Go Down, Old Hannah

Why don't you go down old Hannah,
well, well, well,
Don't you rise no more, don't you rise no more,
Why don't you go down old Hannah,
Hannah, Don't you rise no more.

If you rise in the morning,
well, well, well,
Bring judgement sure, bring judgement sure,
If you rise in the morning, morning,
Bring judgement sure.

Well, I looked at old Hannah,
well, well, well,
She was turning red, she was...
Then I looked at my partner, partner,
He was almost dead.

You should-a been on this old Brazos,
Back in nineteen and fo'
You could find a dead man,
Layin' across your row.

Why don't you wake up old dead man,
Help me carry my row,...
(repeat)

You should-a been on this old river,
Nineteen and ten,...
You could find them workin' the women,
And killin' the men

My mother called me
And I answered, Ma'am,...
She said ain't you tired of rolling,...
Rolling for that old sun-down man?

Then my father he called me
And I answered Sir
He said if you're tired of rolling,...
What do you stay here for.

Then my sister she called me, ...
And I answered hey,...
She said ain't you tired of rolling,...
Why don't you run away.

Then my brother he called me,
And I answered huh,
He said if you're tired of rolling,...
You know you got too long.

I got a letter from the Governor,
What do you think he said,...
He said he'd give me a pardon,...
If I didn't drop dead.

From Songs of Freedom, Carawan
Collected from Doc Reese
RG
apr97