Hi! Miss Liza's got er banjer; Lemme see it, ef yo' please! Now don' dat thing look pooty, A-layin' 'cross yer kneeze, Wid all dem lubly ribbins, An' silber trimmin's roun'. Now, mistis, please jes' tetch it, To lemme hear de soun'. 'Scuze me, mistis, but dar's sumfin' De matter wid dem strings; I notis it don' zackly Gib de proper kinder ring; An' den de way yo' hol' it Ain't lik' yo' orter do. Now, mistis, won't yo' lemme Jes' try a chune fur yo'? Now lis'n to de diffunce; I'se got the thing in chune, An' de music's lik' de breezes Dat fills de air in June. Fur a banjer's lik' a 'ooman -- Ef she's chuned de proper pitch, She'll gib yo' out de music Dat's sof', melojus, rich. But when yo' fail to chune her, Or to strike de proper string, Yo' kin no more git de music, Den mek' a kat-bird sing. An' 'taint always de fixin's Dat makes a 'ooman bes', But de kind ub wood she's made un Is de thing to stan' de tes'. I s'pose yer plays yer music Jes' lik' yo' hab it wrote, Or -- what is dat yo' call it -- A-playin' by de note? Yo' kin fill yer head wid music Ez full ez it kin hol', But yo' nebber gwine ter play it 'Tell yo' gits it in yer soul. T'ain't de proper notes dat makes yo' Feel lik' yo' wants to cry, But de soul dat's in de music Dat lif's yo' up on high; An' 'taint always de larnin', 'Do' a splendid thing, I kno', Dat lif's de low an' 'umble To higher things belo'. Keep larnin', den, Miss Liza, An' when yo' wants ter know Ef yo' kin play de banjer, Jes' kum to Uncle Joe; Jes' fill yer head wid music, Ez full ez it kin hol' But de music from de banjer Must fust be in de soul. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SIBERIA by JAMES CLARENCE MANGAN IN MEMORIAM A.H.H.: 9 by ALFRED TENNYSON PERFECT WOMAN by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH LOVE'S NEW PHILOSOPHY by PHILIP AYRES THE MYSTIC by PHILIP JAMES BAILEY PSALM 73: INTRODUCTORY LINES by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE |