Digital Tradition Mirror

Rosie O Ho

Rosie O Ho

Ain' but de one thing I done wrong
Ain' but de one thing I done wrong
Ain' but de one thing I done wrong
Stayed in Miss'ipppi jes a day too long
Day to long, Lawdy, day too long,
Stayed in Miss'ippi jes' a day too long

Cho: Oh, Ros-ie, O ho,
     Oh, Ros-ie, Oh, Lawd, gal.
     Oh, Ros-ie, O ho,
     Oh, Ros-ie, Oh, Lawd, gal.

I'm in trouble down on de farm
I'm in trouble down on de farm
I'm in trouble down on de farm
I'm in trouble, Lawdy, all day long All day long, honey, all day long
I'm in trouble, honey, all day long

Think I'll jump in forty foot of water
Over my head, Lawdy, over my head.

You needn' worry, you kin take your time
Kin give me ninety and still have nine

Oh, I wonder who got de sergeant
Down on me, Lawdy, down on me

Some old snitcher mus' got de sergeant
Down on me, Lawdy, down on me

Ef I don' kill him, I'm gonna fix him so
He won' be snitchin' on me no mo'

Lil baby Franklin wasn' but nine days ol'
Stuck his finger in a crawfish hole;

Crawfish back back an' he wunk one eye,
"Lil baby Franklin, you is born to die."

Ain' but the one thing worries my min'
My cheatin woman an' my great long time.

She says she loves me, but I b'lieve she's lyin',
Hasn' been to see me in a grea' long time,

Well, this keepin' Rosie sho is hard,
Dress she wore it cos' a dollar a yard.

Wake up Rosie and turn up yo clo'es
May be de las' time, I don't know.

I don' wan ev'ything I see
Jes' want that lil bit you promised me.

If they mistreat me, tell you what I'll do,
I'll cut this steel and bring it home to you.

Come an' get me an a-take me home
Dese lifetime devils, dey won' let me 'lone.

Well I come in here wid a hundred years,
Tree fall on me, I don' bit mo' keer.

Axes a-walkin', chipses a-talkin'
All day long, honey, all day long.

O Rosie, oho,
O Rosie, oh, Lawd, gal.

From "American Ballads and Folk Songs" collected and compiled by John A. Lomax
and Alan Lomax.

SG
Oct00

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!

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