De Banjo an' de Fiddle

De Banjo an' De Fiddle.
When de banjo am er plinkin'
An' de fiddle am er squeakin'
An' de ditties comes sweet,
An' de ditties come soft,
Jes' clah de shanty,
An' gimmee mo' room,
Den I'll dance an' caper
Fum de pantry to de loft.

Dey's one thing sho'
An' dey hain't no doubtin',
De banjo an' de fiddle
Gits er dahky soon to shoutin';
Hit gits into de marrow,
An' hit gits into de bone,
Hit sof'ens up er heart
Dat am harder den er stone!

Music fum de banjo,
Fum de ol' time fiddle,
Cunjers up yo' soul
Lak de 'liggun does de deacon.
Dey's nuffin' dat's sweetah,
Dat's got mo' charm,
Den er banjo dat's er plinkin'
An' er fiddle dat's er squeakin'!

How yo' foots does tickle!
How yo' heels does itch!
When de ditties am er chunein'
In de ol' time pitch!
I go plum happy an' de way i'se den
Er feelin' I could kick er big plank
Fum de ol' shack's ceilin!

Dat am de music
Dat de ol' fo'ks lak.
An' when dey got to dancin'
Seemed dey nebah would slack!
Dey capered lak sausage
On er red hot griddle
Till de strings bust'ed
Loose on de banjo an' de fiddle!

De oldes' hain't too ol'
Fo' to gibb dey foots er shakein'
When de banjo am er plinkin',
An' de fiddle am er squeakin'!
De saints forgits erbout dey 'liggun,
An' de preechah's sposs-choo-layshun,
An' dey dance yo' jiggs an' cockrills
Fas' ez lightnin' kalker-layshun!

I'se seed some was 'flickted
Wif de roomsticks an' de gout,
So 'fecketed wif de muddles
Coulden' tell er bass fum trout!
But jes stawt dem ditties,
Roomerticks an' gout would fly!
De music was so flunkshus
Sight would come back to dey eye!

Po' ol Uncle Rastus
Would drap bof his crutches!
Swing ol' Sistah Peacock,
Coat tail flyin' lak de breshes!
Good ol' Aunt Merryor
Would grunt lak de dickens;
Po' ol' Deacon Flypole
Would scramble lak fo' chickens!

Ef yo' sawed an' yo' fiddled
Till de chickens crowed fo' day,
Why dey woulen' think er secon'
Fo' to quit an' go erway;
It was jes' one 'roun' ub pleasure,
Fillin' to yo' heart's content!
Evahbody happy,
Evah minute dat was spent!