Summertime Lyrics
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin'
So hush little babby, don't you cry
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky
But till that morning
There's a nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by.
Actually this song has been interpreted in two ways. It is a lullaby that could be sang as a mother to their child or as a slave/nanny to a white baby. As a mother to child it implies to the child that this is the only time in their lives that they will live as equal to a baby from wealthy parents, at least until they grow older and realize the harsh reality of the south. Kind of a sad song.
it is one of those old "n" songs that they used to sing when their bets were wet. god bless ella wherever fire you are in now.
LOL...old 'n' song. I'm guessing you mean NEGRO song. It's OK to say the word:) Back in the day, it was appropriate language and not viewed as offensive. Not sure if it was an old negro song (although with the mention of cotton it could well be), but it was one of Miss Ella's famous songs. It's obviously about a child being told by his parents that they will raise him/her well and be there to support him until he learns to spread his wings and fly.