Mama's Little Alabama Coon

Mama's Little Alabama Coon (aka Stay In Your Own Back Yard)
Composer(s): Lyn Udall; Karl Kennett
Performer(s): Dick Hyman; Arthur Pryor



Ah's mama's li'l Alabama coon
And ah ain't been born very long
Ah's remember one big round moon
Ah's member singin’ one sweet song
When they took me down to the cotton field
There I tumbled and I rolled in the sun
Daddy picking cotton; mama watch me grow
This was the old song she sung

Lilac trees are bloomin’ in the garden by the gate
Mammy's at her little cabin door
Curly headed picanniny comin’ home so late
Cryin’ cuz his little heart is sore

All the children play around
With skins so white and fair
None of them with him would ever play
So mammy in her lap, took that weeping little chap
And crooned him in her kind old way

Why don't you play in your own backyard
Never mind what the white chile do
Nobody ever would want to play
With a little black coon like you

Go out and play as long as you please
But Honey don’t you cry so hard
Go out and jump on the high board fence
But stay in your own backyard

Go to sleep my little picanny
Brer fox catch you if ya don't
Slumber on the bosom of your ol' mama Jinny
Mama goin to swap yo if you don't
Ah-loo-ah-loo-ah-looah-loo-ah-loo
Underneath the sunny southern moon
Lullabye, Rockabye Mama's li'l baby
Mama's li'l Alabama Coon