On the road to Memphis town
Where the cotton turns to down,
There's an old black mammy singing;
In her arms so big and brown
There peep out two snow-white ears,
Then two eyes all in tears,
But she cuddles up so cunning
When this lullabye she hears
(chorus:)
"When de wes' am growin' crimson,
An' de eas' am growin' pink,
When de roses in de shaders
Seem to bow dey heads an' tink,
Close yo' eyes, ma blue-eyed darlin'
Dat's de birdies goodnight peep;
Lay yo' head down on ma bosom;
Mammy's darlin, go to sleep."
In the ranch house on the hill
Where the nights are cool and still,
And the mocking bird is singing,
Mammy listens with a thrill
To that song of long ago,
Now repeated soft and low
To another blue-eyed lisper
As they rock her to and fro.
That was years ago today;
It was many miles away,
And old grandma's softly sighing
When she hears the old, sweet lay
As a third wee baby's cry
Hushes as that tune draws nigh,
And she joins her mammy sleeping,
To the same old lullabye.
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