Dese Bones Gwine to Rise Again

Lord, He thought he'd make a man
Dese bones gwine to rise again
Made him outa dirt an' a little bit o' sand.
Dese bones gwine to rise again

cho: I know it, 'deed I know it
Dese bones gwine to rise again

Adam was the fust He made
He put him on de bank an' he laid him in de shade,

Thought He'd make a 'ooman too
Didn't know 'xactly what to do.

Took a rib from Adam's side
Made Miss Eve to be his bride (Gave it to him for his bride)

Put 'em in a garden, rich an' fair
Tol' em dey might eat whatever wuz there.

But one tree dey mus' not go
Mus' leave de apples dere to grow.

Ol' Miss Eve come walkin' 'roun
Spied a tree all loaded down.

Sarpint coiled around a chunk
At Miss Eve his eye he wunk.

Firs' she took a little pull
Den she fill her apron full.

Den Adam took a little slice
Smack his lips an say 'twas nice.

De Lord He came a-wanderin' roun'
Spied dem peelin's on de ground.

De Lord He speak wid a ponstrus voice
Shuck dis ol' worl' to its very joists.

"Adam, Adam, where art thou?"
"Heah, Marse Lord, Ise a-comin' now."

"Stole my apples, I believe?"
'No my Lord, but I spec' it wuz Eve."

De Lord He riz up in His wrath
Told 'em,"You beat it down the path."

"Out o' dis gyarden you mus' git"
"Earn yo' livin' by yo' sweat."

He put an angel at de do'
Tol' 'em not to never come dere no mo'

Ob dis tale dere ain' no mo'
Eve eat de apple, give Adam de co'

From American Ballads and Folk Songs
note: By the 1930s, a somewhat jazzier version of this had
become a camp standard; same words, but tune DESEBONE.2 R G

Laws I7
DT #793
play.exe DESEBONE.2
RG
apr97