Juba and a O’ Brown Squaw
[MEN, spoken]
Jesse thinks not of God, not of heaven, not of justice. Only his own freedom is on his mind.
He goes to see Juba. A man so wise, the uninformed think he is a fool.
[JUBA]
First you dance, then you sing, if you'd do the Juba rig
Then you turn all around and you hop a little jig
People come to Juba when they wants to be free
When everything is fine with them their face he never see
Jump Juba, pat Juba, act a natural fool
Eat a pound of dirt and bite a two-head mule
[MEN]
O Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Hear me prayin'
[MEN]
Yeah, Lord Juba
[JUBA]
What I'm sayin'
[MEN]
Right, left Juba
[JUBA]
I ain't playin'
[MEN]
And a o' brown squaw
[JUBA]
Listen to these words, son, I'm about to say
I see it in your eyes that you wanna get away
Dancin' and singin' and shakin' my tail
One mulatto girl and a bill of sale
The things you should do if you run add up to three
If you do all these things, there's a chance you might be free
[MEN]
O Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Hear me talkin'
[MEN]
Yeah, Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Say so
[MEN]
Right, left Juba
[JUBA]
Uh huh
[MEN]
And a o' brown squaw
[JUBA]
Number one is love the land and also you must know
The land that holds you slave is the same that lets you go
Got to know where water lies to cover up your tracks
Stayin' long on ground too high has busted many backs
See how Brer Rabbit makes himself so hard to find
Dogs got long and pointy teeth and would love some brown behind
[MEN]
O Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Hear me talkin'
[MEN]
Yeah, Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Hallelu
[MEN]
Right, left Juba
[JUBA]
What I say?
[MEN]
And a o' brown squaw
[JUBA]
Number two, you got to sing with soul, or even better, shout
Be sad but sing a happy song to call the Indians out
Any man be Indian no matter how they're born
All you got to do is give a starvin' man some corn
Listen to ol' Juba sing and hear a soulful sound
Juba laughs in the devil's face and knock his mama down
[MEN]
O Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Hey, Juba
[MEN]
Yeah, Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Hear me talkin'
[MEN]
Right, left Juba
[JUBA]
Say so
[MEN]
And a o' brown squaw
[JUBA]
Last thing, number three you must do to be free
If you're gonna get away you must know who you'll be
Runnin' round talkin' 'bout you some kind of king
Like a chicken flyin' with a hoot owl's wing
If a man be a prince, then another be a slave
May be the lesser work the greater to an early grave
[MEN]
O Lord Juba
[JUBA]
What I'm talkin'
[MEN]
Yeah, Lord Juba
[JUBA]
Tell me truth, now
[MEN]
Right, left Juba
[JUBA]
Uh huh
[MEN]
And a o' brown squaw
[JUBA]
One, you got to love the land, forgive it for this sin
You'll never get your freedom if the land is not your friend
Two, you've got to sing with soul so Indians will dance
If no one will help you run then you haven't got a chance
Three, what will you call yourself if you become free?
If a man is a prince, he too a slave can be
[MEN]
O Lord Juba
[JUBA]
O Juba
[MEN]
Yeah, Lord Juba
[JUBA]
What I say?
[MEN]
High, low Juba
[JUBA]
Uh huh
[JUBA & MEN]
And a o' brown squaw
