Oh Miss Nancy Ray, Oh hurrah boys! Oh Miss Nancy Ray, Oh hurrah boys! Nancy Banana da broke man heart, Oh hurrah boys! Nancy Banana da broke man heart, Oh hurrah boys! Oh Miss Nancy Ray, Oh hurrah boys! Oh Miss Nancy Ray, Oh hurrah boys!]
The bobbin is "Oh hurrah boys!" and a good swinging one it is. If the bobbin is well taken up each sing lasts for about five minutes, and the raiser of the tune prides himself on the number of "turnings" or slight variations he can give it. He also improvises words as he goes on. Such a sally as changing Miss Ray's name to Banana would be met with laughter when it was first heard.
("Da broke man heart" means "has broken a man's heart")
The next example is a type of many of the sings. It turns on a piece of local gossip. The "at last" is significant and points to Catherine being an old offender. The proffered sympathy is hardly sincere.
Ho biddybye, biddybye me yerry the talk biddybye, say Cat'rine gone a prison biddybye poor me Cat'rine oh biddybye Cat'rine gone at last biddybye.]
Here is the story in plain English, "deep English" as the Negro calls it, not understanding it well:--"Oh by the bye I hear a report that Catherine has gone to prison. My poor Catherine!"
(For "say" read "which says." "Biddybye" is the bobbin.)
We come now to one which refers to labouring life:--
Tell Mister Linky me want go, hm! hm! oh Benjiman! Barrarap Barrarap Barrarap me Benjiman oh Benjiman!]
The men are in the field watching the sun which is getting low. They begin to think the head-man, Mr. Linky, is forgetting how time goes. He should be giving the signal to "knock off work." So one of the gang, meaning Mr. Linky to hear, says to his neighbour:--"Benjamin, tell Mr. Linky I want to go." "Hm, hm!" with closed lips, means a great deal. It is a sort of good-natured remonstrance. Always _Benjiman_ for Benjamin and the _Barraraps_ culminate in a sharp final staccato _rap_. This has a longer bobbin "Oh Benjiman!"
The next might easily be mistaken for something of the same sort:--
Tell Mister Bell me go plant coco, Tell Mister Bell me go plant coco, Tell Mister Bell me go plant coco, fuppence a quart fe flour! Flour Flour Flour Flour! fuppence a quart fe flour!]