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Mon 27 Sep, 2010 02:27 pm
i heard a picker ninny crying down in tennesse one night,
as though his little heart was breaking
just becace he wasn't white.
then his dear old mammy kissed him and saed, "oh deary don't you cry
weep no more my baby," as she sang to him this lullaby.
"you beter dry your eyes my little cold black rose,
you better go to sleep and make those eye lids close.
just because your black , your pining, but you a cloud with a silver lining.
every old crow thinks his babe is white as snow. your dear old mammy knows
your mighty like a rose and when the angels gave those kinky curls to you,
they put the sun shine in your disposition too. it's true the reason your so black, i suppose, is because forgot to give your mammy the talcom powder shammy, but don't cry, don't you sigh, you are your mammy's little cold black rose
@blondi3990,
I found it! You can listen to it here:
http://www.archive.org/details/MammysLittleCoalBlackRose
Thank you for introducing this song to me.
Quote:Title: Mammy's Little Coal Black Rose
Lyrics: Raymond Egan
Music: Richard A. Whiting
I heard a pickaninny crying
Down in Tennessee one night;
His little heart was nearly breaking
Just because he wasn't white;
Then his dear old Mammy kiss'd him
And she said "Chile don' you sigh
Weep no more, my baby,"
Then she sang a Dixie Lullaby:
And then I saw that dear old Mammy
Kiss those baby tears away
While in her arms the baby nestled
Happy as a child at play;
Then she whispered "Mammy loves you,
You're as sweet as 'possum pie,
Go to sleep, my honey, While your mammy sings a lullaby"
Chorus
You better dry your eyes, my little Coal Black Rose
(and don't you cry)
You better go to sleep and let those eyelids cloes
(just hush a-by)
'Cause you're dark, don't start apinin'
Your're a cloud with a silver lining;
Tho' ev'ry old crow thinks his babe am white as snow,
Your dear old Mammy knows you're mighty like a rose;
And when the angels gave those kinky curls to you
(so curly que)
They put a sunbeam in your disposition too, that's true,
The reason you're so black I 'spose
They forgot to give your Mammy a talcum powder chamois,
So don't you cry, don't you sigh,
'Cause you're mammy's little Coal Black Rose.
@boomerang,
Thank you for helping me find it. This lullaby means alot to my family. You are an angel!
@blondi3990,
You're so welcome.
The Smithsonian Institute has a collection called "Torchy Lullabyes My Mother Sang To Me" recorded by Lizzie Smith. I might have to order a copy!
http://www.folkways.si.edu/TrackDetails.aspx?itemid=24428
@blondi3990,
My grandmother sang this to my daddy who sang it to me. I sang it to my children and now I sing it to my grandson. I know the tune. It's from about 1923. Mom found the sheet music at an antique store out west. Contact me and I'll sing you a lullabye.
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