River Side Blues
By Sterling Brown
A man git his feet set in a sticky mud bank,
A man git dis yellow water in his blood,
No need for hopin', no need for doin',
Muddy streams keep him fixed for good.
Little Muddy, Big Muddy, Moreau and Osage,
Little Mary's, Big Mary's, Cedar Creek,
Flood deir muddy water roundabout a man's roots,
Keep him soaked and stranded and git him weak.
Lazy sun shinin' on a little cabin,
Lazy moon glistenin' over river trees;
Ole river whisperin', lappin' 'gainst de long roots:
"Plenty of rest and peace in these . . ."
Big mules, black loam, apple and peach trees,
But seems lak de river washes us down
Past de rich farms, away from de fat lands,
Dumps us in some ornery riverbank town.
Went down to the river, sot me down an' listened,
Heard de water talkin' quiet, quiet lak an' slow:
"Ain' no need fo' hurry, take yo' time, take yo'
time . . ." Heard it sayin'--
"Baby, hyeahs de way life go . . ."
Dat is what it tole me as I watched it slowly rollin',
But somp'n way inside me rared up an' say,
"Better be movin' . . . better be travelin' . . .
Riverbank'll
git you ef you stay . . ."
Towns are sinkin' deeper, deeper in de riverbank,
Takin' on de ways of deir sulky Ole Man--
Takin' on his creepy ways, takin' on his evil ways,
"Bes' git way, a long way . . . whiles you can. "Man
got his sea too lak de Mississippi Ain't got so long
for a whole lot longer way,
Man better move some, better not git rooted
Muddy water fool you, ef you stay .
. ."
Southern Road
By Sterling Brown
Swing dat hammer--hunh--
Steady, bo';
Swing dat hammer--hunh--
Steady, bo';
Ain't no rush, bebby,
Long ways to go.
Burner tore his--hunh--
Black heart away;
Burner tore his--hunh--
Black heart away;
Got me life, bebby,
An' a day.
Gal's on Fifth Street--hunh--
Son done gone;
Gal's on Fifth Street--hunh--
Son done gone;
Wife's in de ward, bebby,
Babe's not bo'n.
My ole man died--hunh--
Cussin' me;
My ole man died--hunh--
Cussin' me;
Ole lady rocks, bebby,
Huh misery.
Doubleshackled--hunh--
Guard behin';
Doubleshackled--hunh--
Guard behin';
Ball an' chain, bebby,
On my min'.
White man tells me--hunh--
Damn yo' soul;
White man tells me--hunh--
Damn yo' soul;
Got no need, bebby,
To be tole.
Chain gang nevah--hunh--
Let me go;
Chain gang nevah--hunh--
Let me go;
Po' los' boy, bebby,
Evahmo' . . .
Muck Bucket
By Ashley Gosney
(Inspired by Riverside Blues by Sterling Brown)
A man git his feet set in a sticky mud bank,
A man git dis yellow water in his blood,
No way to get out of dis mess
He's in it way to deep.
Its like a chain, it never ends
Little problems, big problems, one thing after another
Water soaking up his clothes,
Making him feel heavier and heavier.
Finally he gives up and ends his problems
With one small breath he gets pulled under the
Mud bank never to be seen or heard from again
Prison's Workshop
By Ashley Gosney
(Inspired by Southern Road by Sterling Brown)
Hit that nail-hmmm-
easy 'boo'
Hit that nail-hmmm-
easy 'boo'
times a'wastin, bebe,
but aint no place to go.
Killa threw my-hmm-
only love away;
Killa threw my-hmm-
only love away;
dont got no world, bebe;
no place to stay.