Kingdom Comin’ (aka: The Year of Jubilo) --- Henry Clay Work (1862)
This is an authentic American Civil War song. It was written in an African-American Slave dialect. It is not intended as a slur on anyone. Many of the terms used in this song have since become racial epithets, but they were not intended as such when the song was written. It celebrates the coming of the Federal troops and the freeing of the slaves.
Say, [D]darkies hab
you seen de massa wid de muff-stash on his [A]face,
Go [D] ‘long de road
some time dis mornin’ like he gwine to [A]leab
de [D]place?
He [G]seen a smoke
‘way up de ribber whar de Linkum [D]gunboats
[A]lay.
He [D]took his hat
an’ lef’ berry sudden, an’ I ‘spec he’s [A]run
a-[D]way!
De [G]massa
run? Ha ha!
De [D]darkies
stay? Ho [A]Ho!
It [D]mus’
be now de kingdom comin’
An’ de year ob [A]jubi-[D]lo!
He [D]six-foot one
way, two-foot t’udder an’ he weigh t’ree-hundred [A]pound.
His [D]coat so big
he couldn’t pay de tailor an’ it don’t go [A]half-way
[D] ‘round.
He [G]drill so much
dey call him Cap’n an’ he get so [D]drefful
[A]tanned,
I [D] ‘spec he try
an fool dem Yankees for to t’ink he’s [A]contra-
[D]band.
De [G]massa
run? Ha ha!
De [D]darkies
stay? Ho [A]Ho!
It [D]mus’
be now de kingdom comin’
An’ de year ob [A]jubi-[D]lo!
De [D]darkies feel
so lonesome libing in de log-house on de [A]lawn.
Dey [D]move dere
t’ings to de massa’s parlour, for to keep it [A]while
he’s [D]gone.
Dere’s [G]wine an’
cider in de kitchen, an’ de darkies [D]dey’ll
hab [A]some.
I [D]s’pose dey’ll
all be confiscated when de Linkum [A]sojers
[D]come.
De [G]massa
run? Ha ha!
De [D]darkies
stay? Ho [A]Ho!
It [D]mus’
be now de kingdom comin’
An’ de year ob [A]jubi-[D]lo!
De [D]oberseer he
make us trouble an’ he dribe us ‘round a [A]spell.
We [D]lock him up in
de smoke-house cellar wid de key t’rowed [A]down
de [D]well.
De [G]whip is lost,
de hand-cuff broken but de massa’ll [D]hab
his [A]pay.
He [D]old enuff, big
enuff, oughtta knowed better dan to went an’ [A]runned
a-[D]way!
De [G]massa
run? Ha ha!
De [D]darkies
stay? Ho [A]Ho!
It [D]mus’
be now de kingdom comin’
An’ de year ob [A]jubi-[D]lo!