Annotation:Nigga from the South

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X:1 T:Niggers from the South M:2/4 L:1/8 S:Isaac Homan manuscript (mid-19th century, Long Island, NY) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A E|AA cc|{d}eE E2|FF GE|{G}AA, A,2| BB {G}AF|Ee e2|dc AF|E3|| B/c/|.d.d d2|.c.c c2|BB FG|Ac e2| .d.d d2|cc c2|cB FG|A2|| B/c/|d(3d/d/d/ d/c/d/A/|c(3c/c/c/ c/B/c/A/|cBFG|A>c Be/f/| A/B/c/d/ e/f/g/a/|a/e/c/e/ A2||

NIGGA FROM THE SOUTH^[1] . American, Minstrel Air (2/4 time). G Major (Briggs): A Major (Homan). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Briggs): ABC (Homan). The melody was entered into the mid-19th century music manuscript collection of ship captain and fiddler biography:Isaac Homan (1816-1901) of Bellport, Long Island. While the phrase 'n..... from the South' is a trope line in minstrel lexicon, the tune may go to the song "De Ole Banjo; or, The Nigga's Visit to the Show", published in Christy's Nigga Songster (New York, 1851).

I am a n..... from the South,
I come from dar time ob de drouth;
I trabble fast an' I trabble slow;
An' I fotch along de ole banjo.
My old missus sent me out a singin',
'Twas the first ob my beginnin'.

I went one night to play for a ball,
De niggs wuz dar, white folks an' all;
Some dance so high, some dance so low
Dey play'd de debil wid de ole banjo
My old missus, &c.

Additional notes

Printed sources : - Thomas F. Briggs (Briggs' Banjo Instructor), 1855; p. 25.

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↑ Some of items in the Traditional Tune Archive may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes. Such materials should be seen in the context of the time period and as a reflection of the attitudes of the time. The items are part of the historical record, and do not represent the views of the administrators of this site.

[1] Some of items in the Traditional Tune Archive may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes. Such materials should be seen in the context of the time period and as a reflection of the attitudes of the time. The items are part of the historical record, and do not represent the views of the administrators of this site.

[1]