Lyrics by Daniel Decatur Emmett
I’m old Mister Brown from the South
I left Lynchburg in the time of the drouth
The times they got so bad in the place
That we poor folks dared not show our face
Chorus:
It will never do to give it up so
It will never do to give it up so
It will never do to give it up so, Mr. Brown
It will never do to give it up so
The old Jim River I floated down
I ran my boat upon the ground
The drift log come with a rishing din
And the stove both ends of my old boat in
Chorus
The old log rake me aft and fore
It left my cookhouse on the shore
I thought it wouldn’t do to give it up so
So I scull myself ashore with the old banjo
Chorus
I gets on shore and feels very glad
I looks at the banjo and feels very mad
I walks up the bank that’s slick as glass
Up, went my heels and I light upon the grass
Chorus
By golly, but it surely made me laugh
With my boat I made a raft
I had a pine tree for a sail
And steered her down with my coattail
Chorus
That same night as the sun did set
I arrived in town with my clothes all wet
Then I built up a great big fire
If that’s not true then I am a liar
Chorus
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