On Emancipation Day 1902

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 17 July 2010
2010

Streets are gay,
On de way,
All de alleys done turned out.
Mistah Giles
Wid Miss Liles
make a figure wid out doubt.
Hyeah dey come,
Lord dat drum
In de black ban' holds de sway.
'Cept de brass
Give it sass
on Emancipation Day.
Darkies standin' on tip toe
Makin' googoos at de show.

On Emancipation Day
All you white folks clear de way,
Brass ban' playin' sev'ral tunes,
Darkies eyes look jes' la'k moons,
Marshall of de day a struttin'
Lord but he is gay.
Coons dressed up lak Masqueraders
Porters armed lak rude invaders
When dey hear dem rag time tunes
White folks try to pass fo' coons
on Emancipation Day.

On Emancipation Day
All you white folks clear de way,
Brass ban' playin' sev'ral tunes,
Darkies eyes look jes' la'k moons,
Marshall of de day a struttin'
Lord but he is gay.
Coons dressed up lak Masqueraders
Porters armed lak rude invaders
When dey hear dem rag time tunes
White folks try to pass fo' coons
on Emancipation Day.

Heah um cry
My oh my,
When de 'cession shows its head.
Majors brown ridin' down
on cart horses decked in red.
Teeth lak pearls
greet the girls
standin' dere lak dusky storms.
Oh! my pet
what a set of owdacious Uniforms.
Generals stiff as hick'ry sticks
in de dress of seventy six.

On Emancipation Day
All you white folks clear de way,
Brass ban' playin' sev'ral tunes,
Darkies eyes look jes' la'k moons,
Marshall of de day a struttin'
Lord but he is gay.
Coons dressed up lak Masqueraders
Porters armed lak rude invaders
When dey hear dem rag time tunes
White folks try to pass fo' coons
on Emancipation Day.

On Emancipation Day
All you white folks clear de way,
Brass ban' playin' sev'ral tunes,
Darkies eyes look jes' la'k moons,
Marshall of de day a struttin'
Lord but he is gay.
Coons dressed up lak Masqueraders
Porters armed lak rude invaders
When dey hear dem rag time tunes
White folks try to pass fo' coons
on Emancipation Day.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
On Emancipation Day 1902
Music by Will.Marion Cook
Lyrics by Paul Laurence Dunbar
© 1902 by Will.M.Cook
*
sequence by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Saturday 17 July 2010 at 13.46
in association with Veda Meyer-Castens
*