Now I Wants Ma Pay 1899

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 5 Jun 2009
2009

Missus Jackson keeps
a model laundry
away down town on Lombard Street,
She is well known
among de colored people,
as a wench who's hard to beat,
Bill Jones hung around de neighborhood,
an' he never seemed to work
but he always looked good,
had clean collars
an' cuffs on ev'ry day.
Bill thought he had dis colored lady right,
'till he called for his wash
las' Saturday night,
when she says: "Mister Jones,
now I'll have it understood,
If you wants a clean shirt
why you'se got to make good,
you needn't think
'cos I'se a nigger winch,
dat you're run up against
a leadpipe cinch,
I works hard, yes,
an' now I wants ma pay."

Now I wants ma money,
yes, I wants ma pay,
an' I ain't a gwine
to wait no more
I wants it right away,
you mustn't think because
I has to wash clothes,
dat you can do me out
ob de bill you owes.
Your smooth talk
won't go with me,
I sends ma wash out C.O.D.
an' you owes me a dollar,
yes, an' twenty seven cents,
so now I wants ma pay.

Now Bill Jones woke up
a Sunday mornin'
he had no clean shirt to his name,
thought he'd make a call
on Missus Jackson,
an' to her her
he would explain,
She said: "Mister Jones
you've talked enough,
explanations won't go
all I want is de stuff,"
Bill said: "Think of what
I have done for you.
I scrubbed your laundry
and hung out your clothes,
an' I did all de cookin' ev'ryone knows,
when you threw de stovelid
at 'liverfooted' Jim,
didn't I sit on de hole
for to keep de smoke in,
ain't dat enough
to make a person sore,
I ain't gwine to hang around
your place no more,"
Burt she said: I don't care
I wants ma pay."

Now I wants ma money,
yes, I wants ma pay,
an' I ain't a gwine
to wait no more
I wants it right away,
you mustn't think because
I has to wash clothes,
dat you can do me out
ob de bill you owes.
Your smooth talk
won't go with me,
I sends ma wash out C.O.D.
an' you owes me a dollar,
yes, an' twenty seven cents,
so now I wants ma pay.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
Now I Wants Ma Pay 1899
Music by Alb.H.Fitz
Lyrics by Will Kilroy
© 1899 by F.A.Mills - N.Y.
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Friday 5 June 2009 at 17.55
in association with Veda Meyer-Castens
*