couldn't get across,
I jumped 'pon a hog and thought he was a hoss!
As I was goin' through the fiel'
A black snake bit me 'pon my heel,
Dat serpent he did 'ceive a shock,
For de nigger's heel's as hard as a rock.
As I was passin' Wright's old mill,
My team got balked at de foot o' de hill.
I hollered to de driver, "Dat won't do;
I must shove an' so mus' you."]
Ye are long ways from home--
Oh, run, nigger, run, patter-roller git you.
Yaller gal look and trine keep you overtime,
De bell done rung, overseer hallowing loud--
Oh, rull, nigger, run.
Do, please, marster, don't ketch me,
Ketch dat nigger behin' dat tree;
He stole money en I stole none,
Put him in the calaboose des for fun!
Chorus:
Run, nigger, run, de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
De nigger run, de nigger flew,
De nigger los' his Sunday shoe.
Run, nigger, run, de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
[and/or] Chorus:
Oh, run, nigger, run! de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
Oh, run, nigger, run! de patter-roller ketch you.
Run, nigger, run! it's almos' day.
Some folks say dat a nigger won't steal,
But I kotch one in my corn-fiel';
He run ter de eas', he run ter de wes',
He run he head in a hornet nes'!
De sun am set, dis nigger am free;
De yaller gals he goes to see;
I heard a man cry, "Run, doggone you,"
Run, nigger, run, patter-roller ketch you.
Wid eyes wide open and head hangin' down,
Like de rabbit before de houn',
Dis nigger streak it for de pasture;
Nigger run fast, white man run faster.
And ober de fence as slick as a eel
Dis nigger jumped all but his heel;
De white man ketch dat fast, you see,
And tied it tight aroun' de tree.
Dis nigger heard dat old whip crack,
But nebber stopped fur to look back;
I started home as straight as a bee
And left my heel tied aroun' de tree.
My ol' Miss, she prommus me
Dat when she die, she set me free;
But she done dead dis many year ago,
En yer I'm hoein' de same ol' row!
I'm a-hoein' across, I'm a-hoein' aroun'
I'm a-cleanin' up some mo' new groun'.
Whar I lif' so hard, I lif' so free,
Dat my sins rise up in front er me!
But some er dese days my time will come,
I'll year dat bugle, I'll year dat drum,
I'll see dem armies a-marchin' along,
I'll lif' my head en jine der song--
I'II dine no mo' behin' dat tree,
W'en de angels flock fer to wait on me!
[I run down to de ribber, but I couldn't get across,
I jumped 'pon a hog and thought he was a hoss!
As I was goin' through the fiel'
A black snake bit me 'pon my heel,
Dat serpent he did 'ceive a shock,
For de nigger's heel's as hard as a rock.
As I was passin' Wright's old mill,
My team got balked at de foot o' de hill.
I hollered to de driver, "Dat won't do;
I must shove an' so mus' you."]
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