Digital Tradition Mirror

The Boll Weevil

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The Boll Weevil

Oh, have you heard de lates',
Dc lates' of de songs?
It's about dem little Boll Weevils,
Dey's picked up bofe feet an' gone

     A-lookin' for a home,
     Jes a-lookin' for a home.

De Boll Weevil is a little bug
F'um Mexico, dey say,
He come to try dis Texas soil
En thought he better stay,

De nigger say to de Boll Weevil
"Whut makes yo' head so red?"
"I's been wanderin de whole worl' ovah
Till it's a wonder I ain't dead

First time I saw Mr. Boll Weevil,
He wuz on de western plain;
Next time I saw him,
He wuz ridin' on a Memphis train

De nex' time I saw him,
He was runnin' a spinnin' wheel;
De nex' time I saw him,
He was ridin' in an automobile

De fus' time I saw de Boll Weevil
He wuz settin' on de square,
The nex' time I saw de Boll Weevil
He had all his family dere

Then the Farmer got angry,
Sent him up in a balloon;
"Good-by, Mr. Farmer;
I'll see you again next June."

De Farmer took de Boll Weevil
An' buried him in hot san';
De Boll Weevil say to de Farmer
"I'll stan' it like a man"

Den de Farmer took de Boll Weevil
An' lef' him on de ice;
Says de Boll Weevil to de Farmer,
"Dis is mighty cool an' nice."

Mr. Farmer took little Weevil
And put him in Paris Green;
"Thank you, Mr. Farmer,
It's the best I ever seen."

Den de Farmer say to de Merchant:
"We's in an awful fix;
De Boll Weevil's et all de cotton up
An' lef' us only sticks."

Den de Merchant say to de Farmer,
"Whut do you tink o' dat ?
Ef you kin kill de Boll Weevil
I'll give you a bran-new Stetson hat"

Oh, de Farmer say to de Merchant,
"I ain't made but only one bale,
An' befo' I bring yo' dat one
I'll fight an' go to jail"

De Sharpshooter say to de Boll Weevil,
"What you doin' in dis square? "
An' the Boll Weevil say to de Sharpshooter,
"I'se makin' my home in here."

Oh de Boll Weevil say to the Dutchman,
"Jes' poison me ef yo' dare,
An' when yo' come to make yo' crop
I'll punch out every square"

De Boll Weevil say to de Farmer,
"You better lemme alone,
I've et up all yo' cotton
An' now I'll begin on de co'n"

Boll Weevil say to de Doctor,
"Better po' out all yo' pills,
When I git through wid de Farmer,
He cain't pay no doctor's bills."

Boll Weevil say to de Preacher,
"You better close yo' chu'ch do',
When I git through wid de Farmer,
He cain't pay de Preacher no mo'"

De Merchant got half de cotton,
De Boll Weevil got de res'
Didn't leave de nigger's wife
But one old cotton dress.
 (And it's full of holes, etc.)

Rubber-tired buggy,
Decorated hack,
Took dem Boll Weevils to de graveyard,
An' ain't goin' bring 'em back.

Ef anybody axes you
Who wuz it writ dis song,
Tell 'em 'twuz a dark-skinned nigger
Wid a pair o' blue duckins on,
  A-lookin' for a home etc.

From American Ballads and Folk Songs, Lomax
Note: Use a bit of imagination in adapting the chorus to the
     verses.."It'll be my home", or "Ain't got no home" etc.
DT #664
Laws I17
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!