LAWD, FORGIVE MASSA BLACK
(1963-64)

Sambo was born a nigger,

God giv'm a coloured skin,

And the first thing they taught Sambo 

Was, "I'm a nigger, that's a sin."

Sambo was born a nigger,

With eyes as dark as coal,

And the second thing they taught Sambo 

Was, "God don't give blacks a soul."

Sambo was born a nigger,

His hair jet black and curled,

And the third thing they taught Sambo 

Was "This is the white man's world."

"This is de white man's world, 

Lawd, It's de white man carries de whip: 

Just do as de boss man says, boys, 

It's de white man carries de whip."

And the man that owned li'l Sambo, 

The "Massa Black" by name,

He'd beat Sam down on the bloody ground 

Till he choked and screamed with the pain.

Then one day in the cottonfields 

Sambo made his break,

Started to run for his stinking hide, 

Ran, ran to the Free North States.

He knew that if they caught him 

Black'd kill him dead for sure;

He could almost feel the thick black rod, 

Lawd, beatin' him down to the floor.

On, on he ran till he reached a marsh

And the State Line just across,

And he cried, "Lawd Jesus, help me, Lawd," 

But he knew then that he'd lost.

Old Black had set the dogs loose; 

They bayed and howled for blood; 

And they tracked down, caught up Sambo 

Where he'd stuck in the oozing mud.

Black sat and watched young Sambo 

As he sank to his neck in the sand, 

And he laughed to see a nigger die 

Without his raisin his hand.

Sambo was born a nigger,

And he died black, that's a fact, 

But the last thing Sambo ever said 

Was, "Lawd, forgive Massa Black."

F. DENNIS, 5G.