Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SHO' NOUGH BAND MUSIC by GARNETT LAIDLAW ESKEW

First Line: SAM, HE PLAYS DE TROMBONE
Last Line: ON MY OL' BASS HORN.
Subject(s): WEST VIRGINIA;
Sam, he plays de trombone
In de cullud Masons' ban',
And de gals dey set and watch him
On de big gran' stan',
How he fling dat horn a-flutin'
In de a'r, aroun' an' roun',
Keepin' time unto de music, --
He's de bigges' man in town.
Kaze it's fine ter play dat trombone,
But as sho' as you er born,
I sits back in de corner
Wid mah ol' bass horn,

Wid mah @3um-pah, um-pan, um-pah@1,
Jes' as easy as you please,
An' mah Adam's apple dancin'
Like de apples on de trees.
An' Sam, he's sweatin', workin'
Like he's diggin' up de corn,
But I plays mah easy @3um-pah@1
On mah ol' bass horn.

Dat Saxophone! Jim plays it;
And Lawdy, how it do
Git down inter my gizzud
Whenever she is blew;
And mah foot, hit keeps a-pattin'
Out de time, upon de flo' . . .
But I likes my plain ol' @3um-pah@1
On de bass horn dat I blow.

When we marches to de fun'ral
Of a brutha dats decease,
We always plays a lonesome
Sorter solemncolly piece;
And de French horns and de toobeys,
And de big bassoon
And de rattlin' little tenner drum
Doan' play no jolly tune.

@3But, makes no diffunce whut dey plays
Kaze, sho' as you er born,
I plays mah little um-pah
On my ol' bass horn.@1



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