Trisha Shetty (Editor)

List of blackface minstrel songs

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List of blackface minstrel songs

This is a list of songs that either originated in blackface minstrelsy or are otherwise closely associated with that tradition. Songwriters and publication dates are given where known.

Contents

A

  • "Alabama Joe" (a.k.a. "Shall Trelawney Die") (before 1855)
  • "The Arkansas Traveler"
  • "At Night When de Nigga's Work Is Done"

    • B

  • "Babylon Is Fallen", Henry Clay Work (1863)
  • "Back Side of Albany"
  • "The Band of Niggers! From 'Ole Virginny State'" (1844)
  • "The Bee-Gum", G. Willig (1833)
  • "Billy Patterson", Dan Emmett (1860)
  • "The Black Brigade", Dan Emmett (1863)
  • "Blue Tail Fly" (a.k.a. "Jimmy Crack Corn") c. 1846
  • "The Boatman's Dance", credited to Dan Emmett (1843) (Emmett, Boston, 1840s or 1842) (Nathan 131-2, 186, 191, 193, 320-3)
  • "Bonja Song" (c. 1820)
  • "Bowery Gals" (a.k.a. "As I Was Lumbering")
  • "Bress Dat Lubly Yaller Gal"
  • "Briggs' Breakdown", Z. Bacchus

    • C

  • "Camptown Races", Stephen Foster, (1850)
  • "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"* James A. Bland
  • "Charleston Gals" (1844)
  • "Ching a Ring Chaw"
  • "Claire de Kitchen", performed as early as 1832 by T. D. Rice and George Washington Dixon
  • "Clar de Track", 1840s.
  • "Clem Titus' Jig", published by Dan Emmett
  • "Coal Black Rose" (c. 1829)
  • "Come Back Stephen"/"Come Back Steben"
  • "Cornfield Green"
  • "Cynthia Sue"

    • D

  • "Dandy Broadway Swell", Elias Howe (1849)
  • "Dandy Jim from Caroline" (and variants), Dan Emmett (c. 1844)
  • "Dar He Goes! Dats Him!", Dan Emmett (1844)
  • "Dere Be Any Malted Licker Here?"
  • "Darkey Money Musk" (a.k.a. "Money Must", "Holyrood or Moneymusk", "Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk's Reel"), Daniel Dow (1780)
  • "Darkies' Pastime"
  • "Dearest May"
  • "Dick Myers' Jig", published by Dan Emmett
  • "Dinah's Wedding Day"
  • "Division Street Jig", Z. Bacchus
  • "Dixie" (a.k.a. "Dixie's Land", "I Wish I Was in Dixie"), usually attributed to Dan Emmett, 1859
  • "Do Fare You Well Ladies" (1840s)
  • "Do I Do I Don't Do Nothing" (1825)
  • "Dr. Hekok Jig", Z. Bacchus, published by Dan Emmett(Nathan 200, 203, 208, 486-7)

    • E

  • "Eelam Moore Jig", Dan Emmett (before 1854)
  • "Effects of the Brogue", (a.k.a. "Tatter Jack") Dan Emmett (by 1861)

    • F

  • "Far [Fare] You Well Ladies"
  • "Farewell My Lilly Dear", Stephen Foster (1851)
  • "The Fine Old Color'd Gentleman", Dan Emmett (1843)
  • "De Floating Scow Quickstep" (a.k.a. "Oh Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"*), E. Ferrett (1847)
  • "Forty Hosses in de Stable", J. Kierman (1840s)
  • "The Free Nigger", sung by R. W. Pelham (1841)

    • G

  • "Gantz's Jig", published by Dan Emmett
  • "Genuine Negro Jig", published by Dan Emmett
  • "Get Up in de Morning"
  • "Ginger Blue" (1841)
  • "Grape Vine Twist"
  • "Gonna Eat Ma Chicken 'Til I'm Fried"
  • "Gray Goose and Gander"
  • "Guinea Maid"
  • "Gumbo Chaff" (a.k.a. "Gombo Chaff"), early 1830s
  • "Gwine to de Mill", Jay R. Jenkins (1846)

    • H

  • "Happy Are We Darkies So Gay"
  • "Hard Times", Tom Briggs (1855)
  • "Hell on the Wabash Jig"
  • "High Daddy", Dan Emmett (1863)
  • "Hop Light, Loo", Dan Emmett (before 1854)
  • "Hot Corn"

    • I

  • "I Ain't Got Time to Tarry" (a.k.a. "The Land of Freedom"), Dan Emmett (1858)
  • "I'm Going Home to Dixie", Dan Emmett (1861)
  • "I'm Gwine ober de Mountain", Dan Emmett (1843)
  • "I Saw the Beam in My Sister's Eye"
  • "Ireland and Virginia"

    • J

  • "Jack on the Green", Dan Emmett
  • "James Crow", Sam Carusi (1832)
  • "Jenny Get Your Hoe Cake Done", popularized by Joel Sweeney (1840)
  • "Jim Along Josey", credited to "an Eminent professor" and performed by John N. Smith (1840)
  • "Jim Brown" (1835)
  • "Jim Crow" (2007) John Mellencamp from the cd "Freedom's Road"
  • "Joe Sweeney's Jig", published by Dan Emmett
  • "Johnny Boker or De Broken Yoke in de Coaling Ground" (1840)
  • "Johnny Roach", Dan Emmett (1859)
  • "Jolly Raftsman"
  • "Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel", Dan Emmett (1853)
  • "The Jolly Raftsman"
  • "Juba"
  • "Juber" (1840s)
  • "Jumbo Jum" (1840)
  • "Jump Jim Crow", (c. 1823, popularized by T.D. Rice in 1828)

    • K

  • "Kingdom Coming" (a.k.a. "Year of Jubilo"), Henry Clay Work (1862)

    • L

  • "Land of Canaan", played by J. Simmons (before 1860)
  • "A Life by the Galley Fire"
  • "De Long Island Nigger", Emma Snow (?) (c. 1848)
  • "Long Time Ago", John Cole (1833)
  • "Loozyanna Low Grounds", Dan Emmett (1859)
  • "Lucy Neal"/"Lucy Neale" J. P. Carter (1844)
  • "Lynchburg Town"

    • M

  • "Marty Inglehart Jig", Dan Emmett (1845)
  • "Mary Blane" (a.k.a. "Mary Blain"), Billy Whitlock (1846)
  • "Massa Is a Stingy Man" (1841)
  • "Merry Sleigh Bells"
  • "Miss Lucy Long" (a.k.a. "Lucy Long", "Miss Lucy Song"), Dan Emmett and Frank Brower (1844), or Billy Whitlock (1842) or possibly Billy Whitlock (1838)
  • "Moze Haymar Jig", Dan Emmett (1845)
  • "My Old Kentucky Home", Stephen Foster (1853)
  • "My First Jig", Dan Emmett (c. 1840s)
  • "My Long Tail Blue" (1830s)
  • "My Old Aunt Sally" (1843)
  • "My Old Dad"/"Old Dad" (1844)

    • N

  • "Negro Jig", Dan Emmett (1845)
  • "Nelly Was a Lady", Stephen Foster (1849)
  • "New York Gals", Emma Snow?
  • "The Newton Jig", James Buckley (1860)
  • "Nigga General"
  • "Nigger on de Wood Pile", Dan Emmett (1845)

    • O

  • "(O Lud Gals) Gib Me [Us] Chaw Terbakur", words by Dan Emmett (1843)
  • "Oh, Come along John" a.k.a. "Walk along John" (1843)
  • "Oh, Ladies All!", Dan Emmett (published 1858, probably written in the 1840s)
  • "Oh Lemuel", Stephen Foster (1850)
  • "Oh! Susanna", Stephen Foster (1847)
  • "Old Bob Ridley", Charles White (1855)
  • "Old Dan Tucker", words by Dan Emmett (1843)
  • "Old Folks at Home", Stephen Foster (1851)
  • "Old Joe", F. M. Brower (1844)
  • "Old Joe Golden"
  • "Old Johnny Boker"
  • "Old King Crow"
  • "Old K. Y. Ky.", Dan Emmett (1860)
  • "Old Tar River"/Ole Tare River" (1840)
  • "Old Uncle Ned", Stephen Foster (1848)
  • "Ole Bull and Old Dan Tucker" (1844)
  • "The Ole Grey Goose" (1844)
  • "De Ole Jawbone" (and variants), perhaps Joel Sweeney (1840)
  • "Ole Pee Dee", J. P. Carter (1844)
  • "Ole Virginny Break Down" (1841)
  • "Owl Creek Quickstep", Dan Emmett

    • P

  • "Pea Patch Jig", Dan Emmett
  • "Peel's Jig"
  • "Peter Story Jig", Dan Emmett
  • "Philadelphia Gals"
  • "Philisee Charcoal"
  • "Picayune Butler (Ahoo! Ahoo!)"
  • "Picayune Butler's Come to Town" (before 1847)
  • "Possum up the Gum-Tree"

    • Q

  • "Quaker's Jig", R. Myers

    • R

  • "Ring, Ring De Banjo", Stephen Foster (1851)
  • "Rise Old Napper"
  • "Road to Richmond", Dan Emmett (1864)
  • "Rob Ridley", Charles White (1855)
  • "Rock Susana", Horace Weston (1887)
  • "Root, Hog or Die", Dan Emmett (c. late 1840s or early 1850s)
  • "Rosa Lee"

    • S

  • "Sad to Leave Our Tater Land" (early 1850s)
  • "Sandy Boy", possibly Phil Rice (before 1858)
  • "Sandy Gibson's", Dan Emmett (1859)
  • "Seely Simpkins Jig", Dan Emmett
  • "Settin' on a Rail" (1836)
  • "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me" (1869)
  • "Sich a Gettin' Up Stairs" (c. 1834)
  • "Singing Darkey of the Ohio"
  • "Skeeters Do Bite"
  • "Sliding Jenny Jig", R. Myers
  • "Someone in de House wif Dinah", possibly Phil Rice (before 1858)
  • "Stop Dat Knocking", A. F. Winnemore (1847)
  • "Sugar Cane Green"
  • "Sugar in a Gourd"
  • "Suke of Tennessee"
  • "Susey Brown"/"Suzy Brown"
  • "Sweep Oh!"

    • T

  • "Tell Me Josey Whar You Bin" (1840)
  • "To the Cornfields Away"
  • "Tom Brigg's Jig", published by Dan Emmett
  • "Turkey in the Straw", words by Dan Emmett
  • "'Twill Nebber Do to Gib It up So", Dan Emmett (1843)

    • U

  • "Uncle Gabriel" (1848)

    • V

  • "Van Bramer's Jig", published by Dan Emmett
  • "Virginia's Lubly Ground"

    • W

  • "Walk Along John" (1843)
  • "Walk Jaw Bone" (c. 1840)
  • "Westchester Nigga Song"
  • "Whar Did You Come From?" (subtitled "Knock a Nigger Down"), performed by Joel Sweeney (1840)
  • "Whar Is de Spot We Were Born?"
  • "What O' Dat", Dan Emmett (1859)
  • "Whoop Jamboree Jig"
  • "Who's Dat Knocking"
  • "Who's Dat Nigga Dar a Peepin" (1844)
  • "Wide Awake" a.k.a. "Dar's a Darkey in de Tent", Dan Emmett (early 1859)
  • "[In de/In the] Wild Raccoon Track"
  • "De Wild Goose-Nation", Dan Emmett (1844)

    • Y

  • "Yellow Corn"

    • Z

  • "Zip Coon" (a.k.a. "Old Zip Coon"), performed by George Washington Dixon (1829? 1835?)

    • References

    List of blackface minstrel songs Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA