Ise hyeahd while in mah ramblin’s
Dat ah mos’ subnoxshus choon,
Dat ebry bressed nayshun’s
Got er flag excep’ de coon.
I hyeah de white fo’ks sing it,
An’ I hyeah de niggahs, too—
De way de niggahs sing it
Seems dey ’cep’ de thing fo’ true.
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
It sut’ly am mos’ ’gustin’
Way de niggahs sing de thing.
Dey clap dey ban’s an’ hollah
Sot de kentry all er ring.
I doesn’t blame de white fo’ks
Ha’f ez much I do de coon
Fo’ singin’ an’ er whis’lin’
Sech er “singyooaytin’” chune.
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
De little pickahninnies
Why dey sing dat meetah, too!
Dey clap dey han’s an’ hollah,
’Zackly lak de ol’ fo’ks do—
An’ when I hyeah dem sing it
Ez dey dance an’ joobah pat—
I feels lak walzin’ to ’em
An’ jes’ knock’n dem out dey hat.
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
De blood ub ah ol’ foddahs
Ah er cry in’ fum de groun’.
Lissun! chillun, lissun!
Doan’ yo’ hyeah de doleful soun’?
Ergin’ sech kine ub ’spreshuns
An’ er gin sech kine ub choons,
“Dat ebry race an’ nayshun’s
Got er flag excep’ de coon.”
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
Dey fo’git when Bruddah Linkkum
Gibb er call in sixty-one.
Fo’ fo’ks to jine de army
Ebry niggah grabb’d his gun!
He lef his little cabin
While de ole fo’ks stood in tears.
To fight fo’ dis hyeah kentry
Ez true faithful volunteers.
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
Doh de po’ ol’ niggah
Doesn’t allus git his rights.
Fo’ his loyal kindness
Lots er kicks an’ lots ub smites.
Yet ’twas ’neef dat banner
Ha’f er millun niggahs fought.
He’p’d to win de vict’rys
Dat dis mighty kentry wrought.
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
Let all ub de niggahs
Teach dey chillun all to love.
Dat ol’ starry banner
Dat am floatin’ up er ’bove.
Spite ub all ah trubble
Things dat makes ah progress lagg,
’Membah dat Ol’ Glory
Am ah bannah, am ah flag!
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
Lissun! chillun, lissun!
When dis niggah’s in his grave,
Let dat dah ol’ banner
O’er dis niggah ebbah wave.
’Kaze dat dah ol’ banner
Undah which ah foddahs fought,
Am de only banner
Fo’ to love dat I was taught.
Yes wees got er flag!
It’s de red! de white! de blue!
It’s de only one to which
De niggahs should be true!
