May Irwin's Bully Song 1896

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 28 Mar 2007
2007

Have yo' heard about that bully
dat's just come to town?
He's round among de niggers
a layin' their bodies down.
I'm a lookin' for dat bully,
and he must be found.
I'm a Tennessee nigger
and I don't allow,
no redeyed river roustabout
with me to raise a row.
I'm lookin' for dat bully
and I'll make him bow.

When I walk dat levee
round, round, round, round,
when I walk dat levee
round, round, round, round,
When I walk dat levee round
I'm a lookin' for dat bully
an' he must be found.

I'se gwine down the street
with my ax in my hand;
I'm lookin' for dat bully,
and I'll sweep him off dis land,
I'm a lookin' for dat bully,
and he must be found.
I'll take 'long my razor
I'se gwine to carve him deep
and when I see dat bully
I'll lay him down to sleep.
I'm lookin' for dat bully,
and he must be found.

When I walk dat levee
round, round, round, round,
when I walk dat levee
round, round, round, round,
When I walk dat levee round
I'm a lookin' for dat bully
an' he must be found.

When I got through with that bully
a doctor and a nurse
wan't no good for dat nigger,
so they put him in a hearse,
a cyclone couldn't have
tore him up much worse.
You don't hear 'bout dat nigger
dat treated folks so free,
go down on the levee and
his face you'll never see
dere's only one boss bully
and dat one is me.

When I walk dat levee
round, round, round, round,
when I walk dat levee
round, round, round, round,
When I walk dat levee round
I'm a lookin' for dat bully
an' he must be found.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
May Irwin's Bully Song 1896
Words & Music by Charles E.Trevathan
© 1896 by Charles E. Trevathan
*
further information at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Irwin
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/4/4/m2-1013-e.html
May Irwin:
In the 1895 Broadway show The Widow Jones, she introduced
"The Bully Song" which became her signature number. The
performance also featured a lingering kiss which was seen by
Thomas Edison who hired Irwin and her co-star John Rice to
repeat the scene on film. In 1896, the Kinetoscope production,
The Kiss, became the first screen kiss in cinematic history.
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Thursday 28 March 2007 at 10.15pm
in association with Doug Grierson
*