Bush it ben’ an’ nod an’ sway,
    Down in lovah’s lane,
  Try’n’ to hyeah me whut I say
    ’Long de lovah’s lane. 
  But I whispahs low lak dis,
  An’ my ’Mandy smile huh bliss—­
  Mistah Bush he shek his fis’,
   Down in lovah’s lane.

  Whut I keer ef day is long,
    Down in lovah’s lane. 
  I kin allus sing a song
    ’Long de lovah’s lane. 
  An’ de wo’ds I hyeah an’ say
  Meks up fu’ de weary day
  Wen I’s strollin’ by de way,
    Down in lovah’s lane.

  An’ dis t’ought will allus rise
    Down in lovah’s lane;
  Wondah whethah in de skies
    Dey ’s a lovah’s lane. 
  Ef dey ain’t, I tell you true,
  ’Ligion do look mighty blue,
  ‘Cause I do’ know whut I ’d do
    ’Dout a lovah’s lane.

PROTEST

  Who say my hea’t ain’t true to you? 
    Dey bettah heish dey mouf. 
  I knows I loves you thoo an’ thoo
    In watah time er drouf. 
  I wush dese people ‘d stop dey talkin’,
  Don’t mean no mo’ dan chicken’s squawkin’: 
  I guess I knows which way I’s walkin’,
    I knows de norf f’om souf.

  I does not love Elizy Brown,
    I guess I knows my min’. 
  You allus try to tek me down
    Wid evaht’ing you fin’. 
  Ef dese hyeah folks will keep on fillin’
  Yo’ haid wid nonsense, an’ you’s willin’
  I bet some day dey ‘ll be a killin’
    Somewhaih along de line.

  O’ cose I buys de gal ice-cream,
    Whut else I gwine to do? 
  I knows jes’ how de t’ing ’u’d seem
    Ef I ’d be sho’t wid you. 
  On Sunday, you’s at chu’ch a-shoutin’,
  Den all de week you go ‘roun’ poutin’—­
  I’s mighty tiahed o’ all dis doubtin’,
    I tell you cause I’s true.

HYMN

  O li’l’ lamb out in de col’,
  De Mastah call you to de fol’,
          O li’l’ lamb! 
  He hyeah you bleatin’ on de hill;
  Come hyeah an’ keep yo’ mou’nin’ still,
          O li’l’ lamb!

  De Mastah sen’ de Shepud fo’f;
  He wandah souf, he wandah no’f,
          O li’l’ lamb! 
  He wandah eas’, he wandah wes’;
  De win’ a-wrenchin’ at his breas’,
          O li’l’ lamb!

  Oh, tell de Shepud whaih you hide;
  He want you walkin’ by his side,
          O li’l’ lamb! 
  He know you weak, he know you so’;
  But come, don’ stay away no mo’,
          O li’l’ lamb!

  An’ af’ah while de lamb he hyeah
  De Shepud’s voice a-callin’ cleah—­
          Sweet li’l’ lamb! 
  He answah f’om de brambles thick,
  “O Shepud, I’s a-comin’ quick”—­
          O li’l’ lamb!

LITTLE BROWN BABY