A song to sing
Ah but love is pleasing and love is teasing
Love is a treasure when first it's new
Ah but as love grows older so love grows colder
And fades away like the morning dew
Oh how I wish, how I wish, but it's all in vain
I wish that I were a maid again
Ah but a maid again I shall never be
Till apples grow on an orange tree
How I wish, how I wish that my babe was born
And sitting on his mother's knee
And I wish that I were dead and gone
The deep green grass growing over me
As I went out walking down by the sea shore,
The wind it did whistle, and the waves they did roar
I heard a fair maiden make a pitiful cry
It sounded so lonesome in the waters nearby
I never will marry, I'll be no man's wife
I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life
My love's gone and left me, the one I adore
He's gone, and I never will see him no more
The shells in the ocean shall be my death bed
And fish in deep water swim over my head
I never will marry, I'll be no man's wife
I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life
She threw her fair body in the water so deep
She closed her pretty blue eyes in one long last sleep
The shells in the ocean and the fish in the sea
They all have their places, but there's no place for me
I never will marry, I'll be no man's wife
I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life
She sat under the lilacs and played her guitar
Played her guitar, played her guitar
She sat under the lilacs and played her guitar
Played her guita-ha-ha-ha
He sat down beside her and smoked his cigar
Smoked his cigar, smoked his cigar
He sat down beside her and smoked his cigar
Smoked his ciga-ha-ha-ha
He said that he loved her, but oh, how he lied...
She said she believed him, but oh, how she sighed...
They were to be married, but somehow she died...
He went to her funeral but just for the ride...
He sat on her tombstone and laughed till he cried...
The tombstone fell on him and squish-squash, he died...
The parson was passing and popped him inside...
She went to heaven and flip-flap she flied...
He went to t'other place and frizzled and fried...
The devils they ate him with pitchforks and knives...
The moral of this story is don't tell a lie
Don't tell a lie, don't tell a lie, don't tell a lie
The moral of this story is don't tell a lie
Don't tell a li-hi-hi-hie
Day-o, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Hey, all of the workmen sing this song
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Well I sleep by the sun and I work by the moon
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, me say day-o...
Work all night 'til the morning come
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Stack them banana 'til the morning come
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, me say day-o...
Come, Mr. Tallyman, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Me say, come Mr. Tallyman, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Lift six hand, seven hand, eight hand bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Me say, six hand, seven hand, eight hand bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, me say day-o...
A beautiful bunch o' ripe banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Out come a big, black, hairy tarantula
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, me say day-o...
Well, I'll pack up my things and I'll go to sea
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Then the bananas see the last of me
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
A traditional Trinidad work song
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
I looked over Jordan and what did I see?
Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
If you get to heaven before I do
Coming for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I'm comin' there too
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
C F C Swing low, sweet chari-ot C G7 Coming for to carry me home C F C Swing low, sweet chari-ot C G7 C Coming for to carry me home C I looked over Jordan and what did I see G7 Coming for to carry me home? C F C A band of angels coming after me C G7 C Coming for to carry me home
Take the scorn to wear a horn, it was the crisp when you were born
Your father's father wore it and your father wore it too
Hal and Tow, jolly rumbelow
We were up long before the day-oh
To welcome in the summer
To welcome in the May-oh
For summer is a coming in
And winter's gone away-oh
What happened to the Spaniards that made so great a boast-oh
Why they shall eat the feathered goose and we shall eat the roast-oh
Hal and Tow, jolly rumbelow...
Robin Hood and Little John have all come to the Fair-oh
And we will to the merry greenwood to hunt the buck and hare-oh
Hal and Tow, jolly rumbelow...
God bless St. Mary, Moses and all the poor and mite-oh
And send us peace to England, send Peace by day and night-oh
Hal and Tow, jolly rumbelow
We were up long before the day-oh
To welcome in the summer
To welcome in the May-oh
For summer is a coming in
And winter's gone away-oh
I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen troubles all my days
I'm going back to California
Place where I was born and raised
All through this world I'm bound to ramble
Through storm and wind, through sleet and rain
I'm bound to catch that northern railroad
Perhaps I'll take the very next train
Your friends they say I am a stranger
You'll never see my face no more
There is just one thing
We'll stay on God's golden shore
I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen troubles all my days
I'm going back to California
Place where I was born and raised
Oh, the prickle-eye bush, that breaks my heart so sore
If I ever get out of this prickle-eye bush
I'll never get in it any more
Hangman stay your hand, O stay it for a while
For I think I see my father coming over yonder stile
Father have you brought me gold, or silver to see me free
To save my body from the cold, cold ground
And my neck from the gallows tree?
No, I have not brought you gold, or silver to see you free
To save your body from the cold, cold ground
And your neck from the gallows tree
Oh, the prickle-eye bush...
Hangman stay your hand, O stay it for a while
For I think I see my mother coming over yonder stile
Mother have you brought me gold, or silver to see me free
To save my body from the cold, cold ground
And my neck from the gallows tree?
No, I have not brought you gold, or silver to see you free
To save your body from the cold, cold ground
And your neck from the gallows tree
Oh, the prickle-eye bush...
Hangman stay your hand, O stay it for a while
For I think I see my brother...
Oh, the prickle-eye bush...
Hangman stay your hand, O stay it for a while
For I think I see my true love coming over yonder stile
True love, have you brought me gold, or silver to set me free
To save my body from the cold, cold ground
And my neck from the gallows tree?
Yes, I have brought you gold, and silver to set you free
To save your body from the cold, cold ground
And your neck from the gallows tree
Oh, the prickle-eye bush, that breaks my heart so sore
If I ever get out of this prickle-eye bush
I'll never get in it any more
Oh don't get married, girls, you'll sign away your life
You may start off as a woman, but you'll end up as a wife
You could be a vestal virgin, take the veil and be a nun
But don't get married girls, for marriage isn't fun
Oh it's fine when you're romancing and he plays the lover's part
You're the roses in his garden, you're the flame that warms his heart
And his love will last for ever and he'll promise you the moon
But just wait until you've wedded and he sings a different tune
You're his tapioca pudding, you're the dumplings in his stew
And he soon begins to wonder what he ever saw in you
Still he takes without complaining all the dishes you provide
But you see he has to have his bit of jam tart on the side
So don't get married, girls, it's very poorly paid
You may start off as a mistress, but you'll end up as a maid
Be a daring deep sea diver, be a polished polyglot
But don't get married, girls, for marriage is a plot
You've seen him in the morning with a face that looks like death
He's got dandruff on his pillow and tobacco on his breath
And he needs some reassurance with his cup of tea in bed
'Cos he's got worries with the mortgage and the bald patch on his head
And he thinks that you're his mother, lays his head upon your breast
So you try to boost his ego, iron his shirt and warm his vest
Then you send him off to work, the mighty hunter is restored
And he leaves you there with nothing but the dreams you can't afford
So DON'T get married girls, for men are all the same
They just want you when they need you, you'd do better on the game
Be a call girl, be a stripper, be a hostess, be a whore
But don't get married, girls, for marriage is a bore
When he comes home in the evening he can hardly spare a look
All he says is What's for dinner, after all you're just the cook
Then he takes you to a party and he eyes you with a frown
And you know you've got to look your best, you mustn't let him down
And he eyes you with that "look what I've got" sparkle in his eye
Like he's entered for a raffle and he's won you for a prize
And when the party's over you'll be slogging through the sludge
Half the time a decoration, half the time a drudge
So don't get married, girls, it'll drive you round the bend
It's the road without a turning, it's the end without an end
Change your lover every Friday, take up tennis, be a nurse
But don't get married, girls, for marriage is a curse
Leon Rosselson
I gave my love a cherry that has no stone
I gave my love a chicken that has no bone
I told my love, a story that has no end
I gave my love a baby with no crying
How can there be a cherry that has no stone?
How can there be a chicken that has no bone?
How can there be a story that has no end?
How can there be a baby with no crying?
A cherry when it's blooming, it has no stone
A chicken when it's in the egg it has no bone
The story that I love you, it has no end
A baby when it's sleeping has no crying