Africa's Four Hundred 1897

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 11 Jun 2009
2009

Africa's four hundred,
shining lights of fashion,
Gave a "Rag" reception
with the times to be in line,
voted at a meetin'
held in Johnson's barber shop,
to go ahead,
spare no expense,
the white folks to outshine,
The orchestra selected,
was the best in town by far,
a violin, piano,
cornet, banjo and guitar,
The dresses were imported
'way from Paris over here.
Ev'ry lady at the ball dat evinin'
got a razor souvenir.

Light and airy as a feather
'way up on tiptoe all the time,
swells from hat to patent leather
Africa's four hundred super fine!

Light and airy as a feather
'way up on tiptoe all the time,
swells from hat to patent leather
Africa's four hundred super fine!

Nine o'clock precisely,
march was formed and moving,
Led by Piebald Jackson
and his gal in frill and flounce,
Anna Statia Primrose,
sassy, black and forty,
and Miss Statia
weighed three hundred pounds
if Statia weighed an ounce,
the next was Piebald's rival,
Nelson Spruce, the evenin' star,
a chambermaid of all work
on a Pullman Palace car,
escortin' Tillie Rosebud,
oh! so lamblike and so neat.
She was thinner than a rail
and six feet two,
in her dainty stockin' feet.

Light and airy as a feather
'way up on tiptoe all the time,
swells from hat to patent leather
Africa's four hundred super fine!

Light and airy as a feather
'way up on tiptoe all the time,
swells from hat to patent leather
Africa's four hundred super fine!

Clouds commenced to gather,
indicatin' trouble,
Spruce insulted Jackson
'cause Miss Statia did declare,
Tillie Rosebud hinted
Statia's dress was borrowed,
Piebald Jackson shouted
"Stop the band!"
coon blood was thick for fair,
they all lined up for action,
while each party made his boast,
When someone hollered
"Ev'ry loyal nigger to his post!"
The razors flashed
I felt like Satan had my soul and gone,
Mister Spruce apologized for his rudeness
an' the dance went gaily on.

Light and airy as a feather
'way up on tiptoe all the time,
swells from hat to patent leather
Africa's four hundred super fine!

Light and airy as a feather
'way up on tiptoe all the time,
swells from hat to patent leather
Africa's four hundred super fine!

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
Africa's Four Hundred 1897
Words & Music by Barney Fagan
© 1897 by M.Witmark & Sons
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Thursday 11 June 2009 at 12.20
in association with Veda Meyer-Castens
*