Thursday, September 11, 2008

His Songs. VII. A Plantation Serenade. Transcription. Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings

His Songs: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings
VII. TRANSCRIPTIONS

Translation

2.  A PLANTATION SERENADE

The old bee makes the honeycomb,
The young bee makes the honey,
The niggers make the cotton and corn,
And the white folks gets the money.

The raccoon he a curious man,
He never walks 'til dark,
And nothing never disturbs his mind,
'Til he hears old Bringer bark.

The raccoon totes a bushy tail,
The 'possum totes no hair,
Mr. Rabbit, he comes skippin' by,
He ain't got none to spare.

Monday morning break of day.
White folks got me going,
But Saturday night, when the sun goes down,
That yellow gal's in my mind.

Fifteen pound of meat a week,
Whiskey for to sell,
Oh, how can a yound man stay at home,
Them gals they look so well?

Met a 'possum in the road -
Brother 'Possum, where you going?
I thank my stars, I bless my life
I'm a huntin' for the muscadine. FN 1

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FN 1 - Muscadine. A species of grape, for winemaking, see ://www.muscadine.com/. The heritage includes a grape geneology with the "scuppernong" and the "passion fruit of the south" - see site for details. Here is the botanical scoop: ://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/muscadinegrape.html. If you live in a climate like the State of Georgia, and ok soil, here's how to get in business: ://www.smallfruits.org/Muscadines/production/MuscadineGro/toc.htm.

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