TO BIG BILL BROONZY OF MISSISSIPPI
it’s moving and it’s quiet in mISsissipI, MISSisSIP pi, miSSSSiSSSSi pI!
and she cries out in protest of the color of her skin:
if you’s white
you’s alright
if you’s brown
you can stick around
but as you’s black
get back, get back, get back!
sing the song, brother! the revolution never sticks around, but the song sings this dying!
we’s going down by th’ riva’ side!
down by th’ riva’side down by th’ riva’side
gonna lay down my sWORd and shieLD
down by th’ riva’side down by th’ riva’side down by th’ riva’side
and put on my golden slippers!
to Vera Ward
alabaMA!MA! alaBAM!a nother man done gone
i didn’t know his name BUT
he killed another man AND
i dunno where he went SO
i’m gonna walk it alone.
the song in the heart of hearts is the BluEs, it whisks away!
. . . georgia, georgia, georgia . . .
the whole damn night through!
. . . georgia, georgia, georgia . . .
geoRRRg i! a!
geoRRRRRR g i ! ah!
just an ol’ sweet song
keeping Georgia, Georgia, Georgia—
she’s on my mInd,
georgia ! g ! e ! o ! r ! g ! i ! a !
sing the deep Song; it’s only
there in . . . itst-st-utters!
where are you this night? amabam amare,
“between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!”
i don’t want you BUT
i hate to lose you
“between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!”
i forgive you . . . i can’t forget you
“between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!”
i hate you . . . i love you
“between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!”
scrrrreeeeCH! ing! (of the night-owl)
it hoots. its wings.
[scit the scat]
it’s the Pop Wuh!
Batz! Jaguar of the Moon! chowén!
it’s the Mah U Kutâh!