Little honey baby, shet yo' eyes up tight;--
(Shadow-man is comin' from de moon!)--
You's as sweet as roses if dey is so pink an white;
(Shadow-man '11 get here mighty soon.)
Little honey baby, keep yo' footses still!--
(Rocky-bye, oh, rocky, rocky-bye!)
Hush yo' now, an listen to dat lonesome whippo'-will;
Don't yo' fix yo' lip an start to cry.
Little honey baby, stop dat winkin' quick!;
(Hear de hoot-owl in de cotton-wood!)
Yess--I sees yo' eyes adoin' dat dere triflin' trick--
(He gets chillun if dey isn't good.)
Little honey baby, what yo' think yo' see?--
(Sister keep on climbin' to de sky--)
Dat's a June bug--it aint got no stinger, lak a bee--
(Reach de glory city by an by.)
Little honey baby, what yo' skeery at?--
(Go down, Moses--down to Phar-e-oh,)--
No--dat isn't nuffin but a furry fly-round bat;--
(Say, he'd betta let dose people go.)
Little honey baby, yo' is all ma own,--
Deed yo' is.--Yes,--dat's a fia-fly;--
If I didn't hab yo'--reckon I'd be all alone;
(Rocky-bye--oh, rocky, rocky-bye.)
Little honey baby, shet yo' eyes up tight;--
(Shadow man is comin' from de moon,)
You's as sweet as roses, if dey is so pink and white;
(Shadow-man '11 get here mighty soon.)
The lines in brackets are supposed to be sung or chanted.
The Southern "Mammy" seldom sang a song through, but
interladed it with comments.--V.S.