#1085 - Dora Dean

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• Composer:
  • Egbert (Bert) Austin Williams (1863-1922), 1895
• Also known as:
  • Dora Dean, The Sweetest Gal You Ever Seen
• MIDI | show
  
• Incipit: 131313131512312
• Condensed Incipit: 131313131512312
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• Lyrics:
  Way down in Lou'siana,
  Dat's where ole Sister Hannah,
  Bakes the cracklin bread upon the coals;
  With her daughter Dora Dean,
  Who is my dearest queen,
  Oh! I tell you, boys, she is a lump of gold.
  She goes to church on Sunday,
  You'll find her home on Monday,
  Helping all the folks the house to clean;
  Their home it looks so neat,
  You'll find it hard to beat,
  The way its kept by Dora Dean.
  
  chorus:
  Oh! have you ever seen my Dora Dean,
  She is the sweetest gal you ever seen;
  I'm gwine to make this gal sweet Dora, queen,
  Next Sunday morn' I'm gwine to marry sweet Dora Dean.
  (repeat chorus)
  
  While down with Sister Holley,
  We all did feel so jolly,
  Each one tried to cut a pigeon wing;
  When up jump'd Dora Dean,
  Who said I am the queen,
  I can beat you in a dance for anything.
  That just suited ole Aunt Dinah,
  Who sang a tune in minor,
  Thinking that she could the music make;
  So we started in to test,
  To see who was the best,
  And Dora walk'd off with the cake.¹⁾
  
  A copy of the sheet music for the song is held in the Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection at the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries & University Museums and may be viewed online at levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu
  
  
  • Egbert (Bert) Austin Williams (1863-1922), 1895