got me very soon,
And dey put me in a room:
Dis nigger couldn't tell what dey was after;
Dey took off all my clothes,
And den what does you suppose?
Dey put me in a tub of boilin' water!
And den dey got around,
And some scrubbin'-brushes found,
And said dey'd wash me whiter dan paper.
Oh! dey got me in a tub,
And dey all began to rub:
I tell you it was a pretty sight!
For, some put on de soap.
And de oders dey did scrub,
But dey found dey couldn't wash de nigger white.

3

De next thing dey done
For to make de color run,
Dey began to rub me wid sand paper:
Oh! dey nearly killed me dead,
But dey only made me red:
I tell you it was an awful caper!
Den dey whitewashed me so slick,
But de lime it wouldn't stick:
I, golly! I was just as black as ever!
Den dey got a lot of hay,
And dey rubbed and scrubbed away:
Oh! dey kept at it all dat night;
But den dey found, next day,
Dat de job it wouldn't pay,
'Kase dey neber could wash de nigger white.

4

When I found dat dey was tired,
Says I: Gemmen list to me,
And you will find dat I am a right, man;
De nigger will be nigger,
Till de day of Jubilee;
For, he nebber was intended for a white man;
Den just skedaddle home,
Leave de colored man alone;
For, you're only makin trouble in de nation;
You may fight, and you may muss,
You may make a heap of fuss,
But you nebber will make tings right,
Until you all agree
For to let de nigger be:
'Kase you'll neber, neber, neber wash him white.