Ballads, English -- Texts; English poetry -- 19th century; Street literature -- Great Britain
Snail like your cause is creeping,
It hinders you from sleeping,
Attornies only reaping,
While your cash they draw.
D--R--A--W Draw,
It’s the mainspring of the Law.
Misery, toil, and trouble,
Makes up the hubble bubble,
And leaves you nothing but stubble,
And makes you a man of straw.
L--A--W. Law.
It divides the wheat from the straw.
When your case is just near ending,
Your case is no wise mending,
Expense each step attending,
And then they find a flaw.
Then the Judge, like any Jackdaw,
Oh, he lays down, what is law,
In a rotten stick your trust is,
And though you don’t get Justice,
You’re sure to get plenty of Law.
L--A--W. Law.
It leaves you not worth a straw.
So, if life’s all sugar and honey,
And fortune has always been sunny,
And you want to get rid of your money,
I’d advise you to go to law.
Like ice in a rapid thaw,
Your cash will melt awa’,
Comfort, ’tis folly to care for,
Life is a lottery--therefore,
Without a why, or a wherefore,
I’d advise you to go to Law.
L--A--W. Law,
Oh! ’twill like a blister draw.
_JIM CROW._
I CAM from ole Kentucky,
A long time ago,
Where I first larn to wheel about,
And jump Jim Crow.
_Chorus._
Wheel about and turn about,
And do jis so,
Ebry time I wheel about
I jump Jim Crow.
I us’d to take him fiddle,
Ebry morn and afternoon,
And charm the sole Buzzard,
And dance to the Racoon.
I landed fust at Liverpool,
Dat place of ships and docks,
I strutted down Lord Street,
And ask’d de price of Stocks.
I paid my fare den up to town,
On de coach to cut a dash,
De axletree soon gave way,
And spilt us wid a smash.
I lighted den upon my head,
All in de nassy dirt,
Dey all thought dat I war dead,
But I laughed and wasn’t hurt.
Dis head you know, am pretty tick,
Cause dere it make a hole,
On de dam macadmis road,
Much bigger dan a bowl.
When I got into Lunnon,
Dey took me for a savage,
But I war pretty well behaved,
So I ’gaged with Mr. Davidge.
Dem young Jim Crows bout de streets
More like a Raven rader,
Pray good people, don’t mistake,
Indeed, I’m not dare fader.
Dem urchin’s what sing my song,
Had better mind dar books.
For any how dey can’t be Crows,
You see d’ar only Rooks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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