Keemo Kimo

(Recorded on the Southern Soldier album)

In South Carolina de darkeys grow.
Sing song, kitty kitchie-kimeo.
Dat’s whar de white folks plant dey toe.        Sing song, etc.
Dey cover de groun’ all ober wid smoke.      Sing song, etc.
An’ up de darkey heads dey poke.                   Sing song, etc.

{Chorus:}

Keemo kimo, dar o whar;
Wid a hi an’ a ho an’ a here come Sally singin’
Some tie penny wid a ling tong nipcat;
Sing song, kitty, kitchie-kimeo.

Sometimes t’ings jus’ go all wrong;                  Sing song, etc.*
Cotton grow short instead of long.                  *–
Whutcha gonna do f’it don’ rain at all?           *–
T’ings grow short instead of tall.                       *–

{Chorus}

Milk in de dairy, nine days old;                                        Sing song, etc.*
De frogs an’ de ‘squitoes gittin’ mighty bold,             *–
We try for to sleep, but it ain’t no use.                          *–
Dey jump all aroun’ in de chicken roost.                     *–

{Chorus}

Dar was a frog lived near a pool;                      Sing song, etc.*
Sho’, he was de bigges’ fool!                               *–
For he could dance an’ he could sing.            *–
Make de woods all ‘round him ring!                *–

{Chorus}