Poor Old Slave, The

DESCRIPTION: "The poor old slave is dead and gone, We know that he is free. Disturb him not, but let him rest, Away down in Tennessee." "The poor old slave is gone to rest, No master does he fear, Disturb him not...."
AUTHOR: G. W. H. Griffin (Source: Huntington, based on Spaeth)
EARLIEST DATE: 1851 (composed for Ordway's Aeolians, according to Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs); in oral tradition by 1858 (Journal of the Pavilion)
KEYWORDS: slave death burial humorous wordplay
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Wheeler-SteamboatinDays, p. 118, "Th Po' Old Slave" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Morris-FolksongsOfFlorida, # 5, "The Poor Old Slave" (1 short text)
Huntington-TheGam-MoreSongsWhalemenSang, pp. 305-306, "Good Old Jeff" (1 text, 1 tune)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, pp. 419, 424, 489, "Poor Old Slave" (notes only)
Dime-Song-Book #1/72, p. 7 and #1/64 p. 7, "Poor Old Slave" (1 text)
DT, POORSLAV
ST MWhee118 (Full)
Roud #10049
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Good Old Slave
NOTES [57 words]: The Digital Tradition has a camp? version of this in which the singer inserts nonsense syllables. But Wheeler's text, though short, seems to ensure that this is a parody -- or rather an expansion -- of a serious song (perhaps a spiritual). Morris-FolksongsOfFlorida's informant had an amazing story of it having been learned in Sierra Leone. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.6
File: MWhee118

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography