Before They Close the Minstrel Show
(Bob Coltman)

The poster's peeling underneath
Last summer's morning glory vine
An old white hat and a stump of cigar
And an empty bottle of wine

Lay me down Carolina, lay me down
Don't want to wake up in the morning no more
Sing me one slow sad song
For this one last old time
Before they close the minstrel show

Banjo's got a broken string
Don't expect I'll get to fix it now
Won't be no more chance to sing
I'm rusty anyhow

Daddy Bones is dead, I guess
You probably don't know or care
And Frank and Arch has gone away
Somewhere, I don't know where

The money and the crowd run out
Before we left the last town
This old show has played its run
And rung the curtain down

Don't know where we go from here
Come to that, I just don't care
Maybe we'll go to a better place
And the minstrel show'll be there

recorded by Bob Coltman and by Ed Trickett on Telling
Copyright Bob Coltman
SOF