The Riverside song book/Song of the Negro Boatman
SONG OF THE NEGRO BOATMAN.
John Greenleaf Whittier. Wenzel Müller.
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Allegretto.
1. O, praise an' tanks I de Lord He come To set de peo - ple
2. Ole mas - sa on he trab- bels gone; He leaf de land be -
3. We pray de Lord: He gib us signs Dat someday we be
We know de prom - ise neb- ber fail, An' neb - ber lie de
free; An' mas - sa tink it day ob doom. An'
hind: De Lord's breff blow him fur - der on. Like
free; De norf - wind tell it to de pines, De
word; So like de 'pos - tles in de jail, We
we ob ju - bi - lee. De Lord dat heap de
corn - shuck in de wind. We own de hoe, we
wild - duck to the sea; We tink it when de
wait - ed for de Lord: An' now He o - pen Red Sea waves He jus' as 'trong as den: He
own de plough, We own de hands dat hold; We
church bell ring, We dream it in de dream; De
eb - 'ry door. An' trow a - way de key; He
say de word: We las' night slaves, To- day de Lord's free men.
sell de pig. We sell de cow. But neb - ber chile be sold.
rice-bird mean it when he sing, De ea - gle when he scream,
tink we lub Him so be - fore. We lub Him bet - ter free.
Chorus for each verse.
De yam will grow, de cot - ton blow, We'll hab de rice an' corn;
O neb-ber you fear, if neb-ber you hear De dri- ver blow his horn!