Oh! Lemuel!

"Oh! Lemuel!" is a minstrel song with words and text by Stephen Foster, written in 1850.

Date: 1850Composer: Stephen FosterText: Stephen Foster

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Text

Oh! Lemuel!
by Stephen Foster
(revised by Cinzi Lavin)

Oh! Lemuel!
Oh! Lemuel my lark,
Oh Lemuel my beau,
I’m going to give a ball tonight,
I’d like for you to know;
But if you want to dance,
Just dance outside the door;
Cause your feet are so very large
They’ll cover all de floor.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Lemuel I say!
Go down to yonder field,
And bring the boys away.

Chorus:
Go down to yonder field!
Go down, I say!
Go down and call the farmer boys all:
We’ll work no more today

Oh! Lemuel my hope,
Oh! Lemuel my joy
I’ll tell you who’ll be at the ball
My handsome lover boy.
There’s Nelly Bly, you know,
And Juliana Snow,
There’s cane-brake Kitty likes the boys,
And she’ll be sure to go.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Leumel I say!
Go down to yonder field
And bring the boys away.

Chorus

Oh! Lemuel is tall,
Oh! Lemuel is fair,
Oh, Lemuel has gone today
To take the morning air.
He makes the fiddle hum,
He makes the banjo tum,
He rattles on the tambourine,
And beats upon the drum.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Lemuel I say!
Go down to yonder field
And bring the boys away.

Chorus

—–

Oh! Lemuel!
Original Lyrics by Stephen Foster

Oh! Lemuel!
Oh! Lemuel my lark,
Oh Lemuel my beau,
I’s guine to gib a ball tonight,
I’d hab you for to know;
But if you want to dance,
Just dance outside de door;
Cayse your feet so berry large
Dey’ll cover all de floor.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Lemuel I say!
Go down to de cotton field,
And bring de boys away.

Chorus:
Go down to de cotton field!
Go down, I say!
Go down and call de Nigga boys all:
We’ll work no more today.

Oh! Lemuel my hope,
Oh! Lemuel my joy
I’ll tell you who’ll be at de ball
My woolly headed boy.
Dere’s Nelly Bly, you know,
And Juliana Snow,
Dere’s cane-brake Kitty likes de boys,
And she’ll be sure to go.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Leumel I say!
Go down to de cotton field
And bring de boys away.

Chorus

Oh! Lemuel is tall,
Oh! Lemuel is fair,
Oh, Lemuel has gone to day
To take de morning air.
He makes de fiddle hum,
He makes de banjo tum,
He rattles on de old jaw bone,
And beats upon de drum.
Oh! Lem! Lem! Lem! Lemuel I say!
Go down to de cotton field
And bring de boys away.

Chorus

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