De Dandy Broadway Swell

For information on this song as part of the blackface minstrel tradition, please see
its page in The Juba Project's Minstrelsy Database.

Credits

Art Babayants, piano; Alison Jutzi, vocals; Dennis Patrick, sound technician.

Lyrics

Image c. British Library, all rights reserved. Further reproduction is prohibited

Verse 1
Talk ob a dandy Nigger_
ob sich a one I’ll tell,
When him goes out de call him
de dandy Broadway Swell,
He’s jis de style to captiwate
de Yallar Gals all round,
Look at him figger an you’ll see
few such I am be bound.

Verse 2
Him says him hab got a watch
an hansum large gold chain,
It’s gone_ stopp’d at de Brokers,
an wont go on again.
He wears a large shirt collar,
wot cubers up harf him head,
Which ebery night him washes
before him go to bed.

Verse 3
His hat fits him exactly
because it is much too small,
He bought it dis bery morning
to go to de last night’s ball.
Ob Moustachios an false whiskers
he’s six or seben pair,
Which he hangs all round him features
to captiwate de fair.

Verse 4
His knees an calbes are padded
to make out his figger rich,
He stuffs dem so bery well
dat you can’t tell which is which.
An dere’s sich a tone ob sweetness
in his voice wheree’er he goes.
Dat ebery Gal runs mad
if he only shows him nose.

Verse 5
How eber dis Nigger cum here
is not for me to tell,
De oder Niggs all hate him,
cause he’s de dandy Broadway Swell.
Dere’s sich a splendid spression
in de shuttin ob him eye
Dat de Gals hab only got to gib a kick,
a scream an die,

Chorus
'Cause I’se de kick, de go, de cheese!
De fac you all may tell;
De Yallar Gals him always please,
Dis dandy Broadway Swell.

Publication Information

Published by B. Williams, II. Paternoster Row, & 170 Gt. Dovor Rd., London.

British Library Shelf Number: H.2342

Accessioned: 18 January 1858