Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900.
By HowardWeeden1674 The Banjo of the Past
Y
On banjos long ago,
An’ wants to know why it ain’t played
By niggers any mo’.
When times an’ chunes was rare,
When we was gay as children—’case
We did n’t have a care.
Found projeckin’ was done;
Our livin’ was to make—you see,
An’ dat lef’ out de fun.
We learned de taste ob tears—
An’ when you gets dat ’sponsible,
De banjo disappears!