The Riverside song book/Song of the Negro Boatman

For other versions of this work, see Song of the Negro Boatmen.
2621587The Riverside song book — Song of the Negro BoatmanJohn Greenleaf Whittier

SONG OF THE NEGRO BOATMAN.

John Greenleaf Whittier. Wenzel Müller.

Allegretto.

1. O, praise an' tanks I de Lord He come To set de peo - ple

2. Ole mas - sa on he trab- bels gone; He leaf de land be -

3. We pray de Lord: He gib us signs Dat someday we be

We know de prom - ise neb- ber fail, An' neb - ber lie de


free; An' mas - sa tink it day ob doom. An'

hind: De Lord's breff blow him fur - der on. Like

free; De norf - wind tell it to de pines, De

word; So like de 'pos - tles in de jail, We


we ob ju - bi - lee. De Lord dat heap de

corn - shuck in de wind. We own de hoe, we

wild - duck to the sea; We tink it when de

wait - ed for de Lord: An' now He o - pen Red Sea waves He jus' as 'trong as den: He

own de plough, We own de hands dat hold; We

church bell ring, We dream it in de dream; De

eb - 'ry door. An' trow a - way de key; He


say de word: We las' night slaves, To- day de Lord's free men.

sell de pig. We sell de cow. But neb - ber chile be sold.

rice-bird mean it when he sing, De ea - gle when he scream,

tink we lub Him so be - fore. We lub Him bet - ter free.


Chorus for each verse.

De yam will grow, de cot - ton blow, We'll hab de rice an' corn;

O neb-ber you fear, if neb-ber you hear De dri- ver blow his horn!