Babylon Is Fallen!

Don’t you see de black clouds
Risin’ ober yonder,
Whar de Massa’s old plantation am?
Neber you be frightened,
Dem is only darkies,
Come to jine an’ fight for Uncle Sam,
Look out dar, now!
We’s agwine to shoot!
Look out dar, don’t you understand?
(Oh, don’t you know dat)
Babylon is fallen!
Babylon is fallen!
An’ we’s agwine to occupy the land.
Don’t you see the lightnin’
Flashin’ in de canebrake,
Like as if we’s gwine to hab a storm?
No! You is mistaken,
‘Tis darkies’ bay’nets,
An’ de buttons on dar uniform.
Way up in the cornfield,
Whar you hear de tunder,
Dat is our ole forty-pounder gun;
When the shells are missin’,
Den we load wid punkins,
All de same to make the cowards run.
Mass was de Kernel
In de Rebel army,
Eber sence he went an’ run away;
But his lubly darkies,
Dey has been a-watchin’,
An’ dey take him pris’ner tudder day.
We will be be the Massa,
He will be the sarvant,
Try him how he like it for a spell;
So we crack de Butt’nuts,
So we take the Kernel,
So the cannon carry back de shell.

by Henry Clay Work

Andy Veto

Andy Veto never slept a wink last night;
Darkeys, he’s your Moses!
Andy had to take us extra drink last night;
Darkeys, he’s your Moses!
There was one who led you thro’ the sea, you know,
He who paid his life, and left you free, you know;
But Andy V. receipts the bill, so he, you know-
Why, darkeys, he’s your Moses!
Come! Come! Joshua, come!
Don’t you think it’s time the journey closes?
For you know we’ll never stand in the promised land
While Andy Veto’s our Moses.
Moses can’t afford to let his people vote;
Darkey’s, he’s your Moses!
He must watch his little flock, his own scapegoat,
For, darkeys he’s your Moses!
Thinking of you brings him wakeful nights, you know;
You might up and take your “civil rights,” you know,
And make a “war of roses” with the whites, you know;
So, darkeys, he’s your Moses!
Andy Veto thought he wore a crown last night;
Darkeys, he’s your Moses!
When the people spoke, it tumbled down last night;
But, darkeys, he’s your Moses!
Were it not a pretty sight-methinks I see
Thirty million loyal people, proud and free,
Around the throne of Andy Veto bend the knee;
Oh, darkeys, he’s your Moses!
Andy Veto been a fishing for “another term;”
Darkeys, he’s your Moses!
Guess that when vacation comes we’ll change the firm,
If, darkeys, he’s your Moses!
Ev’ry-thing is going wrong while Andy leads;
We must change the diet on which Andy feeds;
Ah! “reconstruction,” that is just what Andy needs;
And, darkeys, he’s your Moses!

by Henry Clay Work