Gum-Tree Canoe.
Copied by permission of Russell, & Tolman, 291 Washington St., Boston,
owners of the copyright.
On Tom bigbee river, so bright, I was born,
In a hut made ob husks ob de tall yaller corn;
An’ dar I fust met wid my Jula so true,
An’ I row’d her about in my Gum-tree canoe.
CHORUS.
Singing row away, row,
O’er de waters so blue,
Like a feather we’ll float,
In my Gum-tree canoe.
All de day in de field de soft cotton I hoe,
I tink of my Jula, an’ sing as I go;
Oh, I catch her a bird wid a wing ob true blue,
An’ at night sail her round in my Gum-tree canoe.
Singing row away, row, &c.
Wid my hands on de banjo, and toe on de oar,
I sing to de sound ob de riber’s soft roar,
While de stars dey look down on my Jula so true,
An’ dance in her eye in my Gum-tree canoe.
Singing row away, row, &c.
But one night de stream bore us so far away,
Dat we couldn’t cum back, so we thought we’d jis stay,
Oh, we spied a tall ship wid a flag ob true blue,
An’ it took us in tow wid my Gum-tree canoe.
Singing row away, row, &c.