Hamilton Fish Armstrong, ed. The Book of New York Verse. 1917.
Bowery GalsAnonymous
A
O, down de street,
O, down de street,
Dat pretty color’d gal I chanc’d to meet.
O, she was fair to view.
Den de Bowery gals will you come out to-night?
Will you come out to-night?
Will you come out to-night?
O, de Bowery gals will you come out to-night
And dance by de light ob de moon?
O, we had some talk,
O, we had some talk,
And her heel cover’d up the whole side-walk,
As she stood right by me.
Dem lubly lips,
Dem lubly lips,
I think that I could lose my wits,
And drap right down on de floor.
Would she go to a dance,
Would she go to a dance,
I thought that I might have a chance
To shake my foot wid her.
O, my heel kept a-rocking,
O, my heel kept a-rocking,
And I balance to de gal wid a hole in her stocking,
She was de prettiest gal in de room.
Dat gal my wife,
Dat gal my wife,
O, I should be happy all my life,
If I had her along wid me.