Written & Composed by Dan EmmettIn Tennessee as I've heard say There once did used to dwell A fine old color'd gentleman And this nigger know'd him well; Dey used to call him Sambo Or somethin' near de same, And de reason why dey call'd him so Was because it was his name. O Sambo was a gentleman, One of de oldest kind. His temper was very mild When he was let alone, But when you get him dander up He spunk to de backbone; He wail de sugar off you By double rule of three And whip his weight in wildcats When he got on a spree. O Sambo was a gentleman, One of de oldest kind. He had a good old banjo So well he kept it strung, He used to sing de good old song Of go it while you're young; He sung so long and sung so loud It scared de pigs and goats, Because he took a pint of yeast To raise de highest notes. O Sambo was a gentleman, One of de oldest kind. When dis nigger stood upright And wasn't slantin' dicular He measured 'bout eleven feet, He wasn't very particular; Or he could jump and run a race And do a little hoppin', And when he got a goin' fast De devil couldn't stop him. O Sambo was a gentleman, One of de oldest kind. Old age come on, his teeth dropp'd out, It made no odds to him; He eat as many taters And he drink as many gin; He swallow'd two small railroads Wid a spoonful of ice cream And a locomotive bulgine While dey blowin' off de steam. O Sambo was a gentleman, One of de oldest kind. One very windy morning Dis good ol' nigger died; De niggers come from other states And loud wid joy dey cried; He layin' down upon a bench As straight as any post; De coons dey roar, de possums howl When he guv up de ghost. O Sambo was a gentleman, One of de oldest kind. |
 Robert Winans, Music Director & Program Consultant Published by New World Records ARTISTS: LEAD: Peter DiSante; BARITONE: Brian Mark; TENOR: David Van Veersblick; BASS: Roger Smith. RECORDED at Solid Sound Recording Studio Ann Arbor, Michigan James Spencer, Recording Engineer © Copyright 1985, 1998 New World Records|Recorded Anthology of American Music, Inc. All rights reserved. Digitized by Adam Soroka at the Digital Media Center, Clemons Library, Univ. of Virginia |