List of blackface minstrel songs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of songs that either originated in blackface minstrelsy or are otherwise closely associated with that tradition. Songwriters and publication dates are given where known.
A
- "Abraham Lincoln Jones", Cecil Mack and Chris Smith (1909)
- "Alabama Joe" (a.k.a. "Shall Trelawney Die") (before 1855)
- "Angelina Baker" (1850)
- "The Arkansas Traveler" (c. 1862)[1]
B
- "Babylon Is Fallen", Henry Clay Work (1863)
- "Back Side of Albany"[2]
- "The Band of Niggers! From 'Ole Virginny State'" (1844)[3]
- "The Bee-Gum", G. Willig (1833)[4]
- "Billy Patterson", Dan Emmett (1860)[5]
- "The Black Brigade", Dan Emmett (1863)[6]
- "Blue Tail Fly" (a.k.a. "Jimmy Crack Corn") c. 1846[7]
- "The Boatman's Dance", credited to Dan Emmett (1843)[8] (Emmett, Boston, 1840s or 1842) (Nathan 131–2, 186, 191, 193, 320–3)
- "Bonja Song" (c. 1820)[9]
- "Bowery Gals" (a.k.a. "As I Was Lumbering")[10]
- "Bress Dat Lubly Yaller Gal"[10]
- "Briggs' Breakdown", Z. Bacchus[11]
- "Buckley's Sleighing Song", A. Sedgwick (1853)
C
- "Camptown Races", Stephen Foster, (1850)[12]
- "Can't Yo' Heah Me Callin' Caroline", Caro Roma (1914)
- "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" James A. Bland, (1878)
- "Charleston Gals" (1844)[13]
- "Ching a Ring Chaw"[14]
- "Claire de Kitchen", performed as early as 1832 by T. D. Rice and George Washington Dixon[15]
- "Clar de Track", 1840s.[16]
- "Clem Titus' Jig", published by Dan Emmett[17]
- "Coal Black Rose" (c. 1829)[18][19]
- "The Colored Croquette", James Lord Pierpont (1853)
- "Come Back Stephen"/"Come Back Steben"[16]
- "Cornfield Green"[20]
- "Cynthia Sue"[16]
D
- "Dandy Broadway Swell", (1849)[21]
- "Dandy Jim from Caroline" (and variants), Dan Emmett (c. 1844)[22]
- "Dar He Goes! Dats Him!", Dan Emmett (1844)[23]
- "Dere Be Any Malted Licker Here?" [24]
- "Darkey Money Musk" (a.k.a. "Money Must", "Holyrood or Moneymusk", "Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk's Reel"), Daniel Dow (1780)[citation needed]
- "Darkies' Pastime"[25]
- "Darktown Strutters' Ball, Shelton Brooks (1917)
- "Dearest May"[16]
- "Dick Myers' Jig", published by Dan Emmett[26]
- "Dinah's Wedding Day"[10]
- "Division Street Jig", Z. Bacchus[27]
- "Dixie" (a.k.a. "Dixie's Land", "I Wish I Was in Dixie"), Dan Emmett contested, 1859[28]
- "Do Fare You Well Ladies" (1840s)[29]
- "Do I Do I Don't Do Nothing" (1825)[30]
- "Don't bet your money on de Shanghai", Stephen Foster (1861)
- "Dr. Hekok Jig", Z. Bacchus, published by Dan Emmett[8](Nathan 200, 203, 208, 486–7)
E
- "Eelam Moore Jig", Dan Emmett (before 1854)[31]
- "Effects of the Brogue", (a.k.a. "Tatter Jack") Dan Emmett (by 1861)
F
- "Far [Fare] You Well Ladies"[10]
- "Farewell My Lilly Dear", Stephen Foster (1851)[32]
- "The Fine Old Color'd Gentleman", Dan Emmett (1843)[8]
- "De Floating Scow Quickstep" (a.k.a. "Oh Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"*), E. Ferrett (1847)
- "Forty Hosses in de Stable", J. Kierman (1840s)[33]
- "The Free Nigger", sung by R. W. Pelham (1841)[34]
G
- "Gantz's Jig", published by Dan Emmett[35]
- "Genuine Negro Jig", published by Dan Emmett[36]
- "Gentle Annie", Stephen Foster (1856)
- "Geraldine", James Lord Pierpont (1854)
- "Gentle Nettie Moore/The Little White Cottage", James Lord Pierpont (1857)
- "Get along Home, Cindy", possibly developed from a minstrel tune "Cindy Lou"[37]
- The Glendy Burk, Stephen Foster (1860)
- "Ginger Blue" (1841)[38]
- "Grape Vine Twist"[39]
- "Gonna Eat Ma Chicken 'Til I'm Fried"[40]
- "Gray Goose and Gander"[10]
- "Guinea Maid"[10]
- "Gumbo Chaff" (a.k.a. "Gombo Chaff"), early 1830s[41]
- "Gwine to de Mill", Jay R. Jenkins (1846)[42]
H
- Hand Me Down My Walking Cane, James A. Bland (1880)
- "Happy Are We Darkies So Gay"[16]
- "Hard Times", Tom Briggs (1855)[43]
- "Hell on the Wabash Jig"[44]
- "High Daddy", Dan Emmett (1863)[45]
- "Hop Light, Loo", Dan Emmett (before 1854)[46]
- "Hot Corn"[10]
I
- "I Ain't Got Time to Tarry" (a.k.a. "The Land of Freedom"), Dan Emmett (1858)[47]
- "I'm Going Home to Dixie", Dan Emmett (1861)[48]
- "I'm Gwine ober de Mountain", Dan Emmett (1843)[49]
- "I Saw the Beam in My Sister's Eye"[50]
- "If Money Talks, It Ain't On Speaking Terms With Me", J. Fred Helf (1902)
- "Ireland and Virginia"[51]
J
- "Jack on the Green", Dan Emmett[52]
- "James Crow", Sam Carusi (1832)[53]
- "Jenny Get Your Hoe Cake Done", popularized by Joel Sweeney (1840)[54]
- "Jim Along Josey", credited to "an Eminent professor" and performed by John N. Smith (1840) [55]
- "Jim Brown" (1835)[13]
- "Johnny Boker or De Broken Yoke in de Coaling Ground" (1840)[56]
- "Johnny Roach", Dan Emmett (1859)[57]
- "Jolly Raftsman"[16]
- "Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel", Dan Emmett (1853)[58]
- "The Jolly Raftsman"[20]
- "Juba"[59]
- "Juber" (1840s)[60]
- "Jumbo Jum" (1840)[61]
- "Jump Jim Crow", (c. 1823, popularized by T.D. Rice in 1828)
- "Just Because She Made Dem Goo-Goo Eyes", Hughie Cannon (1900)
K
- "Kingdom Coming" (a.k.a. "Year of Jubilo"), Henry Clay Work (1862)
- "Kitty Crow", James Lord Pierpont (1853)
L
- "Land of Canaan", played by J. Simmons (before 1860)
- "A Life by the Galley Fire"[16]
- "De Long Island Nigger", Emma Snow (?) (c. 1848)[3]
- "Long Time Ago", John Cole (1833)[62]
- "Loozyanna Low Grounds", Dan Emmett (1859)[63]
- “Lucy Long” (see http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/minstrel/lucylongfr.html)
- "Lucy Neal"/"Lucy Neale" J. P. Carter (1844)[43]
- "Lynchburg Town"[16]
M
- "Marty Inglehart Jig", Dan Emmett (1845)[64]
- "Mary Blane" (a.k.a. "Mary Blain"), Billy Whitlock (1846)[8]
- "Massa Is a Stingy Man" (1841)[65]
- "Merry Sleigh Bells"[10]
- "The Merry Sleigh Ride, Valentine Dister (1852)
- "Mighty Lak' a Rose", Ethelbert Nevin (1901)
- "Miss Lucy Long" (a.k.a. "Lucy Long", "Miss Lucy Song"), Dan Emmett and Frank Brower (1844), or Billy Whitlock (1842)[43] or possibly Billy Whitlock (1838)[66]
- "Moze Haymar Jig", Dan Emmett (1845)[67]
- "My Old Kentucky Home", Stephen Foster (1853)[32]
- "My First Jig", Dan Emmett (c. 1840s)[68]
- "My Long Tail Blue" (1830s)[34]
- "My Old Aunt Sally" (1843)[69]
- "My Old Dad"/"Old Dad" (1844)[70]
N
- "Negro Jig", Dan Emmett (1845)[35]
- "Nelly Was a Lady", Stephen Foster (1849)[32]
- "New York Gals", Emma Snow?[71]
- "The Newton Jig", James Buckley (1860)[72]
- "Nigga General"[10]
- "Nigger on de Wood Pile", Dan Emmett (1845)[35]
O
- "(O Lud Gals) Gib Me [Us] Chaw Terbakur", words by Dan Emmett (1843)[73]
- "Oh, Come along John" a.k.a. "Walk along John" (1843)[74]
- "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers, James A. Bland (1879)
- "Oh, Ladies All!", Dan Emmett (published 1858, probably written in the 1840s)[75]
- "Oh Lemuel", Stephen Foster (1850)
- "Oh! Susanna", Stephen Foster (1847)[10][76]
- "Old Aunt Jemima, Billy Kersands (1875)
- "Old Black Joe, Stephen Foster (1860)
- "Old Bob Ridley", Charles White (1855)[77]
- "Old Dan Tucker", words by Dan Emmett (1843)
- "Old Folks at Home", Stephen Foster (1851)[32]
- "Old Joe", F. M. Brower (1844)[78]
- "Old Joe Golden"[79]
- "Old Johnny Boker"[2]
- "Old King Crow"[10]
- "Old K. Y. Ky.", Dan Emmett (1860)[80]
- "Old Tar River"/Ole Tare River" (1840)[81]
- "Old Uncle Ned", Stephen Foster (1848)[32]
- "Ole Bull and Old Dan Tucker" (1844)[82]
- "The Ole Grey Goose" (1844)[83]
- "De Ole Jawbone" (and variants), perhaps Joel Sweeney (1840)[43]
- "Ole Pee Dee", J. P. Carter (1844)[84]
- "Ole Virginny Break Down" (1841)[85]
- "The One Horse Open Sleigh", (a.k.a. "Jingle Bells") James Lord Pierpont (1857)[86]
- "Joe Sweeney's Jig", published by Dan Emmett[87]
- "Owl Creek Quickstep", Dan Emmett[88]
P
- "Pea Patch Jig", Dan Emmett[43]
- "Peel's Jig"[89]
- "Peter Story Jig", Dan Emmett[90]
- "Philadelphia Gals"[10]
- "Philisee Charcoal"[10]
- "Picayune Butler (Ahoo! Ahoo!)"[16]
- "Picayune Butler's Come to Town" (before 1847)[91]
- "Polly Wolly Doodle", credited to Dan Emmett, (1843/1878/1880)
- "Poor Elsie", James Lord Pierpont (1854)
- "Poor Uncle Tom", A. Sedgwick (1852)
- "Possum up the Gum-Tree"[92]
Q
- "Quaker's Jig", R. Myers[35]
R
- "Ring, Ring de Banjo", Stephen Foster (1851)[93]
- "Ring the Bell, Fanny", James Lord Pierpont (1854)
- "Rise Old Napper"[89]
- "Road to Richmond", Dan Emmett (1864)[94]
- "Rob Ridley", Charles White (1855)
- "Rock Susana", Horace Weston (1887)[95]
- "Roll Out! Heave Dat Cotton", William Shakespeare Hays (1877)
- "Root, Hog or Die", Dan Emmett (c. late 1840s or early 1850s)[96]
- "Rosa Lee"[10]
S
- "Sad to Leave Our Tater Land" (early 1850s)[51]
- "Sam Johnson's Colored Cake Walk", Dave Braham (1883)
- "Sandy Boy", possibly Phil Rice (before 1858)
- "Sandy Gibson's", Dan Emmett (1859)[97]
- "Seely Simpkins Jig", Dan Emmett[88]
- "Settin' on a Rail" (1836)[98]
- "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me" (1869)[99]
- "Sich a Gettin' Up Stairs" (c. 1834)[98]
- "Singing Darkey of the Ohio"[10]
- "Skeeters Do Bite"[10]
- "Sliding Jenny Jig", R. Myers[100]
- "Someone in de House wif Dinah", possibly Phil Rice (before 1858)
- "Stop Dat Knocking", A. F. Winnemore (1847)[8]
- "Sugar Cane Green"[10]
- "Sugar in a Gourd"[13]
- "Suke of Tennessee"[10]
- "Susey Brown"/"Suzy Brown"[16]
- "Sweep Oh!"[10]
T
- "Tell Me Josey Whar You Bin" (1840)[101]
- "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight, Theodore A. Metz (1896)
- "To the Cornfields Away"[10]
- "Tom Brigg's Jig", published by Dan Emmett[26]
- "Turkey in the Straw", developed from Zip Coon (1861)
- "Twelfth Street Rag", Euday L. Bowman (1898/1914/1919)
- "Twill Nebber Do to Gib It up So", Dan Emmett (1843)[102]
U
- "Uncle Gabriel" (1848)[103]
V
- "Van Bramer's Jig", published by Dan Emmett[104]
- "Virginia's Lubly Ground"[10]
W
- "Walk Along John" (1843)[105]
- "Walk Jaw Bone" (c. 1840)
- "Walking for dat Cake", Dave Braham (1877)
- "Wait for the Wagon", Geo P. Knauff (1851)
- "Westchester Nigga Song"[10]
- "Whar Did You Come From?" (subtitled "Knock a Nigger Down"), performed by Joel Sweeney (1840)[54]
- "Whar Is de Spot We Were Born?"[16]
- "What O' Dat", Dan Emmett (1859)[106]
- "Whoop Jamboree Jig"[107]
- "Who's Dat Knocking"[10]
- "Who's Dat Nigga Dar a Peepin" (1844)[108]
- "Wide Awake" a.k.a. "Dar's a Darkey in de Tent", Dan Emmett (early 1859)[47]
- "[In de/In the] Wild Raccoon Track"[10]
- "De Wild Goose-Nation", Dan Emmett (1844)[109]
- "(Won't You Come Home) Bill Bailey", Hughie Cannon (1902)
Y
- "Yellow Corn"[20]
Z
- "Zip Coon" (a.k.a. "Old Zip Coon"), performed by George Washington Dixon (1829? 1835?)[110]