Interesting Facts about the De History Ob De World
Here is the “De History Ob De World” effect of the research done by Stan Hugill on the occasion of the description of the “Clear The Track, Let The Bulgine Run” shanty. He tells us that his research has produced this minstrel song, and the theme of the verse is almost that of Whall’s version of Clear The Track – both songs minstrel and Whall’s version of the shanty could be called “Cosmogonic”! Stan Hugill gives us only one verse without the music, fortunately, I found on the internet the original music notation with five verses. Will be reconstructed as the Minstrel Song.
The source of De History Ob De World
The music: “De History Ob De World” by W. M. Parker (1847).
The lyrics: “De History Ob De World” by W. M. Parker (1847).
Mentioned in: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 344).
The Record
You also can find this record on my YouTube channel here or directly listen below. Additionally, if you want to share your opinion about the record or share your opinion you can do it in my Facebook forum here, or leave a comment at the bottom of this blog article.
The musical notation
The full lyrics
De History Ob De World
O, I come from ole Virginny
Wid my head full ob knowledge,
And I neber went to free
school Nor any other colledge
But one thing I will tell you
Which am a solemn fact,
I tell you how dis world was made
In a twinkling ob n crack.
– Den walk in, Den walk in I say,
– Den walk in. And hear the banjo play,
– Den walk in to the parlor
– And hear de banjo ring
– And watch dis (players) fingers
– While be play upon de string
* 2 *
Oh dis world was made in six days,
And den day made de sky,
Aand den dey hung it ober head,
And left it dat to dry;
And den dey made de stars,
Out ob (slaver) wenches eyes,
For to gib a little light
When de moon didn’t rise.
* 3 *
So Adam was de first man,
Ebe she was de oder,
And Cain walk’d on de treadmill
Because he killed his broder;
Ole Modder Ebe
Couldn’t sleep widout a piller,
And de greatest man dat eberlived.
Was Jack de Giant killer.
* 4 *
And den dey made de sea,
Annd in it put a Whale,
And den dey made a raccou
Wid a ring around his tail;
All de oder animals
Was fluished one by one,
And stuck against de fence to dry
As fast as dey were done.
* 5 *
O lighting is a yellow gal,
She libs up in de clouds,
And thunder he’s a black man,
For he can hollow loud;
When he kisses lighting,
She dodgers off in wonder,
Den he jumps, and tares his trowers,
And dat’s what makes de thunder.
* 6 *
O de wind begin to blow,
And de rain begin to fall,
And de water come so high
Dat it drowned de (slavers) all;
And it rained forty days and nights,
Exactly, by de counting,
And it landed Noah’s ark
‘Pon de Alleghany Mountains.
