 | The Music of Stephen C. Foster . |  |
12
The Abolition Show
[1]
On the Seventeenth day of September, you know,Took place in our city the great baby show,
They shut up the factories and let out the schools,
For the Seventeenth day was the day of all fools.
Chorus
Sing tu ral lal lu ral lal lu ral lal lay,Sing tu ral lal lu ral lal lu ral lal lay,
Sing tu ral lal lu ral lal lu ral lal lay,
Sing tu ral lal lu ral lal lu ral lal lay.
2
They made a procession of wagons and boats,Of racoons and oxen (they all have their votes)
Sledge hammers, triangles and carpenter's tools,
One thousand and eight hundred horses and mules.
Chorus
3
They had gemmen ob color to join in their gamesAnd jokers and clowns of all ages and names
They had pop guns and tin pans and all kinds of toys
And a very fine party of women and boys.
Chorus
4
They had young men on horse back, so nice and so gayAged Seventeen years on this Seventeenth day,
And the ladies all thought they were bold cavaliers
These bright looking lads aged seventeen years.
Chorus
5
They had grim border-ruffians, I'll bring to your mind,And they've plenty more left of the very same kind,
They drank from a flask and played cards on the way,
And the children looked on, on this Seventeenth day.
Chorus
6
They had Ohio yankees of Western ReserveWho live upon cheese, ginger cakes and preserve,
Abolition's their doctrine their rod and their staff,
And they'll fight for a sixpence an hour and a half.
Chorus
7
Now was it not Kind in these good simple clownsTo amuse all the children in both of our towns
To shut up their work shops and spend so much money
To black up their faces, get tight and be funny.
Chorus
8
They called it a council of freemen you knowBut I told you before 'twas a great baby show,
For when they had met they had nothing to say
But “Poor Bleeding Kansas” and “Ten Cents a Day”
Chorus
9
Then their ship Constitution was hauled through the streetWith sixteen small guns she was armed compleat
But the brave ship of State by which Democrats stand
Carries thirty one guns with old Buck in command.
Chorus
10
In the year '45 when the fire laid us wasteOld Buck gave us five hundred dollars in haste
They then took his money and lauded his name
But he's now “Ten cent Jimmy”, their banners proclaim.
Chorus
| The Music of Stephen C. Foster . | |